Greater Xing'an Range
The Greater Xing'an Range (Da Xing'anling) is a crescent-shaped mountain range running 1,400 kilometers from south to north in the northwestern parts of Heilongjiang and Jilin Provinces in northeastern China. The range is divided into a southern and a northern part by the Taoer River near the border between the two provinces. The northern part of the range runs for about 670 kilometers, with peaks rising 1,000 meters above sea level; a few, like Mount Fengshui and Mount Dajiluqina, reach over 1,390 meters. The eastern slopes are steep; the western slopes merge into the Inner Mongolia Plateau, which is about 700 meters above sea level. It is an extremely cold area, with winters lasting more than eight months and an average temperature in January of –28° C. The southern part generally consists of lower mountains and has a slightly warmer climate.
The Greater Xing'an Range is one of China's most important timber areas and has been heavily forested since 1949, which is increasingly threatening the region's ecological balance. The range is sparsely inhabited by minority nationalities, of which the Orogens are most numerous. Their main sources of income are hunting and forestry. Some agricultural products for local consumption are grown in the lower valleys.
Further Reading
Krieg, Renate, et al. (1998) Provinzporträts der VR China. Hamburg, Germany: Institut für Asienkunde.
Ma Yin, ed. (1989) China's Minority Nationalities. Beijing: Foreign Language Press.
Ren Mei'e, Yang Renzhang, and Bao Haosheng, eds. (1985) An Outline of China's Physical Geography. Beijing: Foreign Language Press.
Zhao Songqiao. (1986) Physical Geography of China. Beijing: Science Press.
This is the complete article, containing 256 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
