Geography of China

School of Overseas Education, NJUPT

 Climate
• Like its diversified topography, China’s
climate is diversified as well. From the
south to the north, China can be
divided into four climatic zones,
namely, the tropical, subtropical,
temperate and frigid climatic zones.
• Most of China lies in the North
Temperate Zone, characterized by a
warm climate and distinctive seasons,
a climate well suited for habitation.
Most parts of China are subjected to
strong monsoon climate, which are
cold and dry in winter, whereas hot
and rainy in summer.
• The precipitation is unevenly
distributed across the country,
decreasing from the southeast coast
to northwest inland.
Precipitation & Diversity
 Population and Ethnic Groups
• China’s population exceeds 1.3
billion, constitute about 22% of the
world’s population and accounts for
the largest in the world.

• China’s population is unevenly

distributed across the country, with
the east densely populated while
the west sparsely populated. People
abound in the plain areas, but
sparse in the mountainous and
plateau region.

• And there is a big gap between the

population in the urban area and
that in the rural area.
 Ethnic Groups
• China is a unified multi-ethnic country,
comprising 56 nationalities. The Han people
comprises the largest population among all
of the nationalities, making up 91.59 percent
of the country’s total population. The other
55 nationalities are called ethnic minorities.

• Althouth the ethnic minorities are small in

population, they are widely dispersed across
the country, mainly in the Northwest,
Southwest and Northeast. The Uygur, a
people good at dancing and singing, mainly
live in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region. The Mongols, distributed on the
Inner Mongolian Plateau, are called “people
of grassland”. The Tibetan people by and
large live on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,
known as “eagle of the plateau”. The
Oroqens （鄂伦春族） inhabit the Xing’
anling mountains, which earns them the
name “people on the mountains” （山岭上
人） .
 Population and Ethnic Groups
• China’s population exceeds 1.3
billion, constitute about 22% of the
world’s population and accounts for
the largest in the world.

• China’s population is unevenly

distributed across the country, with
the east densely populated while
the west sparsely populated. People
abound in the plain areas, but
sparse in the mountainous and
plateau region.

• And there is a big gap between the

population in the urban area and
that in the rural area.
 56 Nationalities
One Family
Up till now, there remain some ethnic
groups which haven’t been officially
identified in China.(better chances of
education, born and other benefits)
 National Strategy of Sustainable Development

• Economic Development/Nature Conservation

Sustainable Development (1980)
• 1987 World Environment and Development
Committee: Our Common Future
• China’s national strategy in 1997
• Ecological Civilization 2007 17 大
• Economy, Politics, Culture, Society,
Ecology (2012/18th National
Congress of CPC)
 Keep nature as it is
绿水青山就是金山银山。
Clear waters and green
mountains are as good as
mountains of gold and silver. 
 Anti-desertification
A powerful center would weaken the
peripheral individuals/High efficiency
 On the Way

• peak carbon dioxide emissions (2030)

• carbon neutral (2060)
• hydro-energy; wind energy; solar energy;
nuclear energy; photovoltaic power
generation/3Rs lifestyle
Thank you!