Chinese History and Statistics -- Page 11

Drainage (Part 2)

China's three other drainage basins are the Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and inland drainage basins. Of least importance is the Arctic Ocean drainage basin, which covers only 40,000 sq. km (15,000 sq. mi.) in the northwest. The Indian Ocean drainage basin contains two major rivers, the Yalu Zangbo (Upper Brahmaputra) and the Nu Jiang, and has an area of 780,000 sq. km (300,000 sq. mi.). The inland drainage basin, which includes most of the rivers in northern Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia, covers 36% of China's total area. Most rivers are intermittent streams, ending in playas, or salty swamps. The large interior lakes are Koko Nor, Lop Nor, and Nam.

Vegetation

China falls within two major vegetation zones that are separated by a line running diagonally across the country from the Da Hinggan Range in the northeast to the Himalayas in the southwest. South and east of this line is the forested vegetation zone, and north and west of the line is the northwestern steppe-desert vegetation zone. The forested vegetation zone contains more than 20,000 species of flora. Much of the deciduous forests of central China have been depleted, as have much of Manchuria's steppe grasses, in order to plant crops. Recently, reforestation projects have been started as part of flood-control programs. Coniferous forests are found in the mountainous regions and in northern Manchuria. In the less diverse northwest with about 5,000 plant species, arid grasslands gradually give way to desert vegetation.