China Habitat Guide

China’s a huge country- the third largest in the world, as a matter of fact. It spreads over 9,326,410 sq km of land and has a coastline stretching for 14,500 km. Such a large country, obviously, has a very diverse topography: there are plateaux, plains, mountains, and more. Broadly speaking, much of western (especially south-western) China, which consists of Tibet, lies in the rugged Himalayas- the highest mountain peak being Everest, at 8848 m. Tibet also encloses a plateau, from which four important rivers arise: the Salween, Mekong, Yangtse, and Hwang-ho (the Yellow River). The East is more humid, a fertile area watered by the Yangtse, while Central China is warmer (hot, actually- the Turpan Depression has been called the `Oasis of Fire’) and arid - the Taklamakan Desert occupies a large area. Plateaux- the Inner Mongolian and the Yunnan-Guizhbon- lie to the north and the southwest, respectively.  

China’s environment has suffered terribly because of overpopulation: forests have been decimated; famines, air pollution, water pollution, water shortages, acid rain and soil erosion are just some of the problems facing the country today.  

Flora and Fauna 
A country as vast as China would obviously have a very wide range of flora and fauna too. China has many different types of wildlife- and vegetation. Half of the country- especially Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Ningxia and Qinghai- is covered by grasslands, with rare animals like the Asiatic Wild Ass, Przewalski’s horse and the Bactrian camel.

In addition, nearly 1/5th of the land is desert- particularly in the northeast. Much of the north, other than the deserts, has montage vegetation- mainly coniferous forests inhabited by moose, Asiatic black bears and birds. Central and Southern China is, (wherever there is any natural vegetation left- most of the land has been cleared for agriculture) covered by subtropical forests (with more than 1,46,000 species of plants!). Found here are some well known animals: the golden monkey, the South China tiger (only 20 left), and- best known of all- the giant panda. Yunnan and Hainan Island comprise a very rich ecosystem- they are covered with tropical rainforests, and are home to nearly a fourth of China’s total number of species.

China has tried to preserve its natural heritage- there are more than 300 nature reserves- but, with its huge population, the task of preserving the natural flora and fauna of the country becomes well nigh impossible.