The Northeast was formerly called Manchuria and now known as Dongbei. It is composed of the three provinces of Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang, as well as eastern Inner Mongolia. In the north, there are vast areas of coniferous forest or mixed coniferous/broad-leaved forest, a rich source of timber. In the south there is large-scale mechanized farming on the plains and on reclaimed land. Most of China's state farms are located here. Dongbei has long cold winters and heavy rainfall during the short, hot summers.
The region of North China Plain includes the provinces of Henan, Hebei, Shandong, and the northern parts of Jiangsu and Anhui. Rich deposits from the Huang He River and its tributaries have enriched and built up the soils in many areas. Agriculture is intensive, with some 40% of the total area now under cultivation. About 30 percent of the Chinese population live here, most engaged in agriculture; the surplus rural labor has been absorbed into the industrial and commercial growth of major cities - such as Beijing, Jinan, Luoyang, Shijiazhuang and Tianjin.
The Loess Plateau is one of the important centers of Chinese civilization in the past. The region was formerly part of the Silk Road leading to Central Asia and covers the provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi and the heavily industrialized eastern Gansu. The rural areas support a lighter population density than the North China Plain, and the general standard of living is markedly lower except in the southeast sector.
The Northwest region of China is geographically and culturally a part of Central Asia. The region includes western Gansu, Xinjiang, Ningxai and part of Inner Mongolia; the topography is highly varied and includes large stretches of arid desert and wasteland, fertile oasis, grassy plateaus and high mountain ranges. The region is China's main source of sheep, cattle, horses and camels. Some areas are suited to grain and cotton production. A large percentage of the population belong to minority nationalities, such as Uigars, Hui, Kazak, Kirgiz, Mongols, Tajiks and others.
South Central China/Lower Yangtze is dominated by Wuhan and Shanghai, major industrial and commercial cities. Cotton, silk, pigs and poultry, vegetable farming, ocean and freshwater fisheries, and rural industries have for generations supplemented peasant income. In recent years the expansion of towns and cities, exploitation of rich natural resources, and a thriving free-market system have made this the leading area in industrial and agricultural output.
The Maritime South includes southern Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan and Guangxi provinces, and it should probably be extended to cover Hong Kong and Macao. It is regarded as one of Chinas richest regions today. Along the coast Special Economic Zones and overseas investments have revitalized the modern sector of the economy and led to dramatic changes in living standards and life styles.
The Southwest includes the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou together with western Hunan. Despite the existence of rich natural resources, road and rail transportation remain undeveloped over most of the region. Only the Sichuan Basin, highly industrialized, rich in energy sources and mineral resources, and linked by rail and river to Yangzi, matches inner China's productivity and wealth. There is a wide gab in living standards between Sichuan and the rest of the region and between the Han and the other nationalities within the region.
The Tibetan Plateaus includes Tibet, Qinghai and western Sichuan and lie most above 3,000 meters. Population density is low, there are few urban centers, most of the population is non-Han.
