Climate气候.doc

Climate Brief IntroductionChina has a marked continental monsoon climate characterized by great variety. Most parts of China are in the northern temperate zone while parts of the southern area are in the tropical or subtropical zone and parts of the northern area in the Frigid Zone. Most of China lies in the north temperature zone, characterized by a warm climate and clear division between seasons, a climate well suited for habitation. In winter, northerly winds from high latitude areas keep the northern parts cold and dry; while in summer, monsoons from eastern and southern coastal areas bring warmness and moisture.The climate also varies with the extensive territory and various topography from region to region. In northern China, summer is warm and short, while winter is cold and long. In southern China, summer is long, humid and hot, and the winter short and warm, with temperature rarely below freezing. In central China (the valley area along the Yangtze River), division between seasons is clear -- summer is long, hot and humid while winter, short and cold. In northwestern China, such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, summer is dry and sweltering and winter is formidably cold. On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (about 4,000 meters above sea level) in southwestern China, winter is extremely cold and summer is short and moderately warm, with little precipitation and great difference in temperature between day and night. Climate ZoneChina sees various other types of climate due to its vast territory. Temperature belts from south to north appear in this order: tropical zone, subtropical zone, temperate zone, medium temperate zone and frigid temperate zone. There is also a vertical climatic zone on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in southwestern China. Situated in the eastern part of the Asian continent and facing the Pacific, China also has a prominent monsoon climate. In addition, other types of climate, such as alpine climate, plateau climate, desert climate, forest cli