What are the most significant physical features in China? Name two
Three-Gorges Dam South-North Water Transfer Project
Major environmental regions
What are their implications for China?
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Territory and Location Neighbors
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Diverse Topographies: Three Tiers
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2008
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“Giant checkerboard”
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Implications of Physical Landscape Encircled with mountains and oceans, less accessible to outsiders, isolated from the rest of the world Diverse environments diverse cultures and economies, large regional differences Uniting different cultures/regions rather than external expansion is more important
Limited habitable land population pressure on the environment over exploitation of the environment sustainability Centrality, ethnocentrism Youqin Huang GOG/EAS 160
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The Middle Kingdom
中 国
(Zhong guo)
Centrality: center of the world, spatially and culturally
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River Systems
River Systems The Yellow River (Huang He) The Yangtze River (Chang Jiang)
The Pearl River (Xi Jiang) Youqin Huang GOG/EAS 160
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The Yellow River: “China’s Sorrow”
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Numerous floods in history
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ZHANG Yimou’s movies
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A Day with Stay Indoor Warning
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The Yellow River Importance in Chinese civilization Cut through the Loess Plateau China’s Sorrow
Three Gates Gorge (San Men Xia) Dam – an attempt to control the river 1999: logging bans and mandatory reforestation projects on the upper and middle stretches of the river Youqin Huang GOG/EAS 160
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Supports lots of people and industries
The Yangtze River (the Chang Jiang) The longest river in Asia, 3rd longest in the world (6300 km) Largest annual discharge Provide water to the central part of China Flood control and efficient use Three Gorges Dam
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The Dam is 175 m high, 2309 m long
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Chongqing Port
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Three Gorges Dam China’s Mega Dam, by Discovery Channel Questions:
Pros: Low-cost and clean power for the growing economy and population Flood control Fishing industry and tourism …
What are pros and cons of Three Gorges Dam? (according to the video) Was it a smart idea to build the Three Gorges Dam?
Cons:
1.2 million people displaced Archaeological sites/culture relics lost Environmental consequences Possible military target/structure failure …
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The Pearl River (The Xi Jiang)
Rapidly growing and urbanizing region Massive migrants “Factory of China” HK, Macau SEZs, oversea connections
The Pearl River in Guangzhou Youqin Huang GOG/EAS 160
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Climate N.W.: Continentality S.E: Monsoon
South-North Water Transfer Project
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Rice in the south Wheat in the north
Temperature regimes vary by north-south location
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The Southwest -- Guilin
Qinling Mountain-Huai River
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Li Jiang
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The Southeast: Yangtze River Delta
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Suzhou Garden
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“Land of water”
“Land of Fish and Rice”
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The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
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The Northwest: Xingjiang-Mongolia
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Xinjiang
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The Northeast
Snow and Ice Festival in Haerbin Youqin Huang GOG/EAS 160
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Re-cap Diverse topographies Major physical features Implication of physical environment
River systems The Yellow River, Yangtze River, Pearl River Three-Gorges Dam, South-North Water Transfer Implication of the river systems
Coast-inland, south-north contrast in precipitation, temperature, crops & land use Major environmental regions Different environmental challenges Youqin Huang GOG/EAS 160
