Physiographic macroregions of China

Physiographic macroregions of China is a term suggested by an American anthropologist G. William Skinner as a subdivision of China Proper into nine areas according to the drainage basins of the major rivers and other travel-constraining geomorphological features. They are distinct in terms of environment, economic resources, culture and more or less interdependent histories with often unsynchronized developmental macrocycles.[1] They were described in Skinner's landmark essays in The City in Late Imperial China.[2]

19th century

Skinner and his school maintain that prior to modernization, transportation was largely constrained by terrain and the physiographic macroregions are a close approximation for the socioeconomic macroregions of 19th-century China. The macroregions are defined by Skinner as follows:[3]

  • 10 Northeast China, 东北区
  • 20 North China, 华北区
  • 30 Northwest China 西北区
    • Wei-Fen Basins 渭汾流域分区
    • Upper Yellow River Basin 黄河上游分区
    • Gansu Corridor 河西(甘肃)走廊分区
  • 40 Upper Yangtze 长江上游区
  • 50 Middle Yangtze 长江中游区
    • Middle Yangtze proper 长江中游分区
    • Gan Basin 赣江流域分区
    • Yuan Basin 沅江流域分区
    • Upper Han Basin 汉江上游分区
  • 60 Lower Yangtze 长江下游区
  • 70 Southeast Coast 东南沿海区 (approximately Fujian, eastern part of Guangdong, southern part of Zhejiang, and Taiwan)
  • 80 Lingnan 岭南区, which may be translated as "South of Mountains". It includes the Southern coast and nearly coincides with the two entities: province of Guangdong and Guangxi autonomous region, together traditionally called "Two Guang provinces", or Liangguang.[4]
  • 90 Yungui 云贵区; covers most of Yunnan Province and larger part of Guizhou Province and corresponds to the Yungui Plateau.

Modern provinces of Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai and a larger part of Inner Mongolia are not considered by Skinner's scheme.

20th century

According to Skinner's analysis, the 20th century China excluding Inner Asia has 9 socioeconomic macroregions with cores not changed from the physiographic ones of the 19th century, but with changed territorial extents.[3]

See also

References
  1. Needham, Joseph; Bray, Francesca; Huang Hsing-Tsung; Daniels, Christian; Menzies, Nicholas K. (1984). Science and Civilisation in China. ISBN 0-521-63262-5.
  2. Skinner, G. William, ed. (1977), The City in Late Imperial China, Stanford University Press
  3. Skinner, G. William; Henderson, Mark; Yue, Zumou, A note regarding the Physiographic and Socioeconomic Macroregions of China
  4. Marks, Robert (1997). Tigers, Rice, Silk, and Silt: Environment and Economy in Late Imperial South China. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-59177-5.
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