China is a vast country, the third larest in the world after Russia and Canada, with an area slightly larger than that of the United States.
China is situated between the Siberian steppes in the north and the tropical jungles in the south. In the west there is a vast area of desert and high plateau country, and to the east a coastline about 2500 miles long, which gives onto large stetches of shadow water: the Yellow Sea in the north, the East
China Sea in the center, and the South China Sea.
China's physical environment is dominated by its mountains. The major mountain chains are oriented west to east and tend to divide the country in to separate climatic zones. The orientation has also impeded the movement of people and goods north and south and to some extent created natural and cultural boundaries.
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