
| -Geographical Database- |
The Geographical Database examines locations in and around China of historical and cultural significance.
Entries are arranged alphabetically by proper name in English, and pinyin romanization for Chinese names. Older and/ or alternative translations and pronunciations are present next to the pinyin translation.
This page will have, for some entries, Chinese characters. For information on how to read Chinese characters, click here.
Dates reflecting a time period before the year '0' in European terms, are categorized as BCE (Before the Common Era). This is equivalent to the widely used BC (Before Christ). Dates reflecting a time period after the year '0' are categorized as CE (in the Common Era). This is equivalent to the widely used AD (After the Death of Christ or Anno Domini). As the Chinese culture in the majority do not subscribe to the practice of Christianity as a religion, it seemed appropriate to signify these dates in a neutral manner.
Look for a link to pictures and maps in most entries.
An interactive provincial map of China is available HERE (it is quite large).
A list of Chinese geographic terms and their meanings, Chinese cities and provinces and topographical features, such as rivers, lakes and mountains as well as an index to all terms in the database are all located at the end of the page, after the database entries.
| Contents |
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| A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z |
| Geographic Terms | Topographic Features | Cities and Provinces |
| INDEX |
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Anhui
B5: 安徽; PY: Ānhuī; WG: Anhwei- Province in eastern China, comprising the broad alluvial lowland of the flood-prone Huai River in the north, the
intensively cultivated alluvial lowlands along the Yangtze River in the south, and a rugged, hilly area in the extreme south.
Chief crops are wheat and cotton in the north, rice and silk in the Yangtze lowlands, and tea in the southern upland areas. Fish culture is important.
Rich iron-ore deposits support a large iron- and steel-manufacturing complex at Ma'anshan. Coal and copper are mined. Major cities are the capital,
Hefei; Huainan; Bengbu; Anqing; and Wuhu.
Once part of the ancient southern state of Chu, the region that is now Anhui was absorbed into China during the Qin (Ch'in) dynasty (221- 206 BCE).
It was made a separate province in 1667 CE. The Huang He (Yellow River) flowed through Anhui until it changed course to the north
in 1852. The river was deliberately diverted to Anhui in 1938 by the Nationalist government, which hoped the resulting flood would halt the Japanese
invasion. This act resulted in a tremendous loss of lives. Area, about 139,000 sq km (about 53,700 sq mi); population (1991 estimate) 57,610,000.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Anhui Province
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Anqing
B5: 安慶; GB: 安庆; PY: Ānqìng- Prefecture-level city in southwestern Anhui province, People's Republic of China. It borders Lu'an
to the north, Chaohu to the northeast, Tongling to the east, Chizhou to the southeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and
Hubei to the south and west respectively.
The city was founded during the Han Dynasty in the second century BCE. In the Middle Ages it received the name of Anqing. From 1853 to 1861 it was held
by the rebels of the Taiping rebellion. Several years later Anqing was a center of the weapon industry.
Anqing is important for the trade in tea, which is planted on surrounding mountains.
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Anshan
B5: 鞍山; PY: Ānshān; lit.: saddle mountain- City in northeastern China, in Liaoning Province, near the city of
Shenyang. Anshan is one of China's leading industrial centers. Anshan's integrated iron and steel complex, one of the world's
largest, processes iron ore mined in the region; other important manufactures of the city include chemicals and machinery.
Anshan was founded in 1387 and was fortified in the 16th century. After suffering extensive damage during the Boxer Uprising (1900) and the Russo-Japanese
War (1904-1905), the city was rebuilt with broad avenues. Modern industrialization, begun in 1918, accelerated after the Japanese occupied northeastern
China in 1931. Anshan was severely damaged again during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), and it was looted of industrial equipment by Soviet
forces toward the end of World War II (1939-1945). The city was reconstructed in the 1950s with technologically advanced industrial facilities. Population
(1991) 1,535,582.
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Anyang
B5: 安阳; GB: 安陽; PY: Ānyáng- City in northern China, in Henan Province, in a coal-mining and cotton-growing region. Principal
manufactures include cotton textiles and processed food. Anyang is located on the site of Yin, the capital of the Shang (Yin) dynasty (1600?-1050? BCE).
Archaeological work, begun here in 1928, has uncovered the remains of a royal palace dating from the 16th century BCE, several royal tombs, and a collection
of oracle bones chronicling early Chinese history. Population (1991) 416,875.
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Aomen
B5: 澳門; GB: 澳门; PY: Àomén; WG: Macau; Macao- Territory of China, on the southeastern coast of China, west of Xianggang.
Portuguese traders first traveled to the South China coast in the early 1500s, and in 1556 they established a settlement at Aomen. The government of
China did not formally recognize Portuguese control of Aomen until 1887. Aomen is scheduled to return to Chinese administration in December 1999, when
it will become a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China with a status similar to that of Xianggang after its transfer from British to Chinese
rule in 1997. As an SAR of China, a Communist country, Aomen will maintain its capitalist economic system for 50 years after 1999, an arrangement China
refers to as "one country, two systems."
Aomen is located west of the mouth of the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) estuary and borders China's Guangdong Province to the north.
It is about 60 km (about 40 mi) southwest of Xianggang and about 110 km (about 70 mi) south of the city of Guangzhou. The city of Aomen is the territory's
largest settlement.
Aomen covers a total land area of 17.4 sq km (6.7 sq mi). It consists of the narrow peninsula of Aomen (6.5 sq km/2.5 sq mi) and the islands of Taipa
(3.8 sq km/1.5 sq mi) and Coloane (7.1 sq km/2.7 sq mi). Aomen's total area is growing as extensive land reclamation projects add new area to the islands
and peninsula. This effort is expected to continue because Aomen has a scarcity of level land suitable for development. Bridges and a causeway, or raised
highway, link the islands to the peninsula. At the north end of the peninsula, where Aomen borders Guangdong Province, the land forms a narrow isthmus.
Atlas :: City Maps :: Macau
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Aomen Special Administrative
Region (Macau)
Atlas :: Country Maps :: Macau
East Asian Region :: Aomen
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Baoding
B5: 保定; PY: Bǎodìng; WG: Ching-yuang- City in northern China, in Hebei Province, a port on the Fu River. It is a transportation
and industrial center at the northern edge of the fertile Huabei Pingyuan (North China Plain). Manufactures include fertilizer, processed food, chemicals,
textiles, and pharmaceuticals. An ancient city that was founded before the Qin (Ch'in) dynasty (221-206 BCE), Baoding was called Ching-yuang from 581
CE until 1958. In Ming times (1368- 1644), it was fortified and developed as a military center for the defense of nearby Beijing.
Population (1991) 428,376.
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Baoji
B5: 寶雞 (鷄); GB: 宝鸡; PY: Bǎojī- City in northern China, in Shaanxi Province, in the Wei River valley. A transportation hub
with rail connections to northwestern and southwestern China, Baoji is also a commercial and industrial center. Manufacturing industries, developed
here largely after 1949, produce cotton textiles, railroad equipment, machinery, and paper. Baoji was founded as early as the 3rd century BCE and received
its present name under the Tang (T'ang) dynasty (618- 907 CE). Population (1991) 375,605.
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Baotou
B5: 包頭; GB: 包头; PY: Bāotóu- City in northern China, largest in Nei Menggu province, a port and industrial center on the
Huang He (Yellow River). It is the site of a large integrated iron and steel complex, supplied by locally mined coal, iron ore,
and limestone. Other manufactures include aluminum, processed food (notably sugar), textiles, chemicals, and motor vehicles. Developed as a small commercial
center in the 1880s, Baotou began to grow as a manufacturing hub while it was part of the Japanese-controlled state of Meng-chiang (1937-1945). It was
returned to Chinese control in 1945 and became a center of heavy industry in the 1950s. Population (1991) 1,574,291.
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Beibu Wan (Gulf of Tonkin)
B5: 北部灣; GB: 北部湾; PY: Běibù Wān- Also Gulf of Bac Bo, northwestern arm of the South China Sea, bordered on
its west by northern Vietnam, on its north and east by southern China, and on the east by the Chinese island of Hainan. Several
rivers flow into the gulf, including the Yuan Jiang (Red River) and the Lo.
The gulf is very shallow near the coast but increases to as much as 200 m (650 ft) in depth. The seabed is composed mainly of silt and other fine particles
from the Yuan Jiang delta and is undergoing rapid siltation. Two major ports lie along the gulf: Haiphong in Vietnam and Beihai in China.
There are numerous islands in the gulf. Along Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, in the northern part of the gulf, are 3000 small islands. Among the more important
islands are Cô Tô, a pearling center; and Cát Bà, an important tourist center. Formed of limestone pillars and other shapes, many of the islands are
exceptionally beautiful and in 1994 were designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Many of the islands are uninhabitable and consequently have maintained their unique structure. For much of the last 2000 years the Gulf of Tonkin has
been a major trade route, especially in conjunction with the Yuan Jiang delta. In the 11th century trading posts were opened on islands of the gulf,
encouraging merchants from Siam and Java and significantly increasing trade. In the 19th century the French expanded the port at Haiphong and conducted
military raids around the area. Control of the gulf and the Yuan Jiang delta allowed French soldiers to easily travel inland. During the French colonial
period the gulf was a primary export route for rice, cement, and coal. The Gulf of Tonkin played an important role in the history of the Vietnam War
(1959-1975). At the end of July 1964 the U.S.S. Maddox, a destroyer of the United States Navy, was patrolling the gulf coast seeking reconnaissance
about the North Vietnamese. At the same time, a number of smaller ships were conducting covert operations in the gulf against the North Vietnamese;
these ships eventually shelled several offshore islands. The North Vietnamese retaliated by attacking the Maddox with three torpedo boats on August
2, 1964. On August 4, the Maddox and another destroyer, the U.S.S. Turner Joy, believed they were under attack and radioed two nearby U.S. aircraft
carriers, the Ticonderoga and the Constellation, for retaliatory air strikes. Fighter planes from those two ships struck North Vietnamese naval vessels
and a major petroleum storage center in the city of Vinh. On August 7, the U.S. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving President Lyndon
Johnson the authority to take action against the North Vietnamese. Over the next four years, Johnson used the resolution to justify sending increasing
numbers of troops to fight in the Vietnam War. Johnson's critics argued that the president had exaggerated the attack on U.S. ships and exceeded the
authority of the resolution by escalating the war.
