Regional division in geography is the division of geographical system according to the objective law of regional differentiation, certain purposes and corresponding principles and methods. It is an important content and method of regional research.
According to the different objects and purposes of zoning, zoning can be divided into administrative zoning, natural zoning, economic zoning, agricultural zoning, comprehensive zoning and other different types.
The following is a brief introduction to the main schemes and evolution of natural zoning in China, economic zoning in chinese administrative division and China in the form of illustrations.
First, the natural division of China.
(A) the concept and significance of natural zoning
Physical geographical division (referred to as physical division) is a research method to divide regions into a certain hierarchical system according to the commonality of physical geographical environment and component development, the similarity of structure and the unity of physical geographical process.
On the basis of studying the law of regional differentiation, natural zoning discusses the characteristics, changes and distribution of natural geographical environment and its components. It mainly reflects the regional differences of temperature, moisture, soil, vegetation and other factors, and provides systematic information on natural production potential. It is the basis for rational utilization of natural resources, production layout and various plans according to local conditions, and it is also the basis for understanding the macro framework of regional ecological environment, improving the ecological environment and formulating regional sustainable development strategies.
(B) the development of natural zoning
After the founding of New China, several generations of geographers have made continuous exploratory research on the natural division of China. Looking at the zoning maps in different historical periods, we can clearly see the formation and development process of China's natural zoning (Table 1), and deepen our understanding of the laws of China's physical geography zonality. On the basis of studying the law of regional differentiation, natural zoning discusses the characteristics, changes and distribution of natural geographical environment and its components. It mainly reflects the regional differences of temperature, moisture, soil, vegetation and other factors, and provides systematic information on natural production potential. It is the basis for rational utilization of natural resources, production layout and various plans according to local conditions, and it is also the basis for understanding the macro framework of regional ecological environment, improving the ecological environment and formulating regional sustainable development strategies.
1. Luo Kaifu scheme?
It was first published in 1954, and two years later, with the first draft of "Natural Division of China" in "Geography of China" seriesNo. 1, it was officially published by Science Press. First of all, it divides the whole country into two parts: east and west. The east monsoon has a significant influence, while the west monsoon has a weak or no influence. Then four relatively extreme areas are put forward: coldest, hottest, driest and thin air, and several transition areas are drawn between them. Finally, the whole country is divided into seven basic regions: Northeast China, North China, Central China, South China, Kangdian, Qinghai-Tibet and Xinjiang, and further divided into 23 sub-regions according to the topography.
The plan notes the differences between natural regions, and discusses the characteristics of the interrelation and interaction between various natural geographical phenomena, emphasizing that basic regions are divided according to natural characteristics, and their meanings and scopes are different from those used in administrative or economic habits. For example, the lower reaches of Liaohe River and Liaodong Peninsula are included in North China, but not in Northeast China.
2. Huang's plan
From 65438 to 0956, China Academy of Sciences set up a working committee on natural zoning and carried out large-scale natural zoning work. 1958, based on the work of geographical division of various departments, Huang edited the Comprehensive Natural Division of China, which was published by Science Press on 1959. According to the regional differentiation of light, heat, water, soil and vegetation, and the geographical relationship of climate, soil and vegetation, it seeks the corresponding zoning method by using the zonal law. The low-level zoning unit follows the principle of no zonality, which is reflected in the differentiation of topography and surface materials. The plan divides the whole country into three natural regions (eastern monsoon region, Meng Xin Plateau region and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region), six hot regions, 18 natural regions and sub-regions, 28 natural regions and sub-regions and 90 natural provinces.
This scheme is unprecedented in the history of natural zoning in China, with the most complete hierarchical units and the richest contents. The purpose of agriculture is very clear, and its zoning principles, the setting of hierarchical unit system, the zoning signs and demarcation indicators of units above the provincial level all fully express the purpose of agriculture.
Since then, Huang's plan has been revised.
