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Located in the eastern part Eurasian continent, on the west coast Pacific Ocean. In terms of territory - almost 9.6 million sq km (1/4 of the area of Asia, 1/14 of the landmass of the globe) - China is the third country in the world, second only to Russia and Canada.
In terms of population - 1.31 billion people, China ranks first in the world. The population is distributed very unevenly: in some provinces in the east of the country it exceeds 400 people per 1 sq. km, while in the desert and highlands of the western and northwestern regions there are in some places less than 1 person per square kilometer.
Most of the country's territory is located between 20º and 50º north latitude and belongs to the temperate zone. The most western point (73º40′ E) lies west of Wuqia County in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Extreme eastern point (135º5′ E) is located at the confluence of the Heilongjiang (Amur) and Ussuri rivers. Northern the tip of the country (53º31′ N) is located on the fairway of the Heilongjiang River north of the city of Mohe. South point (4º15′ N) – Cape Zengmuansha at the southern tip of the Nansha Archipelago.
Thus, the length of the country from north to south is approximately 5.5 thousand km, from west to east – 5.2 thousand km. China has long borders: the length of the land border reaches 22,143 km, of which more than 7.5 thousand km are on the border with the CIS countries, and the mainland coastline is more than 14,500 km.
In the northeast, China borders on North Korea, in the north - on Russia and Mongolia, in the northwest - on the former Soviet republics, and now independent member states of the CIS - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, in the west and southwest - on Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan, in the south - with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. China also shares maritime borders with South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia.
China washed the waters of three seas - the Yellow, East China and South China, which are marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean, as well as the Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea. It is characteristic that in Chinese-language literature the Bohai Gulf is often singled out as a separate sea.
Mainland coastline It is characterized by a generally flat topography and is dissected by numerous bays; there are many beautiful bays and convenient harbors, most of which are ice-free.
However, in recent years, a tendency for the water level to gradually rise has begun to be observed in the coastal strip. According to calculations by the State Oceanographic Administration of China, sea levels in the coastal areas of the country will constantly rise over the next 3-10 years. Currently, the highest rates of sea transgression are observed in the Tianjin region, where over the past 50 years the average annual rate of water level rise has been 2.5 mm, which is slightly higher than the world average. In general, the trend of “wave-like” sea level rise has continued in recent years. In 2003, the average sea level in the country was 60 mm higher than the level recorded in previous years. Apparently, one of the reasons for this is global warming.
The total area of China's territorial waters is approximately 4.73 million sq km (data from different sources differ slightly), where there are more than 5.4 thousand islands. Of these, the largest are Taiwan and Hainan.
The most eastern islands China are Diaoyu and Chiweiyu, located northeast of Taiwan. The Diaoyu Islands (Japanese: Senkaku) are the subject of a territorial dispute between China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The total area of this island group, lying on the continental shelf of the East China Sea, does not exceed 6.3 sq km. However, significant oil reserves were discovered here. Given that both China and Japan are among the world's largest oil importers, the dispute has significant political and economic implications.
There are also unresolved territorial issues in the South China Sea, primarily related to the Paracel Islands (Chinese). Xisha Qundao西沙群岛) and the Spratly Islands (Chinese. Nansha Qundao南沙群岛). The Paracel Islands are claimed by China and Vietnam, and a number of states are fighting over the Spratlys - China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. The area of the Paracel Islands is approximately 3 sq km, and the island. Itu Aba, the largest of the Spratly Islands, is only 0.42 sq km, although the Spratly region itself has a length of more than 1000 km, where more than 100 islands are located. Again, despite the sufficient distance from the coast of China (the Paracel Islands are 250 km, and the Spratly Islands are 1000 km from Hainan Island) and the proximity to the coasts of Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia (70-200 km), the dispute is, in fact, over the right to own oil fields, as well as for control over one of the most intense international shipping routes between the Pacific and Indian oceans, and, accordingly, over cargo flows of important economic importance (oil, ores, food, industrial products, etc.).
In addition, the very belonging of the island of Taiwan to China is not obvious, although the Chinese authorities recognize the existence of only one China. It declares that "Taiwan Province is an integral part of the People's Republic of China, and any state that has established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China must sever all official contacts with the Administration of Taiwan."
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China
Actually, this part of the world is currently called the People's Republic of China. Or the People Republic of China (PRC), in the civilized, English-speaking world. And they call themselves Chongwen, or Middle Country.