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Beijing
B5: 北京; PY: Běijīng; WG: Peking or Peiking- Meaning 'northern capital'; capital city of The People's Republic of China, encircled by
Hebei Province, located in the northern part of the country, on the northern edge of the Huabei Pingyuan (North China Plain), approximately
110 km (approximately 70 mi) northwest of the Bo Hai gulf. Beijing, the second largest city in China after Shanghai, is the
cultural, political, and intellectual center of the country, as well as a major industrial and commercial metropolis. Initially settled more than 2000
years ago, it has been the capital of China for most of the last 700 years. The climate is seasonal, with hot summers and cold winters. Temperatures
can climb higher than 38° C (higher than 100° F) in July and drop lower than -15° C (lower than 5° F) in January.
Beijing is an independently administered municipal district of about 16,810 sq km (about 6490 sq mi). It comprises ten urban districts and eight predominantly
rural counties. The urban districts include four dense city districts and six suburban districts. The suburbs are growing rapidly as new construction
of institutional, industrial, and residential buildings cover the landscape and convert former agricultural land to urban uses. The eight rural counties
continue to provide basic grain, vegetables, fruits, building materials, and water supplies to the city. However, significant industrial growth has
also occurred in these areas, namely in the outlying towns of Shijingshan, Tongxian, Fengtai, and Fangshan.
Atlas :: City Maps :: Beijing (8)
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Beijing Province
East Asian Region :: Beijing
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Bengbu
B5: 蚌埠; PY: Bèngbù; Also: P'engpu, Pang-pu, Peng-pu, Bangbu; lit.: "Clam Wharf" or "Oyster Quay"- City in eastern China, in Anhui
Province, a port on the Huai River and an important industrial center on the agriculturally rich lower Yangtze River plain.
Manufactures include machinery, glass, processed food, and textiles. Coal is mined nearby. Bengbu gained prominence as an industrial city in the early
20th century. It expanded rapidly after 1949 with an emphasis on the production of heavy machinery. Population (1991) 443,367.
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Benxi
B5:
本溪; PY: Běnxī; WG: Penki- City in northeastern China, in Liaoning Province, an important mining and industrial center. Extensive
local deposits of coal and low-phosphorus iron ore support a large iron and steel industry; other leading manufactures include cement and chemicals.
Benxi was founded before the 11th century CE. Modern coal mining, begun here in 1905, initiated a period of rapid industrialization, which accelerated
during the Japanese occupation (1931- 1945) of northeastern China. The city was damaged and looted during and immediately after World War II (1939-
1945) and was rebuilt in the 1950s with technologically advanced industrial facilities. Population (1991) 1,132,044.
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Brahmaputra River
B5: 雅魯藏佈江; GB: 雅鲁藏布江; PY: Yălŭzàngbùjiāng; (Sanskrit; "son of Brahma"; ancient: Dyardanes or Oedanes)- One of the great rivers of southern
Asia, 2,900 km (1,800 mi) long. It flows from southwestern Tibet, China, through Arunâchal Pradesh and Assam states in India, into
Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. In Tibet it is called the Yarlung Zangbo. Rising in the Kailas Range of the Himalayas, at an elevation
of 4,900 m (16,000 ft), the stream follows an easterly course for about 1450 km (about 900 mi) in Tibet at an altitude of about 3660 m (about 12,000
ft), then swings south, crosses the Himalayas, and enters the lowland plains of Assam, where it is called the Dihang. Near Sadiya, Assam, it changes
course to southwest and becomes the Brahmaputra. After about 800 km (about 500 mi) in this direction it turns south again, going through Bangladesh.
At the Ganges delta, the river divides into two channels, and the main channel becomes known as the Jamuna River. The Jamuna joins the Ganges River,
which from that point is known as the Padma River and then the Meghna River before it empties into the Bay of Bengal. The plains watered by the stream
yield abundant crops of rice, jute, and mustard. Steamers can navigate the Brahmaputra from the Bay of Bengal up as far as Dibrugarh in Assam, 1,290
km (800 mi) from the sea.
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Changchun
B5: 長春; GB: 长春; PY: Chángchūn- City in northeastern China, the capital of Jilin Province, an important industrial and
rail center. Its major industries produce motor vehicles and railroad equipment; other manufactures include rubber goods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals,
electrical products, processed food and wood, textiles, and motion pictures. Changchun is a spacious, modern city, with broad avenues. Jilin University
and several colleges are here. The city was founded by Chinese settlers in the 1790s. As Hsinking (Hsin-ching), it served (1932- 1945) as the capital
of the former Japanese-controlled state of Manchukuo and suffered heavy damage and looting during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937- 1945). It became
a major industrial center after 1949 and replaced the city of Jilin as provincial capital in 1954. Population (1991) 2,583,890.
Atlas :: City Maps :: Changchun
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Changsha
B5: 長沙; GB: 长沙; PY: Chángshā; WG: Chang-sha- City in southern China, the capital of Hunan Province, a busy port on the Xiang
River. Changsha is the industrial, transportation, and cultural center of a rich agricultural region. Manufactures include machine tools, aluminum,
processed food (especially rice), chemicals, electronic equipment, and embroidered textiles. Changsha is associated with, and has many monuments to,
the early career of Mao Zedong, who was born in nearby Shaoshan and spent most of the period from 1913 to 1921 here. In the city are Hunan University
and the Changsha Museum, whose holdings include famous artifacts from a Western Han dynasty (206 BCE- 8 CE) tomb in nearby Mawangdui.
Founded in the 3rd century BCE, the city was originally called Qingyang. As Tanchow, it became the capital of the later Zhou state (951- 960 CE), and
as Changsha it was a leading commercial and cultural center during the Song dynasty (960- 1279). It was made the capital of Hunan in 1664 and was opened
to foreign trade in 1904. Severely damaged during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937- 1945), the city grew as an industrial center after 1949. Population
(1991) 1,776,343.
Atlas :: City Maps :: Changsha
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Changzhi
B5: 長治; GB: 长治; PY: Chángzhì- City in northern China, in Shanxi Province, a transportation and industrial center. Manufactures
include iron and steel and machinery; coal, iron ore, and asbestos are mined nearby. An ancient city, dating from at least the Shang (Yin) dynasty (1600?-
1050? BCE), Changzhi was known as Luan until 1912. Population (1991) 317,144.
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Chengdu
B5: 成都; PY: Chéngdu; WG: Ch'eng-tu- City in central China, the capital of Sichuan Province, on the Min Jiang (a tributary
of the upper Yangtze), the cultural and industrial center for the agricultural Chengdu Plain. Manufactures include processed
food, precision instruments, cutting tools, electronic equipment, textiles, and aluminum. Deposits of coal and natural gas are nearby. Sichuan University
and several other institutions of higher education are in Chengdu, as is the home of the Tang (T'ang) poet Du Fu (Tu Fu).
Chengdu was founded during the Zhou (Chou) dynasty (1027?- 256 BCE). Capital of the Shu dynasty (221- 63 CE), it became a leading commercial center
during the Tang dynasty (618- 907), when it was known as I-chou. Chengdu was one of the first centers of printing in China. In 1368 it was made the
capital of Sichuan. Famous since the 13th century for its luxurious satins, brocades, and lacquer ware, Chengdu expanded rapidly during the Second Sino-Japanese
War (1937-1945) and was developed as a major rail and industrial center in the 1950s. Population (1991) 3,347,433.
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Chiayi
B5: 嘉義; GB: 嘉义; PY: Jiāyì; WG: Chia-yi; T: Ka-gī- City in southern Taiwan, the capital of Chiayi County, on a coastal plain.
A major sugarcane and lumber center in an agricultural area, the city is also a road and rail junction; sugar mills, sawmills, and distilleries are
here, and manufactures include cement and tile. In the surrounding area rice, pineapples, sweet potatoes, and tobacco are grown. The nearby Ali Shan
lumbering area is linked with the city by rail. Warm springs and Buddhist shrines are adjacent. The city dates from the 1700s. The name is also spelled
Chiayi or Kiayi. Population (1997 estimate) 262,860.
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Chilung
B5: 基隆; PY: Jīlóng; WG: Chi-lung; other: Keelung, Kirun- City in northern Taiwan, on the East China
Sea. The chief port for imports to the city of T'aipei, it also has shipbuilding and fish-processing industries. Coal, gold,
and silver deposits are nearby. The community was occupied by the Spanish in 1626 and by the Dutch in 1642 before passing to the Chinese Qing (Manchu)
dynasty in 1683. Chilung was opened to foreign trade in 1860 as a treaty port, and its main growth began during the Japanese control of Taiwan (1895-1945).
Population (1997 estimate) 374,199.
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China Sea
Arm of the Pacific Ocean, located off the eastern and southeastern coasts of Asia. It extends from Japan to the eastern end of Borneo and the
southern end of the Malay Peninsula. The Taiwan Strait, located between mainland China and the island of Taiwan, divides
the China Sea into two parts; the northern portion is called the East China Sea, and the southern portion is called the
South China Sea, also known as the China Sea.
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Chongqing
B5: 重慶; GB: 重庆; PY: Chóngqìng; WG: Chungking- Autonomous municipality, southwestern China, surrounded on all sides by Sichuan
Province. Chongqing is situated on a rocky peninsula at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. It is a major inland
port of China and the leading commercial, transportation, and industrial center of the country's southwestern region. The city is located near iron-ore
and coal deposits in a fertile agricultural region. Manufactures include iron and steel, machinery, motor vehicles, cotton and silk textiles, chemicals,
and processed foods. Major railroads and highways link Chongqing to all parts of the country. The city is the site of Chongqing University and several
colleges. Several resorts and mineral spas are located in the surrounding region.
A city has existed on the site for more than 4000 years. In the 4th century BCE it was absorbed by the Qin (Ch'in) dynasty into what would become the
first unified Chinese state. In 1890 Chongqing was opened to foreign trade. After the outbreak of hostilities between China and Japan in 1937, Chongqing
was made the capital of the Chinese Nationalist government, and it remained so until 1946. Although it suffered heavy damage from Japanese bombings,
the city grew greatly in population and increased its industrial base during the war years. Since the 1950s the Chinese government has developed heavy
industry in Chongqing. The city was part of Sichuan Province until 1996, when it became an autonomous municipality and gained considerable rural area.
Population (1991) 4,717,750.
