Climate

The climate of China varies from cold and dry in the northwest to warm and humid in the southeast. Most of China's precipitation falls in the eastern one-third of the country, therefore, this is where most of China's population lives (more later). The southernmost portions of China receive monsoonal rains (see map below).

Southeast China receives ample rain and experiences very warm temperatures, which would seem to be the best area for agriculture. However, this portion of China is quite hilly and requires a great deal of land modification for agriculture to work (e.g., terrace farming). The northeast portion of China is less hilly but receives less rain. Therefore, the perfectly ideal locations for agriculture in China are not always available. Somehow, they still manage to feed 1.3 billion people each day.

The western two-thirds of China is often referred to as "arid China" while the eastern one-third of China is often referred to as "humid China". On the map above, the dividing line is the 20-inch isoline (i.e., more than 20 inches of rain per year is considered "humid China" and less than 20 inches of rain per year is considered "arid China").

For future reference, "Humid China" is also referred to as "China Proper" since this is where the majority of China's population lives.