3. Ren Meihua and Yang scheme and Ren Meihua and Bao Haosheng scheme.
Ren Yang's plan was published in 196 1. According to the main contradiction of natural differences and the different directions of transforming nature, the Plan divides the whole country into eight natural regions, namely Northeast China, North China, Central China, South China, Southwest China, Inner Mongolia, Northwest China and Qinghai-Tibet, and 23 natural regions and 65 natural provinces.
In this plan, the southern section of Daxinganling is divided into Inner Mongolia, the Liaohe Plain is divided into North China, the northern section of Hengduan Mountains is divided into Qinghai-Tibet, the Qaidam Basin is divided into northwest, and the surrounding mountains are divided into Qinghai-Tibet, which has aroused heated discussions in geography.
1988 has more or less inherited the characteristics of the people's insurance scheme, with only two levels, including 8 districts and 30 sub-districts.
4. Zhao's plan
It was put forward in 1983 and 1985 "General Theory of Physical Geography of China" compiled by China Physical Geography Editorial Committee of China Academy of Sciences, which aroused strong repercussions at that time. First of all, the plan divides the whole country into three natural regions: the eastern monsoon region, the northwest arid region and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region, which is recognized by most scholars. Under natural zones, there are 7 natural zones and 33 natural sub-zones according to the combination of temperature and water conditions and their reflection in soil and vegetation.
The naming of natural regions varies from region to region: in the eastern monsoon region, it is named according to hydrothermal conditions, such as the humid and semi-humid temperate region in Northeast China and the humid and semi-humid warm temperate region in North China, which essentially reflects the symbolic role of hydrothermal combination in the division of regions; Northwest arid areas are named according to heat and vegetation types, such as Inner Mongolia temperate grassland area, northwest temperate zone and warm temperate desert area.
5. Schema in the textbook Physical Geography of China.
According to the principle of natural zoning, the characteristics of China's physical geography and the law of regional differentiation, referring to the previous work and considering the teaching needs, the scheme adopts three-level zoning. First-class area: the whole country is divided into eastern monsoon area, northwest arid area and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau area; The secondary area is a natural area: the whole country is divided into seven natural areas: Northeast China, North China, Central China, South China, Inner Mongolia, Northwest China and Qinghai-Tibet. The third level is the physical geography subregion: the whole country is divided into 35 physical geography subregions.
(3) The middle school geography textbook: Introduction of China's regional geographical division scheme?
Although there are some differences in the purpose, index, name and scope of the above-mentioned China natural zoning plans, they represent the important research achievements of China geographers in the division of China's natural geographical areas after the founding of New China.
In order to better popularize relevant geographical knowledge in middle school geography education, especially to make students and ordinary citizens fully understand China's national conditions and regional differences, and to understand the national construction and development plan, the middle school geography textbook published by People's Education Publishing House 199 1 adopted China's new regional geographical division scheme: China's geographical regions were divided into four regions: the northern region, the southern region, the northwest region and the Qinghai-Tibet region.
The geographical division of China is a complicated problem. To deal with this problem in middle school geography textbooks, we should not only consider the scientific division of geographical areas, but also consider the age characteristics and acceptance of junior high school students.
On the basis of three mature geographical regions-eastern monsoon region, northwest arid and semi-arid region and Qinghai-Tibet alpine region, the program takes into account the great differences between the northern and southern subregions along the Qinling and Huaihe rivers in the eastern monsoon region, and integrates the characteristics of production, life and culture, and finally forms four regional teaching programs: northern region, southern region, northwest region and Qinghai-Tibet region.
Therefore, the plan is actually a synthesis, induction and simplification of the above-mentioned natural zoning plan of China. Moreover, according to this plan, each region can be further subdivided into sub-regions according to the situation. For example, the northern region includes two sub-regions of North China and Northeast China, and North China includes topographic regions such as North China Plain and Loess Plateau.