Atlas :: City Maps :: Chongqing
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Da Yunhe
B5: 大運河; GB: 大运河; PY: Dà Yùnhé; lit.: transport river (Grand Canal)- Series of waterways, eastern China, connecting Hangzhou
(Hang-chou) in the south with Beijing in the north. Also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (GB: 京杭大运河; B5: 京杭大運河;
PY: Jīng Háng Dà Yùnhé), it is the world's longest canal system, extending in a generally northern-southern
direction for about 1600 km (about 1000 mi) and the longest ancient canal or artificial waterway. The oldest section, that between the Yangtze (Chang Jiang) River and the
Huang He (Yellow River), was constructed in the 4th and 5th centuries BCE. In the early 6th century CE it was rebuilt and new
canals were added. During the 13th century the system was extended north to Beijing, after that city had been made capital of the Yuan (Yüan) dynasty.
By the mid-19th century the Grand Canal had fallen into disrepair. The government dredged, repaired, and modernized the system between 1958 and 1964.
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Dalian
B5: 大連; GB: 大连; PY: Dàlián; WG: Lüda- Municipality, Northeast China, located in Liaoning Province, on the Liaodong Peninsula.
It includes Lüshun (Port Arthur), the major seaport town, at the southwestern tip of the peninsula; Dalian, a port on Korea Bay; the offshore Changshan
Islands; and adjacent agricultural regions. Lüshun is an important ice-free naval base guarding the entrance to the gulf of Bo Hai (Gulf of Chihli).
Dalian, the main commercial port for industrialized northeastern China (and also ice-free), is the leading petroleum-exporting point for the productive
Daqing oil field. It can accommodate supertankers and has large shipyards; manufactures include refined petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, machinery,
iron and steel, and transportation equipment.
Lüshun was an important port as early as the 6th century CE. It was occupied (1858) by the British and was fortified as a naval base by the Chinese
in the 1880s. It was attacked and briefly held by the Japanese in 1895; subsequently it was granted, with adjacent parts of the peninsula, to Russia
as part of the Liaodong lease. While under Russian control (1898- 1905), Lüshun was renamed Port Arthur. It was valued by the Russians for its year-round
access to the Pacific Ocean and was extensively refortified for naval use. Dalian was transformed during the same period from a minor fishing port into
a modern commercial port and was given the Russian name Dalny.
The Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War (1904- 1905), transferred the Liaodong territory to the Japanese, who renamed it Kwangtung.
Lüshun, renamed Ryojun, became an important Japanese naval base and was (1905- 1937) the administrative center of the territory. Dalian, given the Japanese
name Dairen, was enlarged and modernized. It replaced Lüshun as the capital of Kwangtung in 1937 and developed rapidly in the 1930s and early 1940s
as the main port for Japanese-controlled Manchuria (present-day Northeast China).
Following the defeat of Japan in World War II, both ports were placed under joint Soviet-Chinese control in 1945. They were returned to full Chinese
sovereignty in 1955. Lüshun again became a Chinese naval base, and Dalian became a center of heavy industry in the late 1950s and 1960s; during the
1970s Dalian was developed as China's leading petroleum port. Population (1991) 2,980,513.
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Dandong
B5: 丹東; GB: 丹东; PY: Dāndōng; WG: Andong- Municipality of northeastern China, in Liaoning Province, on the Yalu River,
opposite Sinuiju, North Korea. The largest municipality in eastern Liaoning and a gateway to North Korea, it includes the industrial
river port of Dandong, an outer harbor for oceangoing vessels at Donggou, and adjacent territory bordering the Yalu River. Manufactures include textiles,
wood pulp and paper, chemicals, machinery, and rubber goods. A large hydroelectric power plant is located on the Yalu upstream from Dandong.
Dandong gained prominence in 1907, when it was linked by rail with both northeastern China and Korea. It was industrialized during the Japanese occupation
(1931- 1945) of Manchuria (present-day Northeast China) and expanded during the Korean War (1950- 1953). Until 1965, Dandong
was known as Andong and Donggou as Tatungkow. Population (1990) 523,700.
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Datong
B5: 大同; PY: Dàtóng- City, northern China, in Shanxi Province, a major coal-mining and rail center, near the
Great Wall. Manufactures include railroad equipment, agricultural machinery, cement, processed food, and shoes. The Yün-kang
caves, famous for Buddhist art carved into a hillside between CE386 and 534, are nearby.
Datong was founded as a fortress town in the 4th century and was the 5th-century capital of the Northern Wei Buddhist dynasty. Industrialization accelerated
in the 1920s as railroads and coal mining were developed in northern China. Population (1991) 1,235,673.
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Dong Hai
B5: 東海; GB: 东海; PY: Dōng Hǎi- An arm of the Pacific Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Asia. The sea is bounded
on the east by Kyûshû Island and the Ryûkyû Islands and on the south by Taiwan and the
Taiwan Strait; it merges with the Huang Hai (Yellow Sea) on the northwest. The most important ports
on the sea are Shanghai, China, and Nagasaki, Japan. The principal river draining into the sea is the
Yangtze. The sea floor averages about 350 m (about 1150 ft) and drops to a maximum
depth of 2717 m (8913 ft) near the Ryûkyûs. The sea covers an area of 752,000 sq km (about 290,000 sq mi). Shipping and fishing in the sea are economically
important; the main catches include croakers, tuna, cuttlefish, and cutlass fish.
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Dongting Hu
B5: 洞庭湖; PY: Dòngtíng hú; WG: Tung-t'ing Hu- Large lake, southeastern China, in northern Hunan Province, on the
Dongting Plain, in the valley of the Yangtze River. The lake covers 3,700 sq km (1,430 sq mi). It becomes a natural reservoir
during the rainy season, when the flooding Yangtze increases the size of the lake significantly. The Xiang (Hsiang) and Zi (Tzu) rivers flow into the
lake from the south and the Yuan Jiang (Red River) and Li River from the west. Dongting Hu is joined to the Yangtze by three
canals. The surrounding plain is one of the chief rice-producing areas of China.
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Fujian
B5: 福建; PY: Fújiàn; WG: Fu-chien, Fukien- Province, southeastern China, on the Taiwan Strait opposite the island of
Taiwan. The province has an almost entirely mountainous terrain and an irregular coast, indented by numerous bays and harbors.
Rice, double-cropped in the humid subtropical climate, is grown in small alluvial valleys; tea and fruit are produced in upland areas. Lumbering and
fishing are also important. The capital and largest city is Fuzhou; other urban centers are Xiamen (Amoy),
Zhangzhou, and Nanping.
Fujian came under Chinese domination in the Qin (Ch'in) dynasty (221-206 BCE), but was not effectively Sinicized before the 7th century CE. Its overseas
trade prospered from the 12th to the 17th century and then declined with the rise of the port of Guangzhou (Canton) to the
west. Fuzhou and Xiamen, opened to foreign trade in 1842, were important as tea ports in the 19th century. The presence of Nationalist forces on the
strategic offshore islands of Matsu and Chinmen (Quemoy) since 1949 has adversely affected coastal shipping. The construction of railroads to neighboring
provinces since the 1950s has alleviated the region's physical isolation. Area, 121,000 sq km (46,720 sq mi); population (1990) 30,048,224.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Fujian Province
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Fushun
B5: 撫順; GB: 抚顺; PY: Fǔshùn; WG: Fu-shan; local: Funan- City, northeastern China, in Liaoning Province, an important industrial
center in a region of abundant coal and oil-shale deposits. Manufactures include aluminum, iron and steel, refined petroleum, machinery, cement, rubber,
and fertilizers. Local coal seams, overlaid by oil shale, which is exceptionally thick, are mined by open cut methods.
The old walled city of Fushun was built in 1669. Its modern growth dates from the early 20th century when it was developed as a coal-mining center by
Russian industrialists. Industrialization accelerated under Japanese control (1905- 1945), and oil-shale processing began in the 1930s. The city suffered
heavy damage during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937- 1945), and during looting in 1945 it lost much industrial equipment. It was rebuilt in the 1950s,
and highly mechanized coal mines and other modern industrial facilities were developed here. Population (1991) 1,487,400.
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Fuxin
B5: 阜新; PY: Fùxīn; WG: Fu-hsin, Fou-hsin- City, northeastern China, in Liaoning Province, a major coal-mining center
in a highly industrialized region. Coal deposits occur here in thick beds suitable for surface (opencut) mining methods. Mining began during the Japanese
occupation (1931- 45) of northeastern China, and the mines suffered heavy damage during World War II. The mines were reconstructed and modernized by
the Chinese in the early 1950s. Other industries in Fuxin include the generation of electricity and the manufacture of chemicals. Population (1991)
879,477.
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Fuzhou
B5: 福州; PY: Fúzhōu; WG: Fu-chou; Also: Foochow, Fuchow- City in southeastern China, capital of Fujian Province, an industrial
center and seaport on the Min River. Manufactured products include chemicals, silk and cotton textiles, iron and steel, and processed food. Among its
exports are fine lacquer ware and handcrafted fans and umbrellas. The city's trade is mainly with Chinese coastal ports; exports of timber, food products,
and paper move through the harbor at Guantou (Kuan-t'ou), which is located about 50 km (30 mi) downstream of Fuzhou on the Min River. Fuzhou consists
of an old walled city, about 3.2 km (about 2 mi) from the Min River, and a modern riverside quarter, which is connected by bridge to Nantai Island.
A university is in the city, and several noted pagodas and temples are nearby. The strategically located island of Matsu, held by
Taiwan, is near Fuzhou, in the Taiwan Strait.
Fuzhou, founded in the 2nd century BCE, was absorbed into China during the 6th century CE. It was opened to foreign trade in 1842 as a concession to
the British after China was defeated in the first Opium War. From then until the late 19th century, Fuzhou was a major port for the export of tea. The
city's other trade declined after contacts with nearby Taiwan, a traditional commercial partner, were severed in 1949. Thereafter, Fuzhou was linked
(1958) by rail to northern China and grew as an industrial center. Population (1991) 1,652,228.
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Gansu
B5: 甘肅; GB: 甘肃; PY: Gānsù; WG: Kan-su, Kansu, or Kan-suh- Province, northern China; long and narrow in outline, it is dominated by a complex system of semiarid loess-covered
plateaus and basins. The high Nan Shan and Qilian Shan mountain ranges extend along much of the southern border. Terraced and irrigated agriculture
produces wheat, millet, kaoliang, and soybeans. Major resources include petroleum, iron ore, copper, and coal. Lanzhou, the capital,
is an important transportation junction and industrial center; other cities include Yumen and Tianshui.
