The Pearl River
A third significant waterway, the Pearl River, starts in the mountains of southern Yunnan and flows through Guangxi, and then, joined by tributaries from the north and east in Guangdong, opens out into the Pearl River Delta which reaches the sea south of Guangzhou. This tropically fertile region is one of China's most intensively cultivated areas, banana palms filling seemingly every available piece of land.
Natural Resources
China has a wealth of natural resources, including coal, oil, natural gas and iron ore, mainly found in the northwest, although, as the country has developed and its energy needs have increased, it has shifted from being an exporter to a net importer of oil. Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Shaanxi are all heavily mined for coal, while the bulk of the oil reserves are under the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang. The Chinese have known about the burning properties of coal far longer than we have in the West, and while it has aided the country's industrial development, recently many smaller mines have been closed in response to safety concerns. There are also precious metal and stone deposits to be found, particularly in the west, and these have been utilized since early times to produce tools and fine arts.
The Environment
Environmental degradation poses a very real threat to the nation as increasingly frequent dust storms sweep through the north of the country and the rivers in many cities run black. Despite reducing its heavy industry base and the grand Three Gorges Dam hydroelectric project (which creates as many environmental problems as it solves), China is one of the world's most polluted countries. The government is now starting to address these issues with projects like the Green Great Wall that aims to combat soil erosion in the north of the country through reforestation, and by raising taxes on environmentally damaging products, from disposable wooden chopsticks to luxury cars. But there is still a long way to go.
Climate
Again, as you'd expect in such a vast country, there is much variety in China's weather, though away from coastal and mountainous areas it could be broadly categorized as a continental climate - that is, extremely hot in the summer and very cold in the winter.
The north enjoys roughly six months of heat, but has to endure cold weather for the rest of the year, with temperatures rarely creeping above freezing in Beijing between December and March. Almost all of the rainfall in this region comes in July and August. This part of the country is also subject to dust storms during the spring and summer months, which can last days and leave everything coated with a fine layer of dust. They are exacerbated by the deforestation and desertification of the land to the north and west.
China's northwest offers the country's greatest extremes, from blistering 110°F in summer, to an arctic -45°F in winter. Whenever you come, you're unlikely to see much precipitation in this extremely arid region, which is home to the deserts of the Gobi and the Taklamakan.
Central China gets exceptionally hot and steamy in the summer. The "Three Furnaces” along the Yangzi - Chongqing, Wuhan and Nanjing - are renowned for their Turkish-bath-like summers, though Shanghai is barely any less stifling. The same region gets bone-chillingly cold during the short winter, made all the more so by the damp and lack of central heating south of the Yellow River. Although Shanghai is warmed marginally by the sea, it can still feel bitter in the winter months. Winter is the driest part of the year, though all seasons see plenty of precipitation in this part of the country.
The south has something of a subtropical climate, with swelteringly hot and humid summers and comparatively mild winters that only last from January to March, though the farther you move away from the sea the colder it can get. The rainy season in the south varies according to exactly where you are, but generally falls between May and August. Hainan Island, nestled between China and Vietnam, lies on the same latitude as Hawaii and is warm throughout the winter and roasting in summer. The southeast coast is subject to typhoons (from taifeng, meaning great wind), the Asian equivalent of hurricanes, between June and October.
Flora & Fauna
China has a diverse range of wildlife befitting a country of its size, but if you come with great expectations you may be disappointed - there's less to see on a day-to-day basis than you'll find in some of the neighboring Southeast Asian countries. However, for those who have the time and energy to delve a little deeper, there are still treasures to be found and even a two-week city-based trip should show you some of country's offerings.
Causes for Concern
Several factors have contributed to the loss of Chinese flora and fauna. The sheer scale of humanity has meant that many species' habitats have been destroyed. The Chinese have consumed much of the original fauna, sometimes eating literally whatever they could find due to famine. Traditional medicinal beliefs relating to the efficacy of certain rare animal parts have further contributed to the demise of many species. The Communist regime has also played its part in the destruction of China's environment, often showing flagrant disregard for the laws of nature. Crazed periods such as the Great Leap Forward saw attention focused on increasing short-term output to ridiculous extremes - fields were overplanted and the crops and wildlife suffered. More recently environmentally damaging activities suchas logging, pollution and some questionable projects, including the Three Gorges Dam, have compounded the problem.
Habitats
As you'd expect from a country as vast as China, it has a diverse range of habitats, from wetland to desert, tundra to tropical forest and mountains to plains. Agriculture has replaced most of China's native forest, although there are still large expanses in the northeast that remain relatively untouched. The east is so highly developed that little of its original native habitat survives, but away from the coast there are still wild pockets, some of which have been designated national parks and forest reserves, such as Shennongjia in Hebei, which is reputedly home to a yeti-like creature! Out in the mountainous western regions there are extensive grasslands, which provide a festival of wild flowers in summer (July and August) and also support some fauna. The deserts of the northwest don't offer the same biodiversity as other parts of the country, but hold more wildlife than you might expect, including wild Bactrian camels.
National Parks & Conservation Projects
China was a late starter in the conservation race and, while the situation has certainly improved, it is already too late for some species and there is a long way to go to save those that remain. But all is not lost and hope remains. The first national park was established in Guangdong in 1956 and there are now over a thousand reserves, covering around 5% of China's land area, with dozens more planned. Reforestation projects are also starting in the hope of reducing desertification in the northwest. The work of a small number of dedicated individuals has highlighted the plight of some animal species, most notably the giant panda and this, in turn, has led to more widespread interest in wildlife and the environment, particularly among the younger generation.
The government is also realizing the severity of China's environmental situation and, after decades of abuse, seems to be coming round to a more sustainable approach to development. This is aided by the increasing importance of tourism in China, and as more and more upwardly mobile Chinese want to witness their country's native wildlife, there seems to be an economic as well as a conservation incentive. However, unless environmental tourism is responsibly managed, it could further degrade the environment (see Eco-Travel for more) and in a predominantly (and ever more polarized) poor country, people's own survival and prosperity is still the ultimate concern. Conservation areas are often poorly protected, meaning that poaching and logging still occur in these supposedly safe zones.