BIZCHINA / Qinghai ABC
Geography and Natural Conditions
(china.org)
Updated: 2006-05-16 10:01
Elevation extremes
The average elevation is more than 3,000 meters above sea level, varying
from 1,650 meters to 6,860 meters, while 54% of the area is between 4,000
and 5,000 meters. The province is divided into the Qilian Mountains, the
Qaidam Basin, and the Qingnan Plateau.
Climate
It has a plateau continental climate thanks to its elevation,
topography, latitude and atmospheric circulation. The province has a long
and not-cold winter and a short and cool summer. The temperature varies
greatly in the province with an average annual temperature of
-5.6��-8.7��. The precipitation also varies noticeably, the southeast
area receiving 450-600 ml of rainfalls annually.
Natural resources
Minerals:
A total of 125 minerals have had their deposits verified. Of these, 50
are among the top ten in terms of reserves in the country and 11,
including potassium chloride and magnesium salts, have the largest
deposits of their kinds in China. Of the 45 urgently needed minerals in
China, 21 have been found in the province, their deposits all ranking
among the top ten in the country. In addition, Qinghai has more than 30
salt lakes with proved reserves of 70 billion tons. Qinghai is also rich
in nonferrous metals and non-metallic minerals. Its asbestos reserve
leads other provinces and regions in China. The famed Qaidam Basin is
abundant in natural gas and oil. There are 16 oilfields and six gas
fields. The total oil reserve is 1.244 billion tons, of which 200 million
tons has been explored; the explored gas reserve is 47.2 billion cubic
meters.
Hydraulic energy:
The province has 178 hydropower stations with a total installed
generation capacity of 21.66 million kw, which has an exploitable
capacity of 18 million kw, and generate 77 billion kwh annually. The
province plans to build seven more medium-sized hydropower stations,
which, with a total installed generation capacity of 11 million kw, will
produce 36.8 billion kwh each year. The construction cost of each power
station in Qinghai is 20-40% lower than that of the national average. The
province is also rich in solar, wind and geothermal energy.
Pastures:
Qinghai is one of the five major pasturelands in China. It boasts 31.6
million ha of grazing land, accounting for 15% of the country's total.
Among the 940 species of grass growing in its grasslands, 190 species are
of high nutrition with crude protein, crude fat and low coarse fiber. The
livestock includes sheep, yak, horse, camel and goat, all cold-resistant.
Qinghai's domestic yaks top the country in number and account for
one-third of the world's total.
Wild animals and plants:
Of the wild plants discovered in Qinghai, some 1,000 have economic value,
including over 100 medicinal herbs. Its Chinese caterpillar fungus, in
particular, is famous in China and abroad. Qinghai has 290 kinds of birds
and 109 species of mammal beasts, 21 of them being under first-class
state protection, 53 being under second-class state protection, 36 being
under provincial protection, and 22 having been listed in the
International Trade Convention on Endangered Wild Animals and Plants,
Appendixes I and II.
(Statistics as of 2004)
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