Gansu first came under Chinese administration in the Qin (Ch'in) dynasty (221- 206 BCE) and thereafter served as the main corridor between eastern China
and Central Asia. Trade flowed through the region on the Old Silk Road. It became a Muslim stronghold by the 13th century and was the base of the violent
Muslim Rebellion (1862-78). It was subsequently reduced in size. The province was hit by devastating earthquakes in 1920 and 1932. Traditionally one
of the poorer Chinese provinces, it grew rapidly when reached by rail and industrialized in the 1950s. Area, 454,000 sq km (175,300 sq mi); population
(1990) 21,371,141.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Gansu Province
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Gejiu
B5: 个旧; PY: Gèjiù; WG: Ko-chiu, Kokiu- City, southwestern China, in Yunnan Province. Located in a rugged region near
the border with Vietnam, the city has been a major mining center for silver and tin since about the 13th century, and it is now the country's most important
producer of tin ore; lead and iron ore also are mined. In the city are large plants for smelting and processing tin. Population (1991) 214,294.
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Gobi Desert
B5: 沙漠; PY: Shāmò; WG: Sha- Mo; Also: B5: 沙漠; PY: Gēbì- Extensive desert area of Asia, principally in Mongolia, sometimes called by the Chinese Sha-mo ("sand desert"). The
Gobi, which is about 1610 km (about 1000 mi) in extent from east to west and about 970 km (about 600 mi) from north to south, is bounded by the Da Hinggan
Ling (Greater Khingan Range) on the east, the Altun Shan and Nan Shan mountains on the south, the Tian Shan mountains on the west, and the Altay and
Hangayn Nuruu (Khangai) mountains and Yablonovyy range on the north. The general form of the Gobi is that of a plateau between higher mountains. The
height of the plateau ranges from 914 m (3000 ft) above sea level in the east to 1524 m (5000 ft) in the west. The surface of the Gobi plateau consists
in the main of rolling gravel plains, interspersed occasionally with low, flat-topped ranges and isolated hills that are the result of faulting action.
Only the southeastern portion of the Gobi is completely waterless. The remainder of the region, approximately three-quarters of the area, has a thin
growth of grass, scrub, and thorn sufficient to feed the flocks of the nomadic herders who live there; water is available in wells and occasional shallow
lakes. The borders of the Gobi to the north and northwest are fertile, and grassy steppes or prairies lie at the southeastern edge of the desert area.
Several caravan trails dating from ancient times cross the Gobi region. Among the more important are the routes from Partizansk (Suchan), Russia, to
Hami, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, and from Zhangjiakou (Chang-chia-k'ou), Hebei (Ho-pei) Province, China, to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The first Europeans to traverse the Gobi were Venetian traveler Marco Polo and his father and uncle, who crossed the region about 1275. The next recorded
crossing is that of the French Jesuit priest Jean François Gerbillon (1654-1707) in the 1680s. In modern times a number of expeditions have explored
the Gobi, including expeditions commanded by the Swedish explorer Sir Sven Anders Hedin. The American Museum of Natural History in New York City sponsored
(1921-1930) a series of expeditions under the leadership of the American naturalist Roy Chapman Andrews. The expeditions discovered fossilized dinosaur
eggs in the Gobi. Archaeological finds in the Gobi include remains of Eolithic, Upper Paleolithic, Azilian, Neolithic, and Bronze Age civilizations.
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Grand Canal
SEE Da Yunhe
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Guangdong
B5: 廣東; GB: 广东; PY: Guǎngdōng; WG: Kuang-tung; Also: Kwangtung)- Province in southern China, on the South China Sea.
The terrain of Guangdong is primarily rolling hills; the vast delta of the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) is Guangdong's only important lowland. In the province's
subtropical humid climate, two crops of rice a year are raised; other important products are sugarcane, fruit, and fish (both sea catch and pond-raised).
Petroleum, discovered in 1979 on the Leizhou Bandao Peninsula, is a major resource; others include iron ore, tungsten, molybdenum, and coal.
Guangzhou (Canton), the capital, largest city, and chief port, is the manufacturing center of the province; other major cities
include Shantou, Shaoguan, and Maoming.
Guangdong was annexed by China in the Qin (Ch'in) and Han dynasties (221-206 BCE, 206 BCE- CE 220) but was not extensively colonized by Han Chinese
until the 12th century. Its population grew rapidly after Guangzhou became a major port for foreign trade in the 17th century. Area, 197,100 sq km (76,100
sq mi); population (1990) 62,829,236.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Guangdong Province
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Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
B5: 廣西; GB: 广西; PY: Guǎngxī; WG: Kuang-hsi- Provincial-level administrative region of China, located in the southern part of the country.
Guangxi is bounded on the east by Guangdong Province, on the north by Hunan and Guizhou
Provinces, on the west by Yunnan Province, on the southwest by Vietnam, and on the south by the Gulf of Tonkin. The total
area of Guangxi is about 226,600 sq km (about 87,500 sq mi).
A mountainous plateau slopes from Guangxi's north and northwest regions to lower elevations in the south and southeast. The Yunnan Plateau (Yungui Gaoyuan)
extends into the western part of the region, and eastern Guangxi contains a portion of the Nan Ling hills. Broad valleys and basins lie in the center
of the region. Guangxi's limited fertile plains are located near the coastal area and along rivers such as the Yu Jiang and the Liu Jiang. Much of the
region's surface rock is limestone that has weathered into unusual formations known as karst topography. These striking landscape features include domes,
towers, sinkholes, and numerous caves and caverns with underground rivers.
Summers in Guangxi are hot and humid, when moisture-laden monsoons bring the greatest precipitation and temperatures average 26° C (79° F). The average
annual rainfall totals about 2050 mm (about 80 in). Winter temperatures are cooler, averaging 15° C (59° F), and frost can occur throughout the region.
Forests cover the mountains, where monkeys and squirrels are the most numerous mammals. Deer, birds, reptiles, and amphibians are also common.
The 1993 estimated population of Guangxi was 44.4 million. Han Chinese account for about 60 percent of the total population. The Zhuang, who speak a
Tai language, are the largest ethnic minority group in Guangxi, as well as the largest ethnic minority group in China. Smaller groups of Yao, Miao,
Shui, Mulam, Maonan, and Jing also reside in Guangxi.
Most people are concentrated in the central valley and coastal plains. The capital and largest city is Nanning, which is an industrial
and transportation center near the Vietnamese border. Liuzhou is also an important industrial center. Tourism is an important
industry of Guilin, where the area's dome and tower karst formations have inspired travelers, poets, and painters for many years.
Although Guangxi is mostly mountainous, a variety of crops grow on the limited farmland. The region's ample water supply and high temperatures support
yields of rice, soybeans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, tea, vegetables, and fruit. Timber and bamboo harvesting are important, as is fishing. Near the
coast in the Gulf of Tonkin lies an offshore oilfield, the Beibuwen Basin.
Railroads and highways connect Guangxi's major cities and provide transportation links to other parts of China. In addition, the Yu Jiang, a major tributary
of the Xi Jiang (West River), flows from Guangxi's central valley to the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) delta and estuary in Guangdong.
Small steamships can navigate as far as Wuzhou on Guangxi's border with Guangdong. The river provides Guangxi with an important transportation link
to the major ports of Guangzhou, Xianggang, and Aomen.
In 1979 China adopted an export-oriented strategy and began economic reforms. As a result, Guangxi's coastal area and central valley now produce industrial
goods such as textiles, watches, and electronics. In 1984 the coastal city of Beihei became one of several Chinese open cities where foreign investment
is encouraged. Still, Guangxi remains one of China's poorest regions and lags far behind its neighboring province of Guangdong in its interactions with
the outside world.
Like all autonomous regions in China, Guangxi reports directly to China's central government in Beijing. A local people's congress selects Guangxi's
chairman, who must belong to the Zhuang minority group. Guangxi is divided into 14 autonomous prefectures and 6 municipalities.
Until the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), Guangxi's mountainous terrain and limited transportation prohibited contact between the Zhuang and other Chinese.
To break down this regionalism, the Qing government frequently shifted its officials and even relocated peasant groups from one region to another. As
a result, the Zhuang became assimilated into the culture and traditions of the Han, China's majority ethnic group.
Guangxi became a rebel base during the mid-19th century when Hong Xiuquan-a schoolteacher from Guangdong who believed he was divinely ordained to rid
China of imperial rule-proclaimed himself Heavenly King of the Taiping, or Heavenly Kingdom, in a Guangxi village. Although Hong and his followers failed
to overthrow the Qing dynasty, the Taiping Rebellion (1850- 1864) significantly weakened the Qing and contributed to its downfall in 1912. Japanese
troops occupied Guangxi during World War II (1939- 1945) as part of their strategic plan to take South China and Southeast Asia.
The region was first administered as a province under the Chinese Communist government that rose to power in 1949. In 1958 the central government redesignated
the area as the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; this was to both reflect the presence of its large minority population and to allow it greater political
representation.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
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Guangzhou (Canton)
B5: 廣州; GB: 广州; PY: Guǎngzhōu; WG: Kuang-chou, Kwangchow- City, southern China, capital of Guangdong Province.
It is a busy port and a commercial and industrial center on the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River). Manufactures include processed food (especially sugar), textiles,
steel, paper, cement, fertilizer, chemicals, motor vehicles, and machinery. The city, which is served by an outer deepwater port at Whampoa (Huangpu),
is linked by rail with Xinaggang and Beijing. About 15 percent of China's foreign trade is conducted
here, and the city is the site of a twice-yearly major international trade fair (established 1957). A leading educational center of China, Guangzhou
is the site of Zhongshan (Chung-shan or Sun Yat-sen) University (1924), a school of medicine, a technical university, and an agricultural institute.
Landmarks in the city include Sha-mien (Shameen) Island, where foreign traders formerly lived; a Ming dynasty (1368-1644) temple, now the Peasant Movement
Institute; a pagoda in the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees; a 14th-century watchtower (now Guangzhou Museum) in Yue Xiu (Yue Hsiu) park; the blue-roofed
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall; and a mosque said to be the oldest in China.
An ancient settlement of obscure origins, Guangzhou was brought into the Chinese Empire in the 3rd century BCE. Arab, Persian, Hindu, and other merchants
traded here for centuries before the Portuguese arrived in quest of silk and porcelain in the 16th century. They were followed by British merchants
in the 17th century and French and Dutch traders in the 18th century. Guangzhou became a treaty port in 1842, but restrictions on trade continued until
a sandbank in the Pearl River (later developed into Sha-mien Island) was ceded (1861) for unrestricted foreign trading and settlement; it was returned
to Chinese control in 1946. Guangzhou was a center of activity during the Republican Revolution (1911), led by Sun Yat-sen, which resulted in the establishment
of the Republic of China, and it was the early headquarters of the Kuomintang, the leading political party. The Japanese occupied and heavily damaged
the city during 1938-45. Extensive urban redevelopment, begun in the 1920s, was resumed after 1949, when it was combined with a major program of beautification,
industrial expansion, and port improvement. Population (1991) 4,111,946.
