Physiographic Macroregions of China - 19th Century

19th Century

Skinner and his school maintain that prior to the modernization, the transportation was largely constrained by the terrain and the physiographical macroregions are a close approximation for the socioeconomical macroregions of the 19th century China. These macroregions are defined by Skinner as follows.

• 10 Northeast China, 东北区
• 20 North China, 华北区
• 30 Northwest China 西北区
  • Wei-Fen Basins 渭汾流域分区
  • Upper Huang River Basin 黄河上游分区
  • Gansu Corridor 河西(甘肃)走廊分区
• 40 Upper Yangtze 长江上游区
• 50 Middle Yangtze 长江中游区
  • Middle Yangtze proper 长江中游分区
  • Gan Basin 赣江流域分区
  • Yuan Basin 沅江流域分区
  • Upper Han Basin 汉江上游分区
• 60 Lower Yangtze 长江下游区
• 70 Southeast Coast 东南沿海区 (approximately Fujian, eastern part of Guangdong, southern part of Zhejiang, and Taiwan)
  • Ou-Ling River Basins 瓯灵流域分区
  • Min River Basin 闽江流域分区
  • Zhang-Quan 漳泉分区 (Zhangzhou plus Quanzhou)
  • Han Basin 韩江流域分区
  • Taiwan 台湾分区
• 80 Lingnan 岭南区, which may be translated as "South of Mountains". It includes the Southern coast and nearly coincides with the two entities: province of Guangdong and Guangxi autonomous region, together traditionally called "Two Guang provinces", or Liangguang.
• 90 Yungui 云贵区; covers most of Yunnan Province and larger part of Guizhou Province and corresponds to the Yungui Plateau.

Modern provinces of Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai and a larger part of Inner Mongolia are not considered by Skinner's scheme.