China Map Album

Author: Gao Xiujing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: China's geography is relatively complex. The terrain slopes from west to east in three steps: the southwestern region is the "Roof of the World," the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the highest plateau in the world with the highest average elevation, forming the first step; bounded by the Kunlun Mountains, Qilian Mountains, and Hengduan Mountains, it descends eastward and northward into a series of plateaus and basins, forming the second step; east of the Great Khingan Mountains, Taihang Mountains, Wushan Mountains, Wuling Mountains, and Xuefeng Mountains lies mostly plains, forming the third step. China has vast mountainous areas, with mountains, plateaus, and hills accounting for about two-thirds of the country's total land area. The Yangtze River is China's longest river, with other major rivers including the Yellow River, Heilongjiang River, Pearl River, Huai River, etc. From the perspective of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, China is located in the Eastern Hemisphere; from the perspective of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, China is located in the Northern Hemisphere. China is located on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean and the east of Asia. Counterclockwise, it borders 15 countries: North Korea, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. The mainland coastline is over 18,000 kilometers long. To the east, it overlooks South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines across the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, while to the south, it faces Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei across the South China Sea. There are more than 6,500 islands with an area of over 500 square meters along the coast.