Atlas :: City Maps :: Guangzhou
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Guilin
B5: 桂林; PY: Guìlín; WG: Kuei-lin, Kweilin- City, southern China, in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on the Gui River.
It is an important transportation hub and a small industrial center in a scenic karst region made famous by classical Chinese poets and painters. Economic
activities include fishing, food processing, and the manufacture of fertilizer, rubber goods, textiles, machinery, and electronic equipment. Tungsten
and tin are mined nearby.
Guilin was founded in 214 BCE, and was an important center on the ancient Ling Canal (now an irrigation aqueduct) linking central and southern China.
Called Lin-Gui during the Tang (T'ang) dynasty (CE 618- 907), it was a provincial capital from Ming times (1368- 1644) until 1914, and again during
the period 1936- 49. Guilin, which suffered heavy damage during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937- 1945), was developed as an industrial center after
1949. Population (1991) 376,362.
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Guiyang
B5: 貴陽; GB: 贵阳; PY: Guìyáng; WG: Kuei-yang, Kweiyang- City, southern China, capital of Guizhou Province, an important
transportation and industrial center. Manufactures, developed largely since 1949, include aluminum, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizers, textiles,
pharmaceuticals, and machine tools. Coal and bauxite are mined nearby. The city is the site of a university and a medical school. Population (1991)
1,279,002.
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Guizhou
B5: 貴州; GB: 贵州; PY: Gùizhōu; WG: Kuei-chou; Also: Kweichow- Inland province, southern China. It comprises a region of high, rugged plateaus, with deeply
incised valleys. Although much of the land is unsuitable for cultivation, rice, wheat, and corn are grown on terraced hillsides and in the major river
valleys. Forestry is important in the north and east. Rich mineral deposits of coal, manganese, mercury, and bauxite are exploited. The province underwent
rapid industrial development after it was reached by railroad in the 1950s. Ethnic minorities, which constitute about one-quarter of the population,
include the Bouyei (Puyi), Dong (T'ung), Miao, Sui (Shui), and Yi. The principal cities are the capital, Guiyang,
Zunyi, Anshun, and Duyun.
Although first administered by China in the Han dynasty (206 BCE- 220 CE), Guizhou was not settled by Chinese until the Ming dynasty (1368- 1644). Its
modern importance dates from the 1930s, when industrial and government activities were transferred here during the Japanese occupation (1938- 45). Area,
174,000 sq km (67,200 sq mi); population (1990) 32,391,066.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Guizhou Province
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Haikou
B5: 海口; PY: Hǎikǒu; WG: Hai-k'ou, Hoihow; lit.: "Mouth of the Sea"- City in southern China, largest city, and main port of Hainan Province.
Hainan Province consists of Hainan Island, which is south of Guangdong Province in the South China
Sea. Manufactured products of Haikou include processed food, cement, and machinery. Originally opened to foreign trade in 1876 as the seaport for
Qiongshan, the city developed rapidly while under Japanese control (1939- 1945). It was returned to Chinese administration in 1945 and became an industrial
center for the island after 1949. Population (1991) 280,153.
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Hainan
B5: 海南; PY: Hǎinán- Province, southeastern China, island in the South China Sea, south of Leizhou Bandao
Peninsula. Hainan Strait, about 24 km (about 15 mi) wide, separates the peninsula from the island, which adjoins the Gulf of Tonkin on the east. Between
its northern and southern extremities, Hainan has a length of about 257 km (about 160 mi) and an extreme width of about 145 km (about 90 mi). The southern
half is traversed by a series of mountain chains, the highest of which has a maximum elevation of about 1829 m (about 6000 ft). The region has numerous
extinct volcanoes, but many of the slopes and valleys are covered with dense tropical vegetation. The northern portion of the island, except for occasional
mountainous outcroppings, consists of level plains. Hainan contains rich mineral deposits, including gold, tin, iron ore, lead, and silver, but the
economy is predominantly agrarian. Among the leading crops are rice, rubber, coconuts, sugar, betel nuts, and pineapples. Large numbers of hogs, cattle,
and ducks are raised.
People of Chinese origin constitute about two-thirds of the population of Hainan. Several aboriginal tribes, locally designated the Maiu and Lois, inhabit
the more remote areas of the mountainous region. The Maiu tribes originated on the Chinese mainland; the Lois show marked physical similarities to the
Igorot tribe of the Philippines and speak the same language. A Chinese possession since 111BC, Hainan was occupied by the Japanese in February 1939,
during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The island was retaken in 1945 by the Chinese Nationalists, and in 1950 it passed to the Chinese Communists. Formerly
part of Guangdong Province, Hainan became a separate province in 1988. The capital, largest town, and chief seaport is
Haikou. Area, about 34,300 sq km (13,240 sq mi); population (1990) 6,557,482.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Hainan Province
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Hami
B5: 哈密地區;
GB: 哈密地区; PY: Hāmì Dìqū; Uyghur: قۇمۇل ۋىلايىتى- Town in the eastern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, about 50 km (about
30 mi) south of the Tian Shan (Tien Shan) mountains. Hami is the first major stop on an ancient caravan route leading from China through the
Gansu Province to Xinjiang Uygur.
Since the 1st century CE Hami has been important for trade because of its position near the convergence of two caravan routes to the west. The town
was a convenient stopping point where caravans acquired fresh provisions and pack animals were rested. Hami was controlled by China during the Han Dynasty,
from 206 BCE to 220 CE. It became Buddhist in the early centuries of the Christian era, retaining this religion long after Islam was established in
neighboring Turkestan. About the 8th century Hami was ruled by the Uygur people, who controlled it for several centuries. From the 14th century the
Uygur princes were subject to China except for brief periods in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although Xinjiang became a province of the Manchu Empire
in 1882, Hami was governed by the Uygur princes until 1930. In that year, the ruler died and his heir was taken into custody of the Chinese government.
The Uygurs immediately rebelled against Chinese rule and murdered the Chinese residents of Hami. After a period of strife with Russian-backed militarists,
the Chinese eventually regained control.
The region surrounding Hami is irrigated by streams from the Tian Shan mountain range. Until the 1950s Hami was principally a marketplace used by Kazakh
nomads from the north who traded grain, wool, and silk cloth. Since then it has become an iron and steel center. Population (1991) 161,315.
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Han Jiang (Han River)
B5: 漢江; GB: 汉江; PY: Hānjiāng- River of China, one of the chief tributaries of the Yangtze River and a main artery
of trade of central China. From its source in the southwestern portion of Shaanxi (Shensi)
Province, the Han flows generally southeast across Hubei (Hu-pei) Province, emptying
into the Yangtze at Wuhan. The Han Jiang, 1,532 km (952 mi) in length, is navigable by river steamers for 600 km (370 mi) above
Wuhan and by smaller craft throughout most of its course. Several commercial cities, including Xing'an, are on the banks of the
Han Jiang.
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Handan
B5: 邯鄲; GB: 邯郸; PY: Hándān; WG: Han-tan- City in China, in Hebei Province, a transportation and industrial center at the
western edge of the Huabei Pingyuan (North China Plain). Iron ore and coking coal, mined nearby, support a small iron and steel complex; other manufactures
include textiles, chemicals, cement, and machinery. Handan dates from at least the 6th century BCE. It was the capital of the state of Chao (386- 228
BCE) and was rebuilt on a site to the northeast during Han times (206 BCE- 220 CE). It remained a small regional center, with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants,
until systematically developed as an industrial city in the 1950s. Population (1991) 1,352,438.
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Hangzhou
B5: 杭州; PY: Hángzhōu; WG: Hang-chou, Hangchow- City, southeastern China, capital of Zhejiang Province, near
Shanghai. It is a port at the mouth of the Qiantang River in Hangzhou Bay and at the southern end of the
Grand Canal. Manufactures include silk and cotton textiles, chemicals, steel, machine tools, and processed food. Scenic Xi Hu (West Lake), with
many ancient shrines and monasteries, is here. The city was walled and given its present name in CE 606. Serving as the capital of the Five Dynasties
(907- 959), it prospered as a port for the silk trade. During the Southern Song dynasty (1127- 1279) it became a renowned cultural center, as well as
the capital. Venetian traveler Marco Polo, who visited here in the late 13th century, characterized Hangzhou as the
most beautiful city in the world. In the 14th century the city's importance declined after the port became clogged with silt. Taiping rebels destroyed
much of the old city in 1861, and Japanese forces occupied Hangzhou from 1937 to 1945. Rebuilding of industrial plants took place in the 1950s. Population
(1991) 2,305,741.
Atlas :: City Maps :: Hangzhou
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Harbin
B5: 哈爾濱; GB: 哈尔滨; PY: Hā'ěrbīn; WG: Ha-erh-pin- City, northeastern China, capital of Heilongjiang Province, a port and
rail junction on the Songhua River. A major commercial, industrial, and transportation center, it is situated in a productive
farming region. Manufactures include electrical equipment, ball bearings, machinery, chemicals, processed food, and cement. The city, founded as a rail
center in 1900 by Russian financiers, was known as Pinkiang while part of the former Japanese-controlled state of Manchukuo (1932- 45). After 1949 it
developed into a diversified industrial center. Population (1991) 3,433,629.
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Hebei
B5: 河北; PY: Hébĕi; WG: Ho-pei; Also: Hopeh, Chihli- Province, northern China. It encircles but does not include the separately administered municipalities
of Beijing and Tianjin. The province makes up a portion of the Huabei Pingyuan (North China Plain) in
the south, the foothills of the Taihang Shan in the west, and a complex of semiarid plateaus and hills in the north bordering Nei Menggu.
The principal crops are wheat and cotton. Important coal deposits are located in the east and the south. Manufactures include iron and steel and a wide
range of machinery. The principal cities are the capital, Shijiazhuang; Handan; and
Tangshan.
Southern sections of the province developed as the economic heartland of ancient China in the 2nd century BCE. After the 10th century CE, northern sections
fell, successively, under the control of non-Chinese Khitan and Mongol empires until restored to Chinese administration in 1368 at the start of the
Ming dynasty. From 1421 until 1912, and again after 1949, Beijing served as the national capital, to the economic benefit of the surrounding areas.