If you look at the map, it is immediately clear that China is located in Southeast Asia. Who does China border with? Let's get a look. In general, with almost everyone located in this region. China borders Russia twice - in the northeast and in the northwest. And in the north, Russia and China are separated by Mongolia. In addition, of the former Soviet republics, China borders Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan (in the northwest) and Tajikistan (in the west). Also in the west, China shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan. India is adjacent to China in the south and southwest. And from the south, countries such as Myanmar, Bhutan, Vietnam, Nepal and Laos adjoin China. A country with the name Macao (we are more familiar with Macau) is adjacent to China in the Southeast. And everyone’s favorite North Korea is in the Southeast.
The total length of China's borders is approximately 22,143.34 km. And the total length of the coastline is 14,500 km.
But it’s not just China’s border that is so long. China is generally a very large country. Its total area is approximately 9,560,000 sq. km. True, this is together with maritime territories. The area of land alone is 9,326,410 square meters. km. In terms of total area, China ranks third in the world.
The coastline of China is not only long, but also convenient. There are three seas around China. In the south it is the South China Sea, and in the east, the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, respectively. True, not all of these seas are suitable for tourism and recreation - for example, blue-green algae interfere with swimming in the yellow sea.
There are a lot of mountains in China. This is generally a mountainous country for the most part. And only about a third of China is below 1,000 meters above sea level. Meadows and pastures occupy about 31% of China's territory, and land suitable for arable land occupies only 10%. The highest mountain in the world - Chomolungma, or Everest, is located here, on the border with Nepal. Its height is 8848 m. In the south are the Nanling Mountains and the Yunnan-Guzhou Plateau. The Tibetan Plateau is located in the southwest. The average height here is 4500 m. And despite this height, entire mountain systems rise around it - the Himalayas, Nandin, Karakorum, Kunlun. In the northeast of China there are the Greater Khingan and Lesser Khingan mountains and the ridges of the North Korean mountains. To the south are the Loess Plateau and the Great Chinese Plain. In addition to mountain systems, China also has deserts - Taklamkan in the west and Gobi in the north. In the north-west there are high plains - Tarim, Dzhungar and Alashan, as well as the Eastern Tien Shan.
Of the largest rivers in China, one cannot help but notice the Yangtze, Yellow River, Xijiang, and Songhua. The combination of mountainous terrain and large rivers puts China at the forefront of hydropower potential in the world.
Well, in the depths of the mountains everything lies. China has almost everything - coal, oil, iron ore, mercury, tungsten, tin, molybdenum, vanadium, manganese, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium... you can’t list it all.
And of course, the main wealth of the country is the people. More precisely, the population. In total, about 1.2 billion people (more precisely, 1,203,097,268 people) live in China (according to the 1995 census). About 25 million more Chinese live abroad, in the countries of Southeast Asia, America and Oceania and, of course, in Russia and Ukraine.
Many people believe that all these 1.2 (now more) billion people are Chinese. But it is not so. China is a multinational country. More than 50 different peoples live on its territory. Actually, the Chinese (Han) make up 90% of the population. In addition to them, the Mongols live in the north, the Miao and Yao live in the south and southwest, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz live in the west of China. The population, or rather its rapid growth, leaves one of the main problems of China. The country ranks first in the world in terms of population. And even if the population were distributed evenly throughout the country, the population density would be quite large. But mostly people settle in Eastern China on the coastal plains, as well as in the valleys of the main rivers. And in these places, China is literally overpopulated. The high mountain and desert areas of the country are quite sparsely populated. (Which is not surprising!) The country's leadership is trying to limit population growth using administrative methods. According to the law, each family should have no more than one child. Families also receive a number of benefits from the state. Parents with a large number of children must pay a large fine.
Most of the country's population lives in rural areas, but recently the share of cities has increased - up to 39%.
The capital of China is Beijing. This is one of the largest cities in the world. In addition to government, administrative and cultural institutions, it is also a major industrial center, with many industrial enterprises. However, it is not the largest city in China. The largest and largest industrial city in terms of population is Shanghai. Shanghai is also the largest seaport (like Ukrainian Odessa).
The climate of China is mainly subtropical or tropical. Very humid and warm, it is conducive to agriculture. And in China they grow two, and in the South - three crops per year. On the Great Chinese Plain, literally every piece of land is plowed. To the north of the Yangtze, wheat is usually sown; in the northeast, soybeans are grown, as well as kaoliang, a type of millet. And of course, the main food product of China is rice. They say that there are more than 200 ways to prepare it. Rice fields can be found not only on the plains, but also on steep slopes.
