The Chinese Realm:
Regions -China Proper

• Introduction
• Northeast China Plain
• North China Plain
• Basins of the Chang Jiang
• Basins of the Xi

Introduction

China Proper is the heavily populated [checumen] [eapopden] eastern river [chrivers] basins. Four major rivers in eastern China contain over 75% of its population. This is the China of the ethnic Han Chinese [chethnic] whose culture originated in the Huang He culture hearth [wwhearth]. Even though most chinese are farmers [wraglab], China Proper is also the most urbanized region of China [chcities] and the main source of is current economic growth [chsez]. This large, heavily populated region can be divided into four sub-regions [chproper] each focused on a river valley:

1. Northeast China Plain
2. North China Plain
3. Basins of the Chang Jiang
4. Basins of the Xi

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Northeast China Plain [chproper]

• Physical
  • Liao and Songhua River Basins
  • cold [chclimat]
  • heavily populated [checumen] [eapopden]
• Cultural
  • Home of the Manchus [chempire]
  • cultural minorities [chethnic]
  • Manchuria - Northeast China
• Historical
  • home of the Manchus [chempire]
  • former Japanese colony [jpempire] [chjapan] [chtrans]
• Economic
  • focus of Comunists's industrialization program
  • well developed infrastructure [chtrans]
  • [chagric]
  • resources: forests, iron ore, coal, bauxite, lead, zinc, oil, others
  • Northeast China is now China's "Rust Belt"
  • future industrial potential: resources and locational advantages
    • Pacific Rim
    • Koeas
    • Russia Far East

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North China Plain [chproper]

• Physical
  • Huang He River Basin
  • frequent floods
  • fertile loess soils in the west
  • "Yellow River"
• Cultural
  • Ancient home of the Han Chinese
• Historical
  • ancient culture hearth [wwhearth]
• Economic
  • China's core area:
    • densely populated [chpopden] [eapopden]
    • very productive agriculture
    • site of capital: Beijing [chcities]
    • industry
    • port at Tianjin
  • wheat [chagric]

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Basins of the Chang Jiang [chproper]

• Physical
  • Chang Jiang river basin [chrivers]
  • China's most navigable river
• Cultural
  • Han Chinese [chethnic]
• Historical
  • became part of China's expanding empire early [chempire]
• Economic
  • rice, some wheat [chagric]
  • densely populated [checumene] [eapopden]
  • Grand Canal: Shanghai to Beijing [chcities]
  • New China Dam (Three Gorges) [chdam]
  • Heavy river traffic [chcities]
  • China's largest city: Shanghai

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Basins of the Xi [chproper]

• Physical
  • Xi River Basin
  • near tropical climate [chclima]
• Cultural
  • cultural minorities [chethnic]
• Historical
  • more contact with outside worldd
  • sorce of people of the diaspora
• Economic
  • rice, multiple crops in south [chagric]
  • recent industrialization
  • focus of structural adjustment program [chsez]

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