By Wang Xiaojun “Helen”Confucius Institute at UWP

How Does Geography Influence Daily Life in

China

Let the Confucius Institute Introduce You to China

西沙群岛Paracel Islands

TajikistanAfghanistan

9.6 million square kilometer of land area = 96 000 hectare of land area3 million square kilometer of sea area

= 30 000 hectare of sea area 1.30628 billion population5 500 km width from south to north5 200 km length from east to west5 time zones, same time

- Beijing Time

China Atlas

23 provinces5 autonomous regions4 municipalities directly under the central

government2 special administrative regionsCapital – Beijing (Peking)

China's Territory

22% of the world’s population

Uneven distribution of populationeast – westplain areas -

mountainous & plateau regions

rural - urban

China's Population

Unified Multi-ethnic CountryHan people

90.56%55 ethnic minorities

9.44%壮 Zhuang, 满

Man ，回 Hui ，苗Miao ，维吾尔Uygur ，彝 Yi ，土家Tujia ，蒙古Menggu ，藏 Zang ，布依 Buyi

China's TopographyThree-step Staircase

(from west to east):Qinghai-Tibet PlateauInner Mogolia, Loess

and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateaus, and Tarim, Junggar, Sichuan Basins

Mountains Da Xing An Ling, Taihang, Wushan, etc.

Mountainous areas: 2/3

Five zones: Taiwan Province Tibet, Sichuan,

YunnanGansu, Qinghai,

NingxiaHebei, TianjingGuangdong,

Fujian

China's Seismic Zone Tangshan 3:42am Jul-28-1978Magnitude 7.8, 242 000 of death toll

Haiyuan (Ningxia) 8:05pm Dec-16-1920Magnitude 8.5, 234 000 000 of death toll

Wenchuan 2:28pm May-12-2008Magnitude 8.0, 69 197 of death toll and 18341 of missing

Temperature differences in January  (-8°F ~ 75°F)

                      

China's Climate

Temperature differences in July ( 104°F ~ 46°F)                            

Coal3rd in the world

‘s reserveNorthern/west

areas61% used for

powerPetroleum

8th in the world’s reserve

2nd in the world’s consumption

China's Mineral Resources

70 000 km of truck ， 3rd in the world

Three east-west line: Beijing-Baotou-Lanzhou Lianyungang-Lanzhou-

Urumqi Shanghai-Hangzhou-

Changsha-Liuzhou-Guiyang-Kunming

Five south-north lines Beijing-Guangzhou Beijing-Shanghai Beijing-Kowloon Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Baoji-Chengdu-Kunming

Qinghai-Tibet line

China's Railways

                                                                                    

                               China Railway Map

Travle by Train

75% of Chinese people’s first choice

Spring Festival Transportation 春运， chunyun

13.9% of total transportation of commodities

GuangzhouRailway Station

1.93million km, 2nd in the world

Every county has been connected by roads

6% of administrative villages without roads

Roads

More than 1000 domestic lines

More than 120 international lines

Aviation

Coastal portShanghai, Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Tianjin,

Qingdao, Ningbo, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Fangchenggang, etc.

Changjiang / Yangtze River 长江The Three Gorges Project

The Grand Canal (Beijing -Hangzhou)

Water Transportation

Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River

7% cultivated lands in the worldNorthern areas:

Dry crops: Wheat, corn, Chinese sorghum, soybean

Cotton, sweet potatosApple, pear, peach, persimmons,

walnuts, Chinese chestnuts, jujubes, grape

Southern areasRiceBanana, pineapple, longan, lychee,

coconut

Cultivated Lands and Main Grains

The general Facial Characteristics of northern Chinese people are tall nosemore single-folds long and well-defined

facehairs are more thick

and straight lighter and taller

Rhythem of Life in Different Areas

The general Facial Characteristics of southern Chinese people areflattened out nosedouble eye-foldsshorter facehairs are more softer darker and shorter

Characteristics of northern peopleBold and

inhibitedExtroverted

Characteristics of southern peopleDelicate and

caringIntroverted

Food customs in northern area

NoodleFlavor of sour, saltyJasmine teaLiquor, 白酒 baijiu

Food customs in southern area

RiceFlavor of spicy, sweet,

plainLongjin tea, kongfu teaLiquor, 白酒 baijiu

Music in northern area

Loud and sonorous

Music in southern area

melodious

Close to the emperorCenter of political

centerChinese Siheyuan &

HutongNoble and

commentatorSalty foodLeisure

Beijing-- Noble-like lifestyle

Cold winterPersonal loyaltyLiqour , 白酒 baijiu Salty foodActivities related to

the ice

North-east People -- bold and uninhabited style

Abundant agricultural products

Inconvenient transportationHard-workingKind-heartedSpicy foodLeisure and relax rhythm of

lifeTeaMahjong 麻将 majiangSmall car

Sichuanese -- Basin Culture

1843-1945 semi-colony city

International financial center

Astute in business里弄 lilong/ 弄堂

longtangSweet and saucy foodOpen and anti-

outsiders

Shanghai People-- Opened culture

Center of ChinaLess developed

than coastal areasFrank and open

personalityA little bit more

spicy and salty foodleisure

Wuhan-- Opening and Inhabitants Culture

Out-oriented CityCommerce & tradeActive evening

activiteisMorning Tea

Guangzhou-- Morning Tea Culture