Practice has proved that the four regional programs not only have a rigorous and solid foundation of scientific research results, but also are concise and convenient for teaching and learning, which has played a very good role in the compilation and teaching practice of geography textbooks in middle schools in China.
1992, the former State Education Commission clearly stipulated that the geographical area of China should be divided into four areas: northern area, southern area, northwest area and Qinghai-Tibet area for teaching, and students were also required to know their geographical position and scope. For example, the northern region should remember "Daxinganling, Xiaoxing 'anling, Changbai Mountain, Northeast Plain, North China Plain, Loess Plateau, Liaodong Hill, Shandong Hill" and other topographic areas.
200 1 The Geography Curriculum Standard for Full-time Compulsory Education (Experimental Draft) promulgated by the Ministry of Education also explicitly requires that "the geographical units in the northern region, the southern region, the northwest region and the Qinghai-Tibet region should be pointed out by maps, and their natural geographical differences should be compared".
Second, the administrative divisions of China.
(A) the concept and significance of administrative divisions
Administrative division refers to the hierarchical division of national territory for the convenience of administrative management. China has a vast territory, and ancient and modern exchanges attach great importance to effective hierarchical management of the country, dividing the national territory into different administrative regions.
(B) the evolution of administrative divisions
The following is a brief description of the great changes in administrative divisions after the founding of New China.
1. Establishment and cancellation of six administrative regions
1949 10 People's Republic of China (PRC) (PRC) was established in June of 1 year, and China successively established six administrative regions, namely, North China, Northeast China, Northwest China, East China, South China and Southwest China. North China is directly under the central government, the people's government in the northeast, and military and political committees in other major administrative regions. In large areas, people's governments or military and political committees are established, which are local governments at the first level and respectively administer several provincial administrative units. 1952, the six administrative districts were changed into administrative committees, which only served as institutions for the central government to supervise local governments, and were no longer first-class local governments. In order to strengthen centralized and unified leadership, 1954 abolished six administrative committees, and all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, localities and regions directly under the central government.
6 administrative regions, 30 provinces, 12 municipalities directly under the central government, 5 administrative regions, 1 autonomous region, 1 place.
According to the development of the situation and the needs of economic construction, several provinces and regions have been added, abolished or merged.
1954, Liaodong and western Liaoning provinces were abolished and Liaoning province was merged. Cancel Songjiang Province and merge into Heilongjiang Province; Revocation of Ningxia Province and merging into Gansu Province; Revoke Suiyuan Province and merge into Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; Shenyang, Lvda, Anshan, Fushun, Benxi, Changchun, Harbin, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chongqing, xi 'an 1 1 municipalities directly under the central government were changed to cities under the jurisdiction of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Guangdong, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces respectively.
1955, Jehol Province was abolished and merged into Hebei, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region respectively; Revocation of Xikang Province into Sichuan Province; Xinjiang Province was abolished and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was established. Preparatory committee for the tibet autonomous region was established to administer Tibet and Qamdo.
1957, Guangxi Province was abolished and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was established; Establish Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
1965, Xizang Autonomous Region was formally established.
3. Current situation of administrative divisions after1982
At present, the hierarchical system in chinese administrative division is the fourth constitution adopted by the Fifth Session of the Fifth National People's Congress in 1982. Article 30 of the Constitution stipulates: "The administrative divisions of People's Republic of China (PRC) are as follows: the whole country is divided into provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government; Provinces and autonomous regions are divided into autonomous prefectures, counties, autonomous counties and cities; Counties and autonomous counties are divided into townships, nationality townships and towns. Municipalities directly under the central government and larger cities are divided into districts and counties. Autonomous prefectures are divided into counties, autonomous counties and cities. Autonomous regions, autonomous prefectures and autonomous counties are all ethnic autonomous areas. " Article 3 1 of the Constitution also stipulates that "the state shall establish special administrative regions when necessary".
1988, Hainan province was established. 1997, Chongqing municipality was established; Establish the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 1999, the Macao Special Administrative Region was established.
