Cultural tips

Chinese Geography
Located on the eastern edge of continental Asia and on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean, the People's Republic of China has an area of approximately 9.6 million square kilometers, making it the third-largest country in the world behind only Russia and Canada.

China is a mountainous county. Two thirds of the country is covered by mountains, plateaus and hills. The highest point is Mt. Everest, 8848.13 meters above sea level, on the border of Tibet and Nepal.

The four famous plateaus in China are the Tibet-Qinghai plateau, the Inner Mongolian Plateau, the China-Loess Plateau and the Yun-Gui Plateau. All of these plateau are more than 1,000 above sea level, and each has its own distinct topographies.

There are many basins in China, including most notably the Sichuan Basin, the Tarim Basin, the Junggar Basin and the Qaidam Basin. The basins are encircled by high mountains and have flat desert landscapes.

China has more than 1,500 rivers whose drainage areas are more than 1,000 square kilometers in size. Most of the major rivers, like the Yangtze, have water sources originating from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. As a result, China is rich in water-power resources and leads the world in hydropower potential, with reserves of around 680 million kilo-watts.

There are numerous lakes in China. Qinghai Lake, in the northeast Qinghai Province, is the largest saltwater lake in China, and is also a famous nature protection area. It is 4,583 square kilometers large. Freshwater lakes are mostly found in the Qinghai Province as well. Notable fresh water lakes include the Poyang, Dongting, Taihu, and Hongze lakes.