The province was called Chihli by the Manchus (1644- 1912) and retained this name until 1928. Area, 188,000 sq km (72,600 sq mi); population (1990)
61,082,439.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Hebei Province
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Hefei
B5: 合肥; PY: Héféi; WG: Ho-fei; Also: Lu-chou, Luchow- City, eastern China, capital of Anhui Province, an industrial and
transportation center in the lower Yangtze River valley. Manufactures include machine tools, chemicals, aluminum, and textiles.
Hefei was founded on its present site during the Song (Sung) dynasty (960- 1279), just south of an older city of importance since the 8th century BCE.
In the 10th century CE, the independent Wu Kingdom briefly maintained its capital here. Modern industrialization, begun in the 1930s in association
with the development of the Anhui coalfield to the north, accelerated after 1949 with the construction of modern textile mills and an iron and steel
complex. Hefei replaced Anqing as the capital of Anhui Province in 1949. Population (1991) 964,650.
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Hegang
B5: 鶴崗; GB: 鹤岗; PY: Hègǎng; WG: Ho-kang; Also: Haoli- City, northeastern China, Heilongjiang Province. Located in the Xiao Hinggan
Ling (Lesser Khingan Range) south of the Russian border, it is one of the major coal-producing centers of China. Coal mining was begun here in 1916.
In the late 1920s a railroad was built linking the city with industrial centers to the south. Population (1991) 712,429.
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Heilong Jiang (Amur River)
B5: 黑龍江; GB: 黑龙江; PY: Hēilóng Jiāng; Manchu: Sahaliyan Ula; Mongolian: Хар Мөрөн, Khar Mörön; Russian: Амур; lit.: "Black Dragon River"; Also:
"Black River"- River east central Asia, formed by the junction of the Shilka and Argun rivers.
The Amur flows southeast, forming the border between Russia and China for almost 1610 km (1000 mi). It then flows northeast and empties into Tatar Strait
(Tatarskiy Proliv) near the city of Nikolayevsk-na-Amure. Some 2,874 km (1,786 mi) long, the Amur is one of the great rivers of the world. Including
the chief headstreams, the total system has a length of about 4,416 km (2,744 mi). The Amur is navigable throughout its entire course, and the Shilka
is navigable to Sretensk, Russia. The Amur is closed to navigation for about six months in winter. Among the major tributaries are the Zeya, Songhua,
Ussuri, and Bureya rivers. Important Chinese towns on the Heilong Jiang, include Aihui and Tongjiang. Besides Nikolayevsk-na-Amure, the principal Russian
cities on the river are Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk, and Komsomol'sk-na-Amure.
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Heilongjiang
B5: 黑龍江; GB: 黑龙江; PY: Hēilóngjiāng; WG: Hei-lung-chiang; Manchu: Sahaliyan ula; Also: Heilungkiang- Province, Northeast China, on the northeastern border with Russia;
comprising the northern portion of the historic region of Manchuria. It is a relatively sparsely populated region with a severe
continental climate. The Dongbei Pingyuan (Northeast China Plain) occupies the southern portion of the province and is crossed by the fertile valley
of the Songhua River. To the north lies the heavily forested Xiao Hinggan Ling (Lesser Khingan Range), and to the east lies an
upland area of marshes and swamps. Wheat, sugar beets, and soybeans are the major crops. The large Daqing oil field is in the southwest; and coal is
mined in the east. The capital and chief city is Harbin, a center of heavy industry. Other cities include Qiqihar,
Hegang, and Jiamusi.
The borders of the region were first disputed by China and Russia in the 17th century. The area was occupied by the Russians from 1900 to 1917. It was
again taken from Chinese control in 1931, when the Japanese invaded Manchuria, and became part of the Japanese-controlled state of Manchukuo (1932-45).
Area, 463,600 sq km (179,000 sq mi); population (1990) 35,214,873.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Heilongjiang Province
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Henan
B5: 河南; PY: Hénán; WG: Ho-nan- Province in eastern China. Henan is one of China's most densely populated provinces. Its terrain comprises
mountains in the west and densely populated plains in the east. The Huang He (Yellow River) crosses the northern part of the
province, and fertile loess uplands are found in the central area. Wheat is the leading crop; cotton, tobacco, peanuts, and sesame are also grown. Coal
is mined, and hydroelectricity is produced in conjunction with irrigation and flood-control projects on the Huang He. Manufactures include textiles,
iron and steel, heavy machinery, and aluminum. Major cities include the capital, Zhengzhou, Luoyang,
and Kaifeng.
Early Chinese civilization had its roots in Henan, and for centuries it was the political center of the empire; Anyang, in northern Henan, was a capital
in the Shang (Yin) dynasty (1600?- 1050? BCE), and both Luoyang and Kaifeng served as imperial capitals until the 12th century CE. In modern times the
provincial economy greatly benefited from the flood-control projects and planned industrialization undertaken in the 1950s and 1960s. Area, 167,000
sq km (64,500 sq mi); population (1990) 85,509,535.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Henan Province
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Hengyang
B5: 衡陽; GB: 衡阳; PY: Héngyáng; WG: Heng-yang- City, southeastern China, Hunan Province, on the Xiang (Hsiang) River near
its confluence with the Lei and Zheng (Cheng) rivers. It is a major regional transportation center and the leading manufacturing and commercial city
of southern Hunan. Products include mining machinery, refined lead and zinc, chemicals, farm machinery, and irrigation equipment. Mines in the surrounding
region produce coal, lead and zinc, sulfur, and tungsten. An ancient city, located on a traditional northern to southern communications route, Hengyang
was made a prefecture in the 6th century CE. Modern growth dates from the completion (1936) of a railroad through the city to the port of
Guangzhou (Canton). The Japanese captured the city in 1944, inflicting considerable damage. The city was called Hengchou or
Hengchow until 1912. Population (1991) 447,944.
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Himalaya Mountains
Tibetan: ཇོ་མོ་གླིང་མ; Chomolungma or Qomolangma; lit.: "Mother of the Universe"
Chinese: B5: 珠穆朗瑪峰; GB: 珠穆朗玛峰; PY: Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng or PY: Shèngmǔ Fēng; B5: 聖母峰; GB: 圣母峰- Himalayas, also Himalaya (Sanskrit for "abode of snow"), mountain system in Asia, forming a broad
continuous arc for nearly 2600 km (1600 mi) along the northern fringes of the Indian subcontinent, from the bend of the Indus River in the northwest
to the Brahmaputra River in the east. The Himalayas range, averaging 320 to 400 km (200 to 250 mi) in width, rises sharply from the Gangetic Plain.
North of this mountain belt lies the Tibetan Plateau (Qing Zang Gaoyuan). The Himalayas form the earth's highest mountain region, containing 9 of the
10 highest peaks in the world. Among these peaks are the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest (8848 m/29,028 ft), which is on the Nepal-Tibet border;
the second highest peak, K2 or Mount Godwin Austen (8,611 m/28,251 ft), located on the border between China and Jammu and Kashmîr, a territory claimed
by India and Pakistan; the third highest peak, Kânchenjunga (8,598 m/28,209 ft) on the Nepal-India border; Makâlu (8481 m/27,824 ft) on the Nepal-Tibet
border; Dhaulâgiri (8,172 m/26,811 ft) and Annapûrna 1 (8,091 m/26,545 ft) in Nepal; Nanga Parbat (8,125 m/26,657 ft) in the Pakistani-controlled portion
of Jammu and Kashmîr; and Nanda Devi (7817 m/25,645 ft) in India.
Geologic Formation and Structure
The Himalayan mountain system developed in a series of stages 30 to 50 million years ago. The Himalayan range was created from powerful earth movements
that occurred as the Indian plate pressed against the Eurasian continental plate. The earth movements raised the deposits laid down in the ancient,
shallow Tethys Sea (on the present site of the mountains) to form the Himalayan ranges from Pakistan eastward across northern India, and from Nepal
and Bhutan to the Myanmar (Burmese) border. Even today the mountains continue to develop and change, and earthquakes and tremors are frequent in the
area.
Topography
Physically, the Himalayas forms three parallel zones: the Great Himalayas, the Middle Himalayas (also known as the Inner or Lesser Himalayas), and the
Sub-Himalayas, which includes the Siwâlik Range and foothills and the Tarâi and Duars piedmont (an area of land formed or lying at the foot of a mountain
or mountain range). Each of these lateral divisions exhibit certain similar topographic features. The Great Himalayas, the highest zone, consists of
a huge line of snowy peaks with an average height exceeding 6100 m (20,000 ft). The width of this zone, composed largely but not entirely of gneiss
and granite, is about 24 km (about 15 mi). Spurs from the Great Himalayas project southwards into the Middle Himalayas in an irregular fashion. The
Nepal and Sikkim (a state of northern India) portion of the Great Himalayas contains the greatest number of high peaks. The snow line on the southern
slopes of the Great Himalayas varies from 4480 m (14,700 ft) in the eastern and central Himalayas of Nepal and Sikkim to 5180 m (17,000 ft) in the western
Himalayas. To the north of the Great Himalayas are several ranges such as the Zâskâr, Ladakh, and the Kailas. The Karakoram Range lies on the Tibetan
side of the Great Himalayas.
The Great Himalayan region is one of the few remaining isolated and inaccessible areas in the world today. Some high valleys in the Great Himalayas
are occupied by small clustered settlements. Extremely cold winters and a short growing season limit the farmers to one crop per year, most commonly
potatoes or barley. The formidable mountains have limited the development of large-scale trade and commerce despite the construction of highways across
the mountains linking Nepal and Pakistan to China. Older trails, which cross the mountains at high passes, also have limited trade and are open only
during the summer months.
The Middle Himalayas range, which has a width of about 80 km (about 50 mi), borders the Great Himalayan range on the south. It consists principally
of high ranges both within and outside of the Great Himalayan range. Some of the ranges of the Middle Himalayas are the Nâg Tibba, the Dhaola Dhâr,
the Pîr Panjâl, and the Mahâbhârat. The Middle Himalayas possess a remarkable uniformity of height; most are between 1830 and 3050 m (between 6000 and
10,000 ft).
