China Study Abroad – May 2007China Study Abroad – May 2007Overview of Land, Climate and AgricultureOverview of Land, Climate and Agriculture

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Goal: Give you an idea of the diverseGoal: Give you an idea of the diverse landscape, climate & agriculture landscape, climate & agriculture in China & how they have in China & how they have impacted population distributionimpacted population distribution

You can use this map to locate items we discuss todayYou can use this map to locate items we discuss today

~ 41 N~ 41 N~ 30 N~ 30 N

Where is China?Where is China?

AmesAmes BeijingBeijing

ShanghaiShanghaiTallahasseeTallahassee

Ames and (Beijing or Shanghai or Hangzhou) lie at about the same latitude.Ames and (Beijing or Shanghai or Hangzhou) lie at about the same latitude.

Tallahassee, Florida and (Beijing or Shanghai orHangzhou) lie at about the same latitude.Tallahassee, Florida and (Beijing or Shanghai orHangzhou) lie at about the same latitude.

Topography Topography of Chinaof China

Where is the “Roof of the World”?Where is the “Roof of the World”?What happens to topography moving from western China to the eastern seacoast?What happens to topography moving from western China to the eastern seacoast?

300-600ft300-600ft

3,200 ft3,200 ft

16,000 ft16,000 ft

6,50

0 ft

6,50

0 ft

Trans-Siberian RailroadTrans-Siberian Railroad

MongoliaMongolia

HimalayaHimalaya

Plateau of TibetPlateau of Tibet

Taklamakan DesertTaklamakan Desert

KashgarKashgar Gobi DesertGobi DesertNorth KoreaNorth Korea

Huang He/Yellow RiverHuang He/Yellow River3,400 miles3,400 miles

YangtzeYangtze4,000 miles4,000 miles

Xi Jian – PearlXi Jian – Pearl1,200 miles1,200 miles

Identify four major rivers in China.Identify four major rivers in China.

Amur RiverAmur River2,760 miles2,760 miles

BrahmaputraBrahmaputra

MekongMekongIrrawaddyIrrawaddy

Created a hugeCreated a hugeFertile flood plainFertile flood plainFor agricultureFor agriculture

Three Gorges DamThree Gorges Dam

• 600 ft high600 ft high• 1.5 miles wide1.5 miles wide• 300+ mile long lake300+ mile long lake• Largest artificial lakeLargest artificial lake• Reduce floodingReduce flooding• Provide electricityProvide electricity• Improve shipping Improve shipping

370 mi370 mi

$ 75 billion$ 75 billion

10% of China’s electricity10% of China’s electricity

140 villages displaced140 villages displaced

2,000,000 people relocated2,000,000 people relocated

1,600 factories lost1,600 factories lost

80,000 acres of ag land80,000 acres of ag land

Concern with large sedimentConcern with large sediment load filling reservoirload filling reservoir

June, 2003 closed damJune, 2003 closed dam

Fully functional 2009Fully functional 2009

Huang He/Yellow RiverHuang He/Yellow River3,400 miles3,400 miles

YangtzeYangtze4,000 miles4,000 miles

Xi Jian – PearlXi Jian – Pearl1,200 miles1,200 miles

Identify Major Oceans/SeasIdentify Major Oceans/Seas

Amur RiverAmur River2,760 miles2,760 miles

East SeaEast Sea

Major Deserts in ChinaMajor Deserts in China

Created By: Mary IrlbeckCreated By: Mary Irlbeck (http://www.dainst.org/index_3462_en.html)

China has 10 deserts in all; they include:

-Badain Jaran Desert -Lop Desert

-Dzoosotoyn Elisen Desert -Ordos Desert

-Gobi Desert -Shapotou

-Hami Desert -Taklamakan

-Kum-tagh Desert -Tengger Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

• LOCATION: Located in provinces of Gansu & Ningxia of China as well as Inner Mongolia

• SIZE: 49,000 sq. kilometers

(30, 000 sq. miles)

• Home to tallest stationary dunes in the world

• Home to over 100 spring-fed lakes that lie between dunes

Gobi Desert

• LOCATION: Located in China & southern Mongolia

• SIZE: 1,295,000 sq. kilometers (500,000 mi²) (One of the largest deserts in the world)

• Is known to be a cold desert, common to see frost & occasionally snow on it’s dunes

Lop Desert• LOCATION: Located in the

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China

• Two characteristic features of this almost dead-level region are:

1. Broad, unbroken expanses of clay intermingled with sand; often arranged in terraces

2. Absence of drift-sand and sand dunes, except in the south

Taklamakan • LOCATION: Located in the Xinjiang

Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China

• SIZE: 270,000 sq. kilometers

• Largest sand-only desert in the world

• Known as “Desert of Death” or “Place of No Return”

• Remains of mummies (from up to 4,000 years ago) also found here

Tengger Desert

• LOCATION: Located in the Gansu Province in China

• SIZE: 36,700 square km

• Composed of more sand than rock, so dust storms frequently occur (Agricultural practices & grazing have contributed to this problem)

The End

TemperateTemperateContinentalContinental

SubtropicalSubtropicalHumidHumid

SubtropicalSubtropicalHumidHumid

What are the major climatic zones of China & Korea?What are the major climatic zones of China & Korea?

