Grasslands (Cǎoyuán草原)|Cǎoyuán 草原 (Grasslands)
Piper GAUBATZ Nanshan grasslands horse show, Zinjiang Kazak, 1983. PHOTO BY JOAN LEBOLD COHEN. Grasslands, which constitute 41 percent of
Aquaculture (Shuǐchǎn yǎngzhí 水产养殖)|Shuǐchǎn yǎngzhí 水产养殖 (Aquaculture)
Linden J. ELLIS and Jennifer L. TURNER A group of men fishing the Shimei beaches, Wanning Xian, Hainan Island. PHOTO
Forest Resources (Sēnlín zīyuán 森林资源)|Sēnlín zīyuán 森林资源 (Forest Resources)
Gregory VEECK A man uses rafts to transport lumber on a river. PHOTO BY JOAN LEBOLD COHEN. In the distant
Energy, Renewable (Kězàishēng néngyuán 可再生能源)|Kězàishēng néngyuán 可再生能源 (Energy, Renewable)
SHEN Lei, CHENG Shengkui, and XU Zengrang Coal mined in China produces more of China’s energy than any other fuel,
Climate and Vegetation (Qìhòu hé zhíwù 气候和植物)|Qìhòu hé zhíwù 气候和植物 (Climate and Vegetation)
Bent NIELSEN With almost 10 million square kilometers of territory China has a wide range of climate, largely determined by
Agro-geography (Nóngyè dìlǐ 农业地理)|Nóngyè dìlǐ 农业地理 (Agro-geography)
Amy ZADER Flooded rice-paddy terraces are carved out of the hills and mountains all over southern China. The water prevents
Mineral Resources (Kuàngchǎn zīyuán 矿产资源)|Kuàngchǎn zīyuán 矿产资源 (Mineral Resources)
Gregory VEECK Jia Yu Guan Iron and Steel Company, 1983. PHOTO BY JOAN LEBOLD COHEN. China has extensive mineral resources
Forest Resources (Sēnlín zīyuán 森林资源)|Sēnlín zīyuán 森林资源 (Forest Resources)
In the distant past, the vast majority of China’s territory was forested, but much was lost due to over-use and neglect—especially during the past hundred years. Only now are efforts underway to correct decades of abuse, and only because environmental problems such as wind and water erosion, dust storms, and desertification grew so severe that action had to be taken.
Silver (Báiyín 白銀)|Báiyín 白銀 (Silver)
Silver, originally used solely as ornamentation, was the most important currency of late imperial China, although it came mainly from abroad. A global silver shortage in the early nineteenth century almost overturned the Qing dynasty, which was temporarily rescued by an increased supply of silver due to the sale of silk and tea abroad. It was not until 1935 that the Chinese government controlled the monetary system by putting China onto the paper currency system.