Hanzhong - Geography

Geography

Hanzhong is located in the southwestern Shaanxi province, near the border with Gansu and Sichuan Provinces, and is a part of the Shannan region. It sits in the centre of the Hanzhong Basin (汉中盆地), on the Han River. The Daba Mountains are perched to the south of the city; to the north lie the Qin Mountains, and for this reason, Hanzhong is geographically considered to be part of southern China. However, on administrative terms, as Shaanxi is officially part of Northwestern China, it is considered to be part of the Northwest. For more on the divisions between northern and southern China, see Northern and southern China.

The city's administrative area (prefecture) ranges in latitude from 33° 02' to 33° 22' N and in longitude from 106° 51' to 107° 10' E, and is 27,246 square kilometres (10,520 sq mi). The northern part of the prefecture is high while the southern part is generally low. Elevations range from around 500 metres (1,600 ft) in the urban area to 2,038 metres (6,686 ft) in the Qin Mountains.