By the end of 2008, the administrative region of China was divided into 34 provincial administrative divisions, including 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government and 2 special administrative regions? . ?
Therefore, in the current chinese administrative division system, there are no administrative divisions and names of six administrative regions: North China, Northeast China, Northwest China, East China, South China and Southwest China.
Third, the economic division of labor in China.
(A) the concept and significance of economic division of labor
Economic division refers to the strategic division of national territory according to the characteristics of regional division of labor, including comprehensive economic zone, departmental economic zone and economic type zone. According to the requirements and conditions of national or regional production development and referring to the formed regional economic types, it comprehensively plans the system of regional production complexes: for example, scientifically delineating the regional scope of departments at all levels or comprehensive economic zones; Determine the rational division of labor and cooperation among economic zones; Suggestions on the rational structure, development scale and regional layout of various production departments in the region are put forward.
The purpose of economic zoning is to reveal the favorable conditions and restrictive factors of economic development in various countries or regions, and to form regional specialized departments and industrial structures with their own characteristics. Dividing the whole country into strategic economic zones requires formulating principles from three aspects: economy, ecology and society.
(b) Evolution of economic division of labor
Since the founding of 1949 New China, geographers and economists have also put forward many plans for the economic division of China in order to meet the needs of regional research and regional policy analysis. We mainly introduce the following three kinds of China economic divisions published by the government and applied in practice.
1. 1958 Economic Cooperation Zone
1949 after the founding of new China, a highly centralized planning management system was implemented.
1958, in order to gradually change the unbalanced and unreasonable distribution of productive forces, the State Planning Commission made full and reasonable use of human and material resources in various regions, and at the same time tried to establish a complete industrial system, trying to establish industrial systems with different levels and characteristics in local areas. Therefore, on the basis of six administrative regions (1954), the whole country was divided into seven economic cooperation zones.
The seven economic cooperation zones include: Northeast Economic Cooperation Zone (Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning), North China Economic Cooperation Zone (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia), Northwest Economic Cooperation Zone (Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and Singapore) and East China Economic Cooperation Zone (Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and Taiwan Province).
196 1 year, the state merged the Central China and South China Economic Cooperation Zones into the Central South Economic Cooperation Zone, so the whole country was adjusted to six economic cooperation zones. Each major economic cooperation zone has a Central Bureau and a regional planning committee, which are responsible for coordinating the economic ties among the provinces, municipalities directly under the Central Government and autonomous regions in the region and organizing various economic cooperation. Therefore, this is an economic zone organized according to the administrative system.
China's economic cooperation zone plan played a certain role in the adjustment of the national economy at that time, and also accumulated experience for later economic zoning.
2. Three economic zones proposed in the seventh five-year plan
During the Seventh Five-Year Plan period (1986- 1990), China put forward the idea of regional economic gradient development, taking coastal areas as the base, developing inland resources with their economic and technological advantages, and then developing to border minority areas, forming three economic zones (figure 10).
Eastern region: including Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Qiong, Guangxi and other 12 provinces, municipalities directly under the Central Government and autonomous regions (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), it is the region with the largest population density and economic density, the strongest economic strength and developed market economy in China.
Central China: It includes nine provinces and regions, namely Heilongjiang, Kyrgyzstan, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui and Jiangxi, and is a region with relatively developed economy and relatively concentrated population.
The western region, including Sichuan (including Chongqing), Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and New Zealand, is a region with relatively backward economy and relatively sparse population.
With the implementation of the western development strategy, the geographical coverage of the three regions has changed (figure 1 1). After Guangxi and Inner Mongolia were included in the Western District, they were adjusted to include the Eastern District 1 1 provinces and cities, the Central District 8 provinces, and the Western District 12 provinces, cities and autonomous regions.
The three economic zones are the highest economic zones in China, which objectively reflect the gradient difference of China's economic development level and the overall situation of regional economic development. Generally speaking, it is pointed out that China has formed three regions with different economic development levels and regional functions from coastal to inland, which provides an important basis for determining the strategic deployment of the entire national economy and formulating regional economic policies.
