Population: China population distribution

Question 1

What kind of population distribution does China have?

Answer 1

uneven population distribution

Question 2

Why is the population distribution uneven?

Answer 2

because it is concentrated in eastern parts of the country: coastal zones, lower reaches of river valleys. Rest of country = desert.

Question 3

Where is the core and why is it classified as the core?

Answer 3

• Located in the South East where the population densities are highest due to advantages of human and physical factors
• Coastal locations: largest parts - Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai.
• Mineral deposits and superior infrastructure = rapid growth.
• Significant in-migration
• Megacities developed: Shanghai (23.4 mil), Beijing (21 mil), Guangzhou (20.5 mil)

Question 4

Where is the periphery and why is it classified as the periphery?

Answer 4

• Located in the North and continental interior due to physical constraints
• Poor accessibility and limited transport links
• Largely poor, agricultural based economy with limited mechanization.
• significant out-migration
• no major cities.

Question 5

What are the problems between the core and periphery?

Answer 5

• rural areas have become neglected
• resentment towards the wealth in the core
• rural depopulation: problem as working-age population leaving peripheral areas to find better paid jobs in the core. leaves older generation to look after children, family farms.

Question 6

What are the physical factors that influence the high population densities on the East side?

Answer 6

• climate: equible, long summers/short cold winters
• relief, alt/lat: low hills and coastal plains providing good communications and accessibility - many ports for trade (sea, river). high speed trains connect major cities.
• water supply: climate provides more rainfall, dense network of major rivers e.g. Pearl River Delta
• natural resources: Deposits of fuel, electricity, power, minerals, metals all present.
• soils: good agricultural productivity

Question 7

What are the physical factors that influence the low population densities on the East side?

Answer 7

• far north east harsh climate, long severe winters and humid subtropics - uncomfortable for human living.
• low densities central and western due to more steep mountains, Tibetan Plateau and the interior deserts.
• low latitude tropical climate: hot and humid.
• continental interior lacks rainfall and rivers
• duel deposits in north west attract some pockets of population
• large areas of no cultivation

Question 8

What are the human factors on population distribution?

Answer 8

• Employment opportunities: extensively provided by the growing industrial sector so attracts larger numbers of people to the east and south east region.
• Service industries such as banking: located in the same region and labour intensive so higher numbers of people.
• Historical influences: The Silk Road (network of trading routes dating to Han Dynasty). - started in China, headed west to the Mediterranean Sea. The Silk road is marked by the linear section of the middle-density population concentration that heads north west from the edge of densely populated area.