Regional Division and Statistics in China
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Regional Division and Statistics in China Peng, Zhang National Bureau of Statistics of China, 57 Yuetan Nanjie, Xichengqu, Beijing China. E-mail: [email protected] I. Regional Division of China Regional division is the base of researching regional economy, the precondition for exploring regional Sessions development, and the foundation for formulating regional policies. As China is a country with vast territory, Posters there is great difference in the development condition and developmental level among different regions. Therefore, regional division is an important way for China, a country with relatively vast territory, to adjust and control the regional economic development. Thus a complete set of regional division system is an important support for setting down and executing regional policies of China. Regional division includes three aspects: (1) natural division; (2) administrative division; (3) economic regional division. Natural region, administrative region and economic region are three physiographical regional concepts with different nature but close relationship. Natural region is a geographic unit with relatively consistent natural features and ambiguous boundary. Administrative region, belonging to superstructure, is the administrative jurisdiction scope of governments at all levels, and is the region divided as per systems, so it has clear legal boundary line. Economic region is the region strategically divided as per the feature of social production geographic division. As it belongs to economic activity region, the boundary line may change with the Sessions development of economy. Posters If administrative division is largely consistent with economic regional division, it can be called administrative-economic regional division. If administrative division is not consistent with economic regional division, then it can be called non-administrative - economic region, i.e. cross-administrative economic region. Natural region can be consistent with administrative-economic region, but in many cases, they are not consistent, or the natural region is only consistent with economic region rather than administrative region. Usually, if natural region, administrative region and economic region are consistent or largely consistent with each other, it will be convenient to conduct scientific and reasonable regional planning in this natural-administrative-economic region, so as to harmonize and sustainably develop the population, resources, environment, economy and society in this region. However, as China has wide area, with complicated landform and geography as well as diversified climate, it is impossible to make the administrative division, natural division and economic regional division consistent with each other. i. Natural Division of China Sessions Located in the north of the eastern hemisphere, and southeast of Asian-European continent, China faces the Posters Pacific Ocean on the east, and extends into the hinterland of Asian-European continent in the northwest, which makes it a country with sea and land (with an area of 9.6 million km2). The territory of China begins from the center line of the main channel of Heilongjiang River in the north (about 53°34′ of north latitude), and extends to Zengmu Ansha of the Nansha Islands in the south (about 3°51′ of north latitude), as well as begins from the joint of the main channels of Heilongjiang River and Wusuli River in the east (about 135°05′ of east longitude), and extends to the Pamir Mountain Area in the west (around 37° of east longitude). The south-north span of China is about 50 latitudes, with a distance of about 5500 km, and the east-west span is more than 60 latitudes, with a distance of more than 5200 km. Most of the territories are in the North Temperate Zone, with clearly four seasons, while a small part of territories in the south are in the tropical zone, where trees and grass are green all over the year. As so large span of longitude and latitude, China is featured with diversified climate and great discrepancy on natural condition. Sessions The whole country can be divided into three natural regions, i.e. the eastern monsoon region, northwest arid Posters region and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region according to the comprehensive factors such as natural condition, geographic entity and climate. Based on this, 7 natural regions (i.e. the Northeast Region, North China Region, Center China Region, South China Region, Inner Mongolia Region, Northwest Region, and Qinghai-Tibet Region) are further divided into according to the condition of both temperature and moisture, as well as the soil and plant which are reflections of temperature and moisture. Moreover, 35 sub-regions are also divided into as per the integral indicators of zonal factor and non-zonal factor. (See table 1) Table 1: System Division of Natural Regions. Eastern Monsoon Region Northwest Arid Region Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Region Mountains in the north of Great Inner Mongolian Plateau East Himalayas South Foot Xingan Mountains Northeast Region Mountains in the east of the South of Great Xingan Mountains Mountains and plateau in Inner MongoliaRegion Northeast Region and Yinshan Mountains east Tibet and west Sichuan Plateaus in the southeast of Plains in the center of the Ordos Plateau and Hetao Plain Qinghai and Northwest of Northeast Region Qinghai-Tibet Region Qinghai-Tibet Sichuan Hills in Shandong and eastern and Xiliaohe Plain and Loess Plateau Sessions Mountains and valleys in southern parts of Liaoning land at the north side of Yanshan Posters south Tibet province Mountains North ChinaRegion Plain in Huanghe River and Huaihai, as well as the lower Altai and adjacent mountains Northern Tibet Plateau Northwest Region reaches of Liaohe River Loess Plateau Zungeer Basin Kunlun Mountains Hilly Area of North Hebei Qilian Mountains and Altyn Tianshan Mountains Province mountain Qinling-Daba Mountains and Tarim basin Qaidam Basin Huaiyang hills Plains at Middle and Lower Alxa Plateau and Hexi Corridor Reaches of Yangtze River Center ChinaRegion Mountains and hills of south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Mountains and hills in Zhejiang and Fujian Sichuan Basin Yun-Gui Plateau Sessions Taiwan Posters Hong Kong Macao South ChinaRegion Leizhou Peninsula and Hainan Island South China sea islands Lingnan hills and plains Mountain and valley in south Yunnan The basic features of the three natural regions are: 1. The northern monsoon region occupies about 46% of the total area of China. There are wide constructional plains, with a few of mountain ridges with the altitude exceeding 2000m. There is distinct monsoon influence, as well as obvious substitution of wind direction, precipitation and temperature as the change of seasons. It is mainly covered by forest, with a few grasslands. Human beings have cultivated nearly all the land suitable for farming in this region, which brings broad and deep influence of human being on this region. Therefore, it is the utmost agricultural region in China. Sessions Posters 2. The Northwest arid region is in the inland of China, occupying about 27.3% of the total area. There are wide high plains with the altitude of around 1000m in this region. Most parts of this region are surrounded by mountain ridges which block the reaching of summer monsoon, so there is little aqueous vapor from sea. Most parts of the area are covered by desert, while a few of which are covered by desert steppe and steppe. Forests and downlands are distributed in vertical zoning of high mountains. Most parts of the area belong to endorheism, with relatively plentiful of lakes, bust most of which are saltwater lakes. There is insufficient water resource, serious soil desertification and salination in this area. Activities of Human beings can be seen in the contiguous area of this region with the Eastern Monsoon Region and areas with flowing water for irrigation although the influence of human beings here is far less broad than the Eastern Monsoon Region. 3. Qinghai-Tibet Plateau area occupies about 26.7% of the total area of China. This area consists of high plateaus with the average altitude of more than 4000m, with rarefied air, low temperature, strong solar radiation, and strong wind power. It is mainly covered by desert, mesophorbium shrub and a few forests. Sessions Most of the areas here belong to endorheism, with major glaciers and lakes. Influence of human beings on Posters this region is less than the Northwest arid region. The industry here is mainly animal husbandry, and forestry and agriculture can be developed in a few regions. ii. Administrative Division of China Administrative division is a kind of space arrangement of the national system, indicating that a country divides its territory into regions with different hierarchical structures according to the needs of political and economic development and administrative management, and as per certain standards. Administrative division is a local administrative management system and government management behavior, and the reflection of local administrative power on regions. The first Constitution of PRC issued in 1954 specifies that the first-level administrative regions of China shall be province, autonomous region, and municipality directly under the Central Government. It is specified that three-level administrative division system of province, county, and township shall be executed, Sessions i.e. the country is divided into province, autonomous region, and municipality directly under the Central Posters Government; province