The Middle Himalayas region is a complex mosaic of forest-covered ranges and fertile valleys. While not as forbidding as the Great Himalayas to the
north, this range has nonetheless served to isolate the valleys of the Himalayas from the plains of the Indus and Ganges rivers in Pakistan and northern
India. Except for the major valley centers such as Srînagar, Kângra, and Kathmandu, and hill towns such as Simla, Mussoorie, and Dârjiling (Darjeeling),
the region is moderately populated. Within the Middle Himalayas the intervening mountain ranges tend to separate the densely populated valleys. The
numerous gorges and rugged mountains make surface travel difficult in any direction. Few roads or transport routes exist between towns, partly because
it is expensive to build them over the high, rough terrain. Only major population centers are linked by air and roads with principal cities in India
and Pakistan.
The Sub-Himalayas, which is the southernmost and the lowest zone, borders the plains of North India and Pakistan. It comprises the Siwâlik Range and
foothills as well as the narrow piedmont plain at the base of the mountains. The width of the Sub-Himalayas gradually narrows from about 48 km (about
30 mi) in the west until it nearly disappears in Bhutan and eastern India. A characteristic feature of the Sub-Himalayas is the large number of long,
flat-bottomed valleys known as duns, which are usually spindle-shaped and filled with gravelly alluvium. South of the foothills lies the Tarâi and Duars
plains. The southern part of the Tarâi and Duars plains is heavily farmed. The northern part was forest inhabited by wild animals until about the 1950s.
Most of the forests of this region have been destroyed, and much of the land has been reclaimed for agriculture.
Climate
The Himalayas influences the climate of the Indian subcontinent by sheltering it from the cold air mass of Central Asia. The range also exerts a major
influence on monsoon and rainfall patterns. Within the Himalayas climate varies depending on elevation and location. Climate ranges from subtropical
in the southern foothills, with average summer temperatures of about 30° C (about 86° F) and average winter temperatures of about 18° C (about 64° F);
warm temperate conditions in the Middle Himalayan valleys, with average summer temperatures of about 25° C (about 77° F) and cooler winters; cool temperate
conditions in the higher parts of the Middle Himalayas, where average summer temperatures are 15 to 18° C (59 to 64° F) and winters are below freezing;
to a cold alpine climate at higher elevations, where summers are cool and winters are severe. At elevations above 4880 m (16,000 ft) the climate is
very cold with below freezing temperatures and the area is permanently covered with snow and ice. The eastern part of the Himalayas receives heavy rainfall;
the western part is drier.
Plant and Animal Life
The natural vegetation is influenced by climate and elevation. Tropical, moist deciduous forest at one time covered all of the Sub-Himalayan area. With
few exceptions most of this forest has been cut for commercial lumber or agricultural land. In the Middle Himalayas at elevations between 1520 and 3660
m (between 5000 and 12,000 ft) natural vegetation consists of many species of pine, oak, rhododendron, poplar, walnut, and larch. Most of this area
has been deforested; forest cover remains only in inaccessible areas and on steep slopes. Below the timber line the Great Himalayas contains valuable
forests of spruce, fir, cypress, juniper, and birch. Alpine vegetation occupies higher parts of the Great Himalayas just below the snow line and includes
shrubs, rhododendrons, mosses, lichens, and wildflowers such as blue poppies and edelweiss. These areas are used for grazing in summer by the highland
people of the Great Himalayas.
Animals such as tigers, leopards, rhinoceroses, and many varieties of deer once inhabited the forested areas of the Sub-Himalayan foothills and the
Tarâi plain. As a result of deforestation the habitat of most of the wildlife has been destroyed. They are now restricted to special protected areas
such as the Jaldapara and Kaziranga sanctuaries in India (see Kaziranga National Park) and the Chitawan preserve in Nepal. There are few animals in
the Middle Himalayas because of extensive deforestation. In the Great Himalayas musk deer, wild goats, sheep, wolves, and snow leopards are found. The
existence of the Abominable Snowman or Yeti has been reported by highland Sherpas in Nepal but has eluded discovery by several expeditions.
People and Economy
The population, settlement, and economic patterns within the Himalayas have been greatly influenced by the variations in topography and climate, which
impose harsh living conditions and tend to restrict movement and communication. People living in remote, isolated valleys have generally preserved their
cultural identities. However, improvements in transportation and communication, particularly satellite television programs from Europe and the United
States, are bringing access from the outside world to remote valleys. These outside influences are affecting traditional social and cultural structure.
Nearly 40 million people inhabit the Himalayas. Generally, Hindus of Indian heritage are dominant in the Sub-Himalayas and the Middle Himalayan valleys
from eastern Kashmîr to Nepal. To the north Tibetan Buddhists inhabit the Great Himalayas from Ladakh to northeast India. In central Nepal, in an area
between about 1830 and 2440 m (between about 6000 and 8000 ft), the Indian and Tibetan cultures have intermingled, producing a combination of Indian
and Tibetan traits. The eastern Himalayas in India and nearby areas of eastern Bhutan are inhabited by animistic people whose culture is similar to
those living in northern Myanmar and Yunnan province in China. People of western Kashmîr are Muslims and have a culture similar to the inhabitants of
Afghanistan and Iran.
The economy of the Himalayas as a whole is poor with low per capita income. Much of the Himalayas area is characterized by a very low economic growth
rate combined with a high rate of population growth, which contributes to stagnation in the already low level of per capita gross national product.
Most of the population is dependent on agriculture, primarily subsistence agriculture; modern industries are lacking. Mineral resources are limited.
The Himalayas has major hydroelectric potential, but the development of hydroelectric resources requires outside capital investment. The skilled labor
needed to organize and manage development of natural resources is also limited due to low literacy rates. Most of the Himalayan communities face malnutrition,
a shortage of safe drinking water, and poor health services and education systems.
Agricultural land is concentrated in the Tarâi plain and in the valleys of the Middle Himalayas. Patches of agricultural land have also been carved
out in the mountainous forested areas. Rice is the principal crop in eastern Tarâi and the well-watered valleys. Corn is also an important rain-fed
crop on the hillsides. Other cereal crops are wheat, millet, barley, and buckwheat. Sugarcane, tea, oilseeds, and potatoes are other major crops. Food
production in the Himalayas has not kept up with the population growth.
The major industries include processing food grains, making vegetable oil, refining sugar, and brewing beer. Fruit processing is also important. A wide
variety of fruits are grown in each of the major zones of the Himalayas, and making fruit juices is a major industry in Nepal, Bhutan, and in the Indian
Himalayas.
Since 1950 tourism has emerged as a major growth industry in the Himalayas. Nearly 1 million visitors come to the Himalayas each year for mountain trekking,
wildlife viewing, and pilgrimages to major Hindu and Buddhist sacred places. The number of foreign visitors has increased in recent years, as organized
treks to the icy summits of the Great Himalayas have become popular. While tourism is important to the local economy, it has had an adverse impact on
regions where tourist numbers exceed the capacity of recreational areas.
Historically, all transport in the Himalayas has been by porters and pack animals. Porters and pack animals are still important, but the construction
of major roads and the development of air routes have changed the traditional transportation pattern. Major urban centers such as Kathmandu, Simla,
and Srînagar, as well as important tourist destinations, are served by airlines. Railways link Simla and Dârjiling, but in most of the Himalayas there
are no railroads. The bulk of goods from the Himalayas, as well as goods destined for places within the Himalayas, generally come to Indian railheads,
located in the Tarâi, by road. The pack animals and porters transport goods from road heads to the interior and back.
Environmental Issues
Economic changes and population increases are threatening the ecology of the Himalayas. In recent years deforestation in the foothills and the Middle
Himalayas and overgrazing on the high pastures have led to soil erosion and other environmental problems. Deforestation is a particular concern in the
western Himalayas, where increased demand for firewood, extensive tree trimming in order to feed livestock, and construction of roads in the border
regions have increased the destruction rate of forests and the number of landslides. Rapid population growth has accelerated pollution, and Himalayan
streams that were once clear are now polluted with refuse and sewage. Hill people who use the water for drinking suffer from dysentery; cholera and
typhoid epidemics are also common. Large lakes like Dal in Kashmîr and Naini Lake (Nainital) have also become polluted.
Regional variations in environmental degradation exist in the Himalayas. Conditions range from a critical situation in the Himalayas of Nepal, Sikkim,
Uttarakhand, and Kashmîr to a moderately serious situation in Bhutan and the eastern Himalayas. If rapid development continues in Bhutan and the eastern
Himalayas without due regard for conservation, the problems there may assume critical proportions in the near future. The governments of India, Nepal,
and Bhutan are aware of the dangers of environmental degradation in the Himalayas, and environmental management concerns are being integrated in development
projects in this region.
Contributed By: Pradyumna P. Karan
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Hohhot
B5: 呼和浩特; PY: Hūhéhàotè; WG: Hu-ho-hao-t'e; Also: Huhehot or Huhhot- City, northern China, capital of Nei Menggu, a commercial and industrial
center in a region of grasslands and major defense installations. Manufactures include processed food, chemicals, textiles, and machinery.
Hohhot is located on the site of Kuku-khoto, a Mongol religious and trading center founded in the 9th century CE. It was renamed (1581) Kuei-hua (Kweihwa)
by the Chinese and in 1914 was joined with nearby Suiyuan to form Kuei-sui (Kweisui). The city was (1928- 34) the capital of the former province of
Suiyuan and, as Hohohoto, served (1934- 45) as the capital of the former Japanese-controlled state of Meng-chiang. The city developed rapidly after
1947 and in 1952 replaced Zhangjiakou (Chang-chia-k'ou) as the capital of Nei Menggu. It received its present name in 1954.
Population (1991) 879,202.
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Huainan
B5: 淮南; PY: Huáinán; WG: Huai-nan; Also: Hwainan- City, eastern China, in Anhui Province. It is a diversified industrial
center on the Huai River (linked to the Grand Canal) in one of China's richest coalfields. Coal production, begun here in the
1930s and expanded during the Japanese occupation (1939- 1945) of the coalfield, accelerated after 1949 with the discovery of vast new coal reserves.
The city grew as a manufacturing center in the 1950s; its products include chemicals, fertilizer, iron and steel, machinery, and processed food. Population
(1991) 1,310,514.
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Huang Hai (Yellow Sea)
B5: 黄海; PY: Huáng Hǎi- Arm of the Pacific Ocean, bordered on the west and north by China, and on the east by
North Korea and South Korea. The Huang Hai merges with the East China Sea on
the south. Bohai Strait, which separates Shandong and Liaodong peninsulas, provides access to the Bo Hai gulf and the Gulf of Liaodong. Korea Bay, the
northeastern extremity of the Huang Hai, lies between Liaodong Peninsula and North Korea.
