Map of the People's Republic of China

Author: Zhou Tao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
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 Greater Khingan Range, Taihang Mountains, Wushan Mountains, Wuling Mountains, and Xuefeng Mountains, it is 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, and other major rivers include the Yellow River, Heilongjiang River, Pearl River, Huai River, etc. From the perspective of the hemispheres, China is located in the Eastern Hemisphere; from the perspective of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, it is 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. To the south, it faces Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei across the South China Sea. There are more than 6,500 islands with a coastal area of over 500 square meters.