In the basin of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, quite large areas are devoted to cotton. In the humid and hot south, near the tropics, sugar cane plantations and groves of orange and tangerine trees appear. Bananas and pineapples are growing. And of course, everyone knows that China is the birthplace of tea. The Chinese themselves count more than 400 varieties of it.
In addition to people, quite a lot of different other animals live in China. The most famous is the giant panda, whose existence was not believed in Europe for a long time (until the mid-19th century). The red panda also lives only in China. And of course, wolves, foxes, tigers, bears, raccoon dogs, ermines, weasels, sables, and squirrels live here. Wild Przewalski's horses still run in the steppes, as well as goitered gazelles, gazelles and kulans. The mountains of Tibet are inhabited by highland animals (antelope, wild goats), some predators (Tibetan bear, lynx, wolf, red wolf), and rodents. They say that Bigfoot has been seen here many times. Tropical animals are widely represented in the far south of China: loris, gibbon, flying dog, giant squirrel, tupaya.
We believe that all Chinese are Buddhists, which is not true. Tourists love to look at the magnificent Chinese pagodas, and this is probably where this association came from. Buddhism is indeed widespread in China, but Chinese philosophical and religious thought does not live by Buddhism alone.
Traditional Chinese ideology rests on the “three pillars” of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.
Most Chinese are atheists. This is what official statistics say, and our observations fully confirm this idea.
The era of communism bore its fruits, and most of the population stopped believing in anything. But the way of thinking, ethics and norms of behavior of modern Chinese are formed by these three teachings. By the way, none of them can be recognized as a religion in the usual sense of the word.
Freedom in China
This country is considered one of the most unfree in the world. This happened in Chinese history, but now everything is changing. The modern Chinese does not feel any serious control, although in fact it exists.
On the other hand, there is much more freedom to realize oneself in China than in Russia. It’s much easier to open your own business there, it’s much easier to do your own thing on your own, rather than “working for someone else.” If you would like to work, the state will not interfere with you too much.
In China you cannot criticize the government on the Internet. subject to strict censorship. But the authorities listen to what is happening and draw conclusions. Events took place, the Communist Party drew conclusions, and reforms began.
Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a former colony of the British Empire. Recently, it has officially become a province of the People's Republic of China. In essence, it is a separate state. The authorities in Beijing are responsible only for foreign policy, and all other administrative issues are decided by local authorities.
It has its own currency, its own laws, its own visa regime and tax law. Russian citizens can visit Hong Kong without a visa, and can only enter the main territory of the country with a passport.
The tax system in Hong Kong is completely different - there is no VAT, and many things are 15-20% cheaper. If you want to buy an iPhone or iPad cheaply, then go to Hong Kong. Many Chinese come here to buy smartphones, tablet computers and laptops.
The city of Macau is similarly part of the PRC, and also has almost complete independence. It is a former colony of Portugal. It has its own laws, money and taxation.
Macau is a casino city; it is the Las Vegas of Asia. If a Chinese wants to play poker, blackjack or roulette, then they come here.
The situation on the island of Taiwan is more complicated. China officially considers it its territory and a province of the People's Republic of China. The Taiwanese disagree, and much of the world accepts their point of view.
Taiwan is a separate country. Everything is here, including the army and navy. This state is called the Republic of China (ROC), which translates as “Republic of China”. There are no negotiations on Taiwan's accession to the PRC.
Important advice for tourists. At Chinese airports, flights to Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan are referred to as “domestic” flights, and flights to these regions board from domestic flight terminals. Don't get confused.
We wish you a successful visit to China, and read our pages about this country ( links below).
China is located in the eastern part of the Eurasian continent. The area of China is 9.6 million square meters. km. It is the largest country in Asia. Among countries around the world, China is second only to Russia and Canada in area.
From east to west China's territory extends to 5500 km. The westernmost point (73º40′ E) lies in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The extreme eastern point (135º5′ E) is located at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri. The northern tip of the country (53º31′ N) is also located on the Amur near the city of Mohe. The southern point (4º15′ N) is Cape Zengmuansha at the southern tip of the Nansha Archipelago. Distance between the southern and northern points - 5200 km. The length of the country's land border is 22.8 thousand km.
