Did you know...

China is one of the largest countries in the world, not just in population but also in land area. In fact, it is the third largest country in land area, just behind Russia and Canada. China is as wide as the United States, but is much larger north to south. China covers a huge area, and as such has many different climates and landforms within its borders.

Mountains dominate much of China’s land and are the most striking landform visible on a map. Almost half of China’s entire land area is covered by mountains. The world’s tallest mountains in the Himalayas form a border with Nepal in the country’s southwest. The Himalayas are not the only chain of mountains in the country though. Other mountain ranges in China include the Altay Shan, Tian Shan, Kunlun Shan, and Greater Khingan Range. Over fifty of the world’s mountains over 20,000 feet tall are in China.

The elevation gradually drops across China, and between the mountain ranges are some of the largest plateaus and depressions in the world. Between the Tian Shan and Kunlun Shan, there is a region known as the Tarim Basin. This area houses China’s lowest point, the Turpan Depression, which lies at 426 feet below sea level. The depression is in an area with little rainfall and wildly varying temperatures during the year. This area is also unique because of the Plateau of Tibet between the mountain ranges Kunlun Shan and the Himalayas. This giant plateau is easily recognizable on an elevation map of the country, and at over 16,000 feet, it is by far the world’s most-elevated plateau.