Temperate Semi-aridTemperate Semi-arid

TropicalTropicalWet-DryWet-Dry

Tropical Tropical WetWet

HighlandsHighlands

Temperate Temperate AridArid

0-4 in0-4 in

4-20 in4-20 in 20-40 in20-40 in

40-60 in40-60 in> 60 in> 60 in

January (-8 – 75 F)January (-8 – 75 F)

July (45 – 104 F)July (45 – 104 F)

ForestForest

CroplandCropland

GrasslandGrassland

Where are the forests & grassland in China?Where are the forests & grassland in China?

China Population DensityChina Population Density

Beijing

Seoul

Tokyo

ShanghaiHangzhou

Taiwan

Hongkong

PyongyangTrans-Siberian Railroad

Bangkok

Singapore

DaeguDaegu

USAUSA3,717,000 sq mi3,717,000 sq mi300,000,000 people300,000,000 peoplearable land 19%arable land 19%income $37,000income $37,000

ChinaChina3,705,000 sq mi3,705,000 sq mi1,300,000,0001,300,000,000arable land 10%arable land 10%income $3,600income $3,600

How much of China is arable land?How much of China is arable land?

Arable LandArable LandChina – 0.2 acres/person China – 0.2 acres/person

US – 1.6 acres/personUS – 1.6 acres/person

Is rice grown near Beijing?Is rice grown near Beijing?Where are the major rice growing areas?Where are the major rice growing areas?Where do you go to see corn grown?Where do you go to see corn grown?

Farming in ChinaFarming in China

RiceRice

TeaTea

Farmland continues to Farmland continues to expand at the cost of expand at the cost of deforestationdeforestation

20,000 ha/yr reduction in 20,000 ha/yr reduction in subtropical/tropical forest subtropical/tropical forest in Yunnan Provincein Yunnan Province

Integrated bamboo/chickensIntegrated bamboo/chickens

Pig BuildingFruit Orchard

Fish Pond

Chickens grazing

                                                                         

Sustainability of Agriculture in ChinaSustainability of Agriculture in China

Rice production in Rice production in southeastern is southeastern is arguably arguably considered considered sustainablesustainable

Northern China in Northern China in mid- and upper mid- and upper Yellow River Yellow River Basin is Basin is problematicproblematic

China Minerals, IndustryChina Minerals, Industry

Land boundaries Land boundaries total: 22,143.3 kmtotal: 22,143.3 km

Coastline: 14,500 km Coastline: 14,500 km

AfghanistanAfghanistan – 76 km BhutanBhutan - 470 km IndiaIndia - 3,380 km KazakhstanKazakhstan - 1,533 km North KoreaNorth Korea - 1,416 km KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan - 858 km LaosLaos - 423 km MacauMacauMongoliaMongolia - 4,673 km MyanmarMyanmar - 2,185 km NepalNepal - 1,236 km PakistanPakistan - 523 km RussiaRussia (northwest) 40 km (northeast) 3,605 km TajikistanTajikistan - 414 km VietnamVietnam - 1,281 km

1 mile = 1.6 km

What Countries Border China?What Countries Border China?

• Grand Canal - world's oldest and longest canal - Hangzhou to Beijing

• 1,795 Km (1,114 miles) long; 24 locks - 60 bridges.

• Canal began in 486 B.C. with furious construction from 605-610 AD

China has more than 60,000 mi of navigable inland waterways. The busiest is the China has more than 60,000 mi of navigable inland waterways. The busiest is the Grand Canal, which extends about 1,200 mi from Beijing to Hangzhou.Grand Canal, which extends about 1,200 mi from Beijing to Hangzhou.

Great Wall of ChinaGreat Wall of China separate walls built separate walls built between 770 – 476 BCbetween 770 – 476 BC

Emperor Qin combined Emperor Qin combined them into the Great Wallthem into the Great Wall in 214 BCin 214 BC

About 4,000 miles longAbout 4,000 miles long

Silk roads of ChinaSilk roads of China

Brittney MorrisBrittney Morris

Xian: Big Wild Xian: Big Wild Goose PagodaGoose Pagoda

Jiayuguan Jiayuguan PassPass

Mountainous sceneries in Mountainous sceneries in TianshanTianshan Taklamakan DesertTaklamakan Desert