The greatest width of the Huang Hai is about 640 km (about 400 mi); it is comparatively shallow, the greatest depth being less than 90 m (less than
300 ft). Among the rivers emptying into the sea are the Huang He (Yellow River), the Yalu, and the Han. A number of small islands
are found off the Korean coast, and extensive sand shoals are near the Chinese coast. Major ports on the sea include Yantai,
Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Yingkou, all in China; Namp'o (formerly
Chinnamp'o), in North Korea; and Inch'on, in South Korea. The Huang Hai is so named because of the yellowish coloration caused by the vast amount of
sediment deposited by the Huang He.
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Huang He (Yellow River)
B5: 黄河; GB: 黃河; PY: Huáng Hé; WG: Hwang-ho- Second largest river in China after the Yangtze, with a total length of
5,464 km (3,395 mi). The Huang He rises in northern China in a series of springs and lakes in the Kunlun Mountains in
Qinghai Province, south of the Gobi Desert. From its source, the
river first flows east through deep gorges and then turns northeast at the city of Lanzhou in Gansu Province,
from which point it flows for many hundreds of kilometers through the Ordos Desert (Mu Us Shamo), an easterly extension of the Gobi. Turning east, the
river then flows due east for about 320 km (about 200 mi). It then turns due south, flowing swiftly through a young valley cut in deposits of loamy
soil known as loess between Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces. In this portion of its course, the river picks
up and carries in suspension yellow silt, which colors the water. The load of sediment is increased by the loess carried into the main stream by a number
of tributaries, including the Fen and Wei rivers. The Wei River enters the Huang He in the central portion of Shaanxi, and the river then flows east
across the northern portion of Henan Province to the plains of northern China.
At the city of Kaifeng, the river enters the plains and changes from a torrent to a meandering stream with a broad channel enclosed
by dikes. The dikes were built over a period of centuries to control the river and prevent floods, but they have actually had the opposite effect. Because
the large amount of sediment carried by the stream has silted up the bottom of the riverbed, the level of the river has risen, necessitating the construction
of higher and higher dikes. If the dikes had not been built, the silt would have been deposited in the floodplain outside the riverbed. As a result,
in many portions of the lower, or east, course the river is as much as 21 m (70 ft) above the surrounding plain, and when the river level rises, disastrous
floods occur. The deforestation of the mountains in the upper part of the course of the river has increased the runoff and thus increased the flood
heights. The floods of the Huang He have been so frequent and so devastating that the river is often called China's Sorrow. The worst flood in the history
of the river, and probably the worst flood in modern times, occurred in 1931. Between July and November, some 88,000 sq km (some 34,000 sq mi) of land
were completely flooded, and about 21,000 sq km (about 8000 sq mi) more were partially flooded. About 80 million people were reported homeless, and
about 1 million died in the flood itself and in the famines and epidemics that followed.
The Huang He has changed course in the eastern portion a number of times. For several centuries before 1852, it emptied into the
Huang Hai (Yellow Sea), south of the highlands of Shandong Province. The course shifted north that
year, and, from that time until 1938, the river emptied into the gulf of Bo Hai. In 1938, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese forces, seeking
to impede the invading Japanese, destroyed the dikes near Kaifeng and diverted the Huang He to the old bed. The Chinese rebuilt the dikes in 1946-1947,
rediverting the river to the Bo Hai. Construction of a dam across the Huang He at Three-Gate Gorge was begun in 1956, with funding from the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). When relations between the USSR and China chilled in 1960, the USSR withdrew its financing, delaying the project's
completion until the mid-1970s. The dam created a reservoir about 190 km (about 120 mi) long, opening more of the river to navigation. However, by the
time a generating plant with a capacity of 1 million kilowatts was finished in the early 1970s, the reservoir had already begun to fill with silt, making
power generation only a quarter of that expected. It is anticipated the reservoir will fill entirely with silt by the middle of the 21st century.
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Hubei
B5: 湖北; PY: Húběi; WG: Hu-pei; Also: Hupeh- Province, central China. It comprises an area of rugged mountains along the western border but is
dominated by a lake-studded plain that is traversed by the Yangtze and Han rivers. Summer rice and winter
wheat are leading crops, with soybeans, tea, and cotton also important. Wuhan, the capital and largest city, is one of China's
leading manufacturing centers; Huangshi is another industrial city located in the province.
Hubei formed part of the ancient southern state of Ch'u and was absorbed into China during the Han dynasty (206 BCE- 220 CE). It became important as
a "rice bowl" for northern China as early as the 11th century. During the 19th century, ports along the Yangtze River were important centers of European
trade and industrialization. In 1911 the uprising that led to the establishment of the Chinese Republic began here at Wuhan. Area, 187,500 sq km (72,400
sq mi); population (1990) 53,969,210.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Hubei Province
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Hunan
B5: 湖南; PY: Húnán- Inland province, central China. The province is rich in mineral and agricultural resources and encompasses a broad,
fertile alluvial plain in the north, which borders the Yangtze River and the large Dongting Hu (Grand Canal)
and a series of low hills in the east, south, and west. Summer rice and winter wheat are the leading crops, with tea and cotton also important. Mineral
resources include antimony, manganese, mercury, tungsten, and phosphates. Major cities are Changsha (the capital),
Xiangtan, Zhuzhou, Hengyang, and Shaoyang.
Hunan was the center of the powerful southern kingdom of Ch'u before its annexation in 221 BCE by the Qin (Ch'in) dynasty, becoming part of the first
unified Chinese state. Extensive Chinese settlement of the region occurred between the 8th and 11th centuries, displacing the Miao, Tujia, Yao, and
other ethnic minorities into the western uplands. Between 1910 and 1949 Hunan was a center of peasant unrest. Area, 210,500 sq km (81,270 sq mi); population
(1990) 60,659,754.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Hunan Province
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Indus River
B5: 印度; PY: Yìndù- River of Asia, formed in western Tibet (an autonomous region of China) by the confluence
of the glacial streams from the Himalayas. It flows from Tibet northwest across the Indian-controlled portion of Jammu and Kashmîr, passing between
the western extremity of the Himalayas and the northern extremity of the Hindu Kush mountain range; it then courses generally south through Pakistan
to the Arabian Sea, covering a distance of 2,900 km (1,800 mi). The major tributaries of the Indus are the Sutlej, Râvi, and Chenâb.
The Indus enters the Pakistani province of Punjab 1304 km (810 mi) from its source, and, at a point 77 km (48 mi) farther, it becomes navigable as a
result of its junction with the Kâbul River from Afghanistan. Entering Sind province of Pakistan, it flows under the Ayub and Lansdowne bridges at Sukkur
and the Hyderâbâd-Kotri Bridge before branching into the generally infertile delta that covers an area of about 7770 sq km (3000 sq mi) and extends
for some 201 km (125 mi) along the Arabian Sea. The Indus has some importance as an artery of traffic and in addition provides irrigation for many millions
of acres of the naturally arid lands of Sind Province. Historically, the Indus River valley is important as the cradle of the ancient Indus civilization,
which, with Mesopotamia and Egypt, was one of the earliest civilizations.
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Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region-
SEE Nei Menggu.
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Japan- Island nation in East Asia, located in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Asian continent. Japan comprises the four main islands of Honshû, Hokkaidô, Kyûshû, and Shikoku, in addition to numerous smaller islands. The Japanese call their country Nihon or Nippon, which means “origin of the sun.” The name arose from Japan’s position east of the great Chinese empires that held sway over Asia throughout most of its history. Japan is sometimes referred to in English as the “land of the rising sun.” Tokyo is the country’s capital and largest city.
Atlas :: Country Maps :: Japan
East Asian Region :: Japan
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Jiamusi
B5: 佳木斯; PY: Jiāmùsī; WG: Chia-mu-ssu; Also: Kiamusze- City, northeastern China, in Heilongjiang Province, an industrial
center on the Songhua River, near the border with Russia. It is a major center for pulp and paper production; other manufactures
include chemicals, fertilizer, machinery, and processed food (especially sugar made from locally grown sugar beets). The city was founded in the early
20th century and began its modern development as a military and provincial administrative center for the Japanese-controlled (1932- 1945) state of Manchukuo.
It was developed as an industrial center by the Chinese after 1949. Population (1991) 530,765.
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Jiangsu
B5: 江蘇; GB: 江苏; PY: Jiāngsū; WG: Chiang-su; Also: Kiangsu- Province, eastern China, on the Huang Hai (Yellow Sea);
Shanghai, located in the southeastern part of the province is separately administered as an independent municipality. The province
is almost entirely low-lying, with numerous lakes, canals (including part of the Grand Canal), and irrigation ditches; it comprises
part of the Yangtze delta in the south and parts of the Huabei Pingyuan (North China Plain) in the north. It is one of China's
most important agricultural regions, with large crops of rice, wheat, cotton, and silk grown for industrial use. Coal, phosphates, and salt are major
mineral resources; and textiles, steel, chemicals, and machinery are the leading industrial products. Nanjing, the capital, is
the chief manufacturing center; other large cities are Suzhou (Suchow), Wuxi, and the port of Lianyungang.
The region that is now Jiangsu was, successively, part of the ancient states of Wu, Yueh, and Ch'u before being annexed by China during the Qin (Ch'in)
dynasty (221- 206 BCE). It was the center of the Southern Song Empire (1127- 1279). Jiangsu was established as a separate province in 1667. Area, 102,600
sq km (39,600 sq mi); population (1990) 67,056,519.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Jiangsu Province
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Jiangxi
B5: 江西; PY: Jiāngxī; WG: Chiang-hsi; Also: Kiangsi- Province, southeastern China. It includes cultivated alluvial lowland in the north-along
the Yangtze and Gan rivers and around a large lake, the Poyang Hu-and a surrounding
border of low hills on the east, west, and south. Rice is the main lowland crop, with tea important in upland areas. Major resources are coal, mined
in the western hills, and kaolin clays, mined here since ancient times for the manufacture of porcelain. Leading cities are Nanchang
(the capital), Ji'an, Ganzhou, Pingxiang, and Jiujiang.
Jiangxi first came under Chinese administration during the Han dynasty (206 BCE- 220 CE). Between the 9th and 19th centuries, it prospered from the
trade between northern and southern China along the Gan River. It was the main military base for the early Communist movement in China from the 1920s
until the Communists were expelled in 1934. Area, 164,800 sq km (63,600 sq mi); population (1990) 37,710,281.
Atlas :: Provincial Maps :: Jiangxi Province