Chapter 2 : Beijing's Natural Environments

Physical Geography

Beijing located in northern area in Huairou District which opens south and east. North and West mountains surrounded Beijing, these mountains protected northern agriculture area to being desert. The Great Wall across the northern Beijing, which protect nomads from invasion. At boundary of Huairou District, the mountain Dongling is the municipality’s highest point with an altitude of 2,303 meters. Major rivers which is flowing through Beijing, are the Chaobai, Yongding, Juma, are all tributaries in the Hai River system, and flow in a southeasterly direction.

Climate

Beijing is the dry city. In Koppen climate classification, Beijing is humid continental climate (DWa), which appears hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and cold, windy, dry winter that reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone. The monthly daily average temperature in January is 25.3’F. In July, 79.2’F. The precipitation averages around 570 mm annually. Most of precipitation focused from June to August.

Population

In late 2007, the population of Beijing is 17,430,000. To compare with in 2004, the population is increased 453,000, and compare with in 2000, it increased 1,744,000. In the middle of Beijing, there are 7,500,000 people. There are 56 ethnic group race in Beijing. Han is 95.7%, and the population of Han is 13.2 million.