China shares land borders with 14 countries: with Korea in the northeast, with Russia and Mongolia in the north, with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and India in the southwest, with Burma, Laos and Vietnam in the south. In the east and southeast, China has maritime borders with Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
The country's topography is extremely diverse. Mountainous regions make up 2/3 of China's entire territory. The PRC is located within the fragmented Chinese Precambrian Platform and younger areas. The eastern part is mostly lowland, and the western part is elevated and mountainous. The territory of China resembles a four-step staircase descending from west to east. In the West are Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau(the highest average altitude in the world is about 4500 m). In North-west- high plains and mountains Eastern Tien Shan, the central part is Loess plateau, Further to the East lowlands stretched out Great Chinese Plain. Low chains stretch across northeast China Manchu-Korean Mountains and Khingan, A on South- mountains Nanling and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Rocky Taklamakan and Gobi deserts occupy vast areas in the north and west of the country, and subtropical forests occupy southeast China.
The coast of mainland China in the east and south is washed by the waters of the Bohai, Yellow, East China and South China Seas, which belong to the Pacific Ocean. The total length of China's coastline is 32 thousand km, including the length of the continental coastline is 18 thousand km. China has many bays and convenient harbors, although most of them are shallow. In China there are 6961 islands, of which 433 are inhabited. Of these, the largest are Taiwan and Hainan. China's easternmost islands are Diaoyu and Chiweiyu, located northeast of Taiwan. To the south are the Spartly Islands.
The geographical location of China is quite favorable. The coastal location contributes to the development of its economy and foreign economic relations. The country has access to the sea from the remote interior via the Yangtze River. Sea vessels rise upstream of the Yangtze for more than 1000 km. The water resources of the PRC are large; the eastern, more populated and highly developed part of the country is most endowed with them. River waters are widely used for irrigation. China ranks first in the world in terms of potential hydropower resources, but their use is still very small.
China is located in three climate zones. Northern and western China are located in the temperate continental climate zone. The average temperature in winter is -7°C, in summer +22°C. Winter and autumn are characterized by strong drying winds. Central China lies in the subtropical climate zone. Temperatures in winter are from 0 to -5°C, in summer +20°C. South China and the islands are located in a tropical monsoon climate. Temperatures in winter are from +6 to +15°C, in summer +25°C. This part of the country is characterized by powerful typhoons.
More about the geographical location of China
China is the largest country in Asia in terms of area. And in terms of the number of people living, the People's Republic of China is ahead of the rest of the planet. Therefore, it is not surprising that China borders many other countries.
China and its borders
The south of the country has borders with the following countries:
- State of Vietnam;
- Myanmar (or Burma);
- Laos;
- Butane;
- Nepal;
- And India.
In the North, the PRC neighbors such states as:
- Russia;
- Mongolia.
The western direction is limited to the following territories:
- Pakistan;
- Afghanistan;
- Kazakhstan;
- Tajikistan;
- Kyrgyzstan.
The eastern borders of China are in contact with the lands of North Korea. In total, 14 countries are considered border countries for China.
Features of Chinese borders
All land borders of the PRC are approximately 22 thousand kilometers. The largest border line is between China and Russia.
The Chinese government regularly has land disputes with Russia. So in 2012, over 17 hectares of land, it almost came to an armed conflict. But the two powers still managed to agree peacefully.
The historical border - the Great Wall of China - lies in the north of the country. This structure was built to protect China from the Mongol invasion. And today the bright and famous landmark still fulfills its border role.
The water border line in the PRC stretches through the waters of the Yellow Sea, the Chinese and South China Seas, as well as the Korean Gulf. The coastline border is approximately 18 thousand kilometers without island territories, and 32 thousand kilometers of combined coastline with islands.
The attitude of the Chinese towards their borders
Since the PRC is a fairly densely populated country, the issue of expanding borders there is quite acute. If you look at ancient geographical maps, you can see that China used to own much more land than it does today. For example, Siberia was previously under the control of the Chinese.
And, of course, the Chinese people are trying their best to win disputes over some islands and lands. But for now the situation with these territories remains the same. Although the Chinese still managed to take a small part of the mountain range from Tajikistan.
But this was a flaw of Tajik diplomats. And these lands were practically not used for living. In general, China takes the protection of its borders quite seriously. This power has a large army, a significant part of which is border troops.
Today, China's economy is at a high level. The state successfully competes with countries such as the USA and Japan. Should we expect military conflicts with China over territories? The answer will depend on the course chosen by the governments of countries bordering each other. Until now, all land disputes have been resolved peacefully. Although several centuries ago it was because of borders that fierce wars were fought in China, which were ended only after the creation of a strong and centralized state.