3.？ Seven Economic Zones Proposed in the Ninth Five-Year Plan
Because of China's vast territory, there are still obvious differences in the level, characteristics and conditions of economic development among the three economic zones, such as the structural differences of "emphasizing the north but neglecting the south" in industrial layout, the differences in energy occurrence of "coal in the north and water in the south", the conditions of combining water and heat in agriculture and the differences in agricultural utilization structure.
Therefore, the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) adopted at the Fourth Session of the Eighth National People's Congress puts forward a new plan for seven economic zones in China based on the national conditions of China.
(1) Bohai Economic Zone: Located in the center of Northeast Asia with Beijing, Tianjin, Shenyang, Dalian, Jinan, Qingdao, Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, Taiyuan and Hohhot as the core, it is a key area guided by national policies.
(b) Northeast Economic Zone: including Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning and eastern Inner Mongolia. Located in the open zone of Northeast Asia, petrochemical, mining and metallurgy electromechanical equipment and transportation equipment manufacturing occupy a prominent position in the country.
(c) Yangtze River Delta and Economic Zone along the Yangtze River: including Yangtze River Delta 15 cities and 28 cities along the Yangtze River. China's largest economic and technological core area has become the junction of China and the Asia-Pacific Economic Zone connecting the central and western regions. A comprehensive economic zone based on the advantages of local agricultural and sideline products resources, with textile industry as the main body and developed light and heavy industries.
(d) The five central provinces' economic zones, including Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui, are the transition zones from economically developed areas in China to the west, and also the connecting zones between Shanghai, Lianyungang and Guangzhou. China is an important agricultural base with superior natural conditions such as water, soil, light and heat, and developed agriculture.
(e) Southeast coastal economic zone: including Guangdong and Fujian provinces and coastal areas in southern Zhejiang (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan may be included in the future). It is the frontier of China's reform and opening-up, where special economic zones are concentrated, and it is the region with the highest income level in China.
(f) Great Southwest Economic Zone: including Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Tibet, Hainan and western Guangdong. The resource combination conditions are good, but the level of resource development is low. China is at the forefront of opening to Southeast Asia and South Asia. Guangxi, Tibet and Hainan are relatively backward areas, and they are the frontiers of China's opening to Southeast Asia and South Asia.
(g) Northwest Economic Zone: including Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang and western Inner Mongolia. The ecological environment is fragile, but natural resources, especially energy and minerals, are abundant, ethnic minorities live in compact communities, and the overall economic level is low. It is an important gateway for China to Central Asia, West Asia and even Europe.
Four. abstract
By introducing the main schemes and evolution of China's natural zoning and chinese administrative division's and China's economic zoning, we can see that different types of zoning have different purposes, functions and meanings, their names and scopes are the same or overlap, and the public's understanding is also very different.
For example, "North China", as a geographical term, is used in different types of divisions. As a natural area name, it includes four geographical units, namely, the low mountains and hills in Liaodong, the North China Plain and the lower reaches of Liaohe River, the Loess Plateau and the mountainous areas in northern Hebei. As the name of the old administrative region (six administrative regions), it was established in 1949, covering Hebei, Shanxi, Suiyuan, Chahar and Pingyuan provinces (1952 abolished Chahar and Pingyuan provinces, 1954 abolished Suiyuan province),1954 abolished Suiyuan province. As the name of the old economic cooperation zone (six economic cooperation zones), it was established in 196 1 year, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Shanxi provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and was abolished after 1978.
Today, many people think that North China should include Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, which basically stems from the establishment of North China Administrative Region and North China Economic Cooperation Zone in the early days of the founding of New China. Because this information may be relatively more and more familiar in the daily life of the public. Comparatively speaking, we know little about the concept of North China in more professional natural zoning, or it is easy to be confused.