Guizhou’s area and terrain

Guizhou Province, referred to as "Qian" or "Gui", is located in the hinterland of southwest China, bordering Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guangxi. It is a transportation hub in the southwest. It is a world-renowned mountain tourism destination and a major mountain tourism province, a national ecological civilization experimental zone, and an inland open economic experimental zone. It governs Guiyang City, Zunyi City, Liupanshui City, Anshun City, Tongren City, Bijie City, Southwest Guizhou Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, and Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. The terrain within the territory is higher in the west and lower in the east, sloping from the central part to the north, east and south. The province's landforms can be summarized into four basic types: plateau, mountain, hill and basin. Plateau and mountainous areas are the majority, and it is known as "eight mountains, one water and one divided". According to the theory of "field", it is the only province in the country that is not supported by plains.

Guizhou is one of the birthplaces of ancient humans. Humans have been living and active as early as 240,000 years ago. There are the "Guanyindong Culture of Western Guizhou" in the early Paleolithic Age, and the "Tongzi Man" of the late Homo erectus. , the "Shuicheng Man" and the "Panxian Dadong Man" of early Homo sapiens, the "Xingyi Man", the Puding "Chuandong Man", the Tongzi "Ma'anshan Man", the "Baiyanjiao Cave Man" and Anlong of the late Homo sapiens "People from Guanyin Cave". The territory has a subtropical humid monsoon climate with four distinct seasons, warm spring winds, abundant rainfall, and hot and rainy weather at the same time. It is one of the most typical areas with karst landforms in the world, with colorful karst landscapes.

Guizhou Province has a total area of ??176,100 square kilometers. There are 9 prefecture-level administrative divisions (including 6 prefecture-level cities and 3 autonomous prefectures) and 88 county-level administrative divisions. (Among them: 13 municipal districts, 7 county-level cities, 56 counties, 11 autonomous counties, and 1 special zone).

Terrain

The landform of Guizhou belongs to the plateau and mountainous areas of southwest China. The terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east. It slopes from the center to the north, east and south, with an average altitude of about 1,100 meters. The Guizhou Plateau is mostly mountainous and is known as "eight mountains, one water and one farmland".

The province's landforms can be broadly divided into four basic types: plateau, mountains, hills and basins, of which 92.5% are mountains and hills. There are many mountains in the territory, with many mountains stretching vertically and horizontally, with high mountains and deep valleys. There is Dalou Mountain in the north, which runs diagonally across the northern border from west to northeast. Loushan Pass, the key pass of Sichuan and Guizhou, is 1,444 meters high; the Miao Mountains run across it in the central and southern parts, with the main peak Leigong Mountain being 2,178 meters high; and in the northeast is Wuling Mountain, which winds from Hunan into Guizhou, with the main peak Fanjing Mountain is 2,572 meters high; Wumeng Mountain towers in the west. Jiucaiping, Zhushi Township, Hezhang County, which belongs to this mountain range, has an altitude of 2,900.6 meters, the highest point in Guizhou.

Where the Shuikou River in Diping Township, Liping County, Qiandongnan Prefecture leaves the provincial boundary, the altitude is 147.8 meters, the lowest point in the territory. The development of karst landforms in Guizhou is very typical. The karst landform covers an area of ??109,084 square kilometers, accounting for 61.9% of the province's total land area. The karst within the territory is widely distributed, with complete morphological types and obvious geographical distribution, forming a special karst ecosystem.

Climate

Guizhou’s climate is warm and humid, belonging to the subtropical humid monsoon climate. The temperature changes little, with warm winters and cool summers, and a pleasant climate. In 2002, the annual average temperature in Guiyang, the provincial capital, was 14.8°C, 0.3°C higher than the previous year. Across the province, the average temperature in the coldest month (January) is usually 3°C to 6°C, which is higher than other areas at the same latitude; the average temperature in the hottest month (July) is generally 22°C to 25°C, which is a typical summer Cool areas. There is more precipitation, obvious rainy season, more cloudy days and less sunshine.

In 2002, among the nine cities where prefectures and prefectures are located, Xingyi City had the most precipitation, with 1,480 mm; the least precipitation was Bijie City, with 687.9 mm. Affected by the monsoon, precipitation is mostly concentrated in summer. The number of cloudy days in various parts of the country generally exceeds 150, and the relative humidity is above 70% year-round.

Affected by atmospheric circulation and topography, Guizhou’s climate is diverse. “One mountain has four seasons, and ten miles have different weather.” In addition, the climate is unstable and there are many types of disastrous weather, such as droughts, autumn winds, freezes, hail, etc., which are very frequent, causing serious harm to agricultural production.

Hydrology

Guizhou’s rivers are located in the intersecting zone of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and Pearl River systems. 69 counties belong to the Yangtze River Protection Forest Protection Area, which is an important ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and Pearl River. . The province's water system flows along the terrain from the west and central parts to the north, east and south.

Miaoling is the watershed between the Yangtze River and Pearl River basins. To the north is the Yangtze River Basin, with a basin area of ??115,747 square kilometers, accounting for 66.1% of the province’s land area. The main rivers are Wujiang, Chishui River, and Qingshui River. , Hongzhou River, Wuyang River, Jinjiang River, Songtao River, Songkan River, Niulan River, Hengjiang River, etc. The south of Miaoling belongs to the Pearl River Basin, with a drainage area of ??60,420 square kilometers, accounting for 35.0% of the province's land area. The main rivers include Nanpan River, Beipan River, Hongshui River, Duliu River, Dagou River, etc.