Geography of Beijing - My Hometown

Today I'd like to write a blog on the geography of my hometown, Beijing.


Here are some of the geography facts of Beijing:
- Location & Area
  Locates at the northern tip of the North China Plain ( Latitude 39 ° 54 ', longitude 116 ° 20'), consists of 8 city districts, 8 suburban districts and 2 rural counties, Beijing covers a total area of 16,808 square kilometers.



- Climate
  The city's climate is a rather dry, monsoon-influenced humid continental climate, characterized by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and generally cold, windy, dry winters reflect the influence of the vast Siberian anticyclone. January averages -3.7'C, while July averages 26.2'C. Annual precipitation is around 570 millimeters.

Four Seasons	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter
	Apr 1- May 25	May 26- Sep 5	Sep 6- Oct 25	Oct 26- Mar 31
	65 days	95 days	45 days	160 days

- Population
  As of February 2010, the combined population of permanent and non-permanent residents exceeded 22 million. In addition, there are a large number of migrant workers who live in Beijing without any official residential permit.


- Ethnic Groups
  The permanent residents of Beijing come from all of China's 56 ethnic groups. The Han nationality accounts for 96.5% of the total. The other 55 ethnic minorities claim a population of more than 300,000. Most of them are from Hui, Manchu, and Mongolian.


- Economy
  Beijing is amongst the most developed cities in China with tertiary industry accounting for 73.2% of its GDP. Finance is one of the most important industries in Beijing. By the end of 2007, there are 751 financial organizations generated 128.6 billion RMB revenue accounting for 11.6% of the total financial industry revenue in the entire country.
  In 2010, Beijing's nominal GDP reached 1.37 trillion RMB. The real estate and automobile sectors have continued to boom in recent years. Beijing is increasingly becoming known for its innovative entrepreneurs and high-growth start-ups.
  Major industrial areas located on the western outskirt of the city. Agriculture is carried out outside the urban area, with wheat and corn being the main crops. Vegetables are also grown in the regions in order to supply the city.




I have spent 18 years in this city and I love it so much. Everything, the food, the people, the shopping area, the childhood memories. Of course there are issues and problems, as well as faced by other mega-cities, such as the public traffic congestion, air pollution, boom in real estate price, etc. Good thing is we have seen improvement throughout the years and the government has realized these issues and corresponding policies are undergoing.


I strongly suggest all of my friends, who have never been to Beijing before, pay a visit to this city with long history, beautiful sceneries, and great people. You will never regret that. And of course, I would be more than happy to be your guide for your tour!

Geography Apps for Apple iPhone/iPad

I have an apple iPhone 3G as well as an iPad. I use them for mini-games, surfing, social communications, and study most of the time. The Apple App Store is amazing as you can find thousand of apps in there, whether it's free or not. Even for some chargeable apps, the price is affordable, normally at about US$0.99 to $3.99.

I have downloaded some apps related to my school modules on my iPhone. For example, I have several dictionaries including an Oxford Dictionary of English, to help me in all modules, especially in English subjects. I also have calculators, mathematics formulas installed for my maths subjects. This semester, as I'm taking the Geography subject, I have done a search in the App Store for free apps on Geography.

Here are some of my findings and I have tried most of them:

World Geography Challenge (by Rothman Institute)
Intro: The World Geography Challenge game improves and tests the knowledge of countries worldwide. Like a puzzle, it asks to drag and drop the country names into the correct locations, given a map of the region. The game also includes a Learning Mode that indicates country names. You are able to submit your score online to compete against gamers worldwide.

Review: The interface is easy to understand and use. The map is not 100% accurate. The North America region is easy to play as there are only 3 countries, USA, Canada, and Mexico. But when I tried the Asia, it was so difficult as there are much more countries and I'm only familiar with those located in East & South Asia. But overall this game is interesting and helpful in remembering the location of countries.


World Geography Hangman (by SCIGON Solutions. Inc)


Intro: The classic Hangman game with a geographical twist! Kids can test their knowledge of world geography with a fun game that creates an engaging, entertaining educational experience. Learn interesting facts about countries around the globe through progressive hints and clues, and identify the country before it's too late.

Review: A game with a lot of fun! I thought it would be easy at the beginning, but after I tried several rounds, I found in fact it also tests a lot of knowledge on geographical facts. For example, I was given a hint: "a country in Eastern Europe", and "famous for wine", starts with a "M". I lost that round after some tries and the final answer was "Moldova". I learned some new thing after playing this round!


Geo Play 2 (by Eamonn and Ian)



Intro: Fun geography review and quiz. States, countries, international capitals, continents, potpourri. Pick and choose the categories, questions per game. Play as a multiple choice game, or just review geography facts with flash cards. Over 80 questions, plus can upgrade to the pro version with over 400 questions. Keep track of your high scores. A glossary is included for quick reference.

Review: This one has more contents than the 2 games above. Plus there is "pro" version upgradeable with a price of $1.99. A very interesting game for the kids to learn and test the geography knowledge.


I found a lot of fun in playing with these and more geography games/apps provided in Apple App Store. I suggest all of us should make use of the latest technology, such as mobile devices and online blogs, to enhance our learning experience and interests. Friends, please download and try these apps and feel free to come to play the games with me!

Human Geographical Facts in Malacca, Malaysia

Comparing to physical geography, I'm much more interested in exploring human geography. We all know that human geography is a branch of geography that focuses on the study of patterns and processes that defines human interaction with the physical environment, with particular reference to the causes and consequences of the spatial distribution of human activity on the Earth's surface.

Last December, I joined a tour group and spent 2 days in a small but beautiful town - Malacca, Malaysia. Before the trip, I did some study and found that the small town has a very long history, dated back in around 1400. I found a very interesting fact that Malacca has been occupied and governed by the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British, and the Japanese! It finally gained its Independence in 31 August, 1957. Therefore there are a mixture of cultures and buildings in the city.

Here are some physical geography facts (quoted from Wikipedia):

The state of Malacca covers an area of 1,664 km² (642 sq mi). The state is divided into 3 districts: Central Malacca (Melaka Tengah) (314 km²), Alor Gajah (660 km²), and Jasin (676 km²). Malacca sits upon the southwestern coast of the Malay Peninsula opposite Sumatra, with the state of Negeri Sembilan to the north and Johor to the east. Malacca is also situated roughly two-thirds of the way down the west coast, 148 km south of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and 245 km north of Singapore and commands a central position on the Straits of Malacca. The state capital, Malacca Town, is strategically located between the two national capitals of Malaysia and Singapore, and connected with excellent roads and highways. Malacca still harbours no train station, though the terminal at Tampin, Negeri Sembilan is easily accessible. However, a domestic airport terminal rests in Batu Berendam.

The offshore Pulau Besar, Pulau Upeh and the exclave Tanjung Tuan are also parts of Malacca.

Among the 788 thousand population in Malacca, about 57% are Malay, 23% of Chinese, and some Indians.

Malacca has been recognized as the World Heritage on July, 2008. 

During my 2 day visit there, I had visited several museums, including the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum and the Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum. I learned a lot of new things in these museums. It's amazed to see all the displayed items left behind by the previous colonials. 

Because of its strategic location, the famous Chinese adventurer, Zheng He, also stopped by here 600 years ago. There are statues of him in the town. The Portuguese conquered the city in 1511 with 1200 people and 18 ships. It became a strategic base for Portuguese expansion in the East Indies. The Dutch defeated the Portuguese and ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1798. Malacca was ceded to the British in exchange for Bencoolen on Sumatra on 1824.  You may find the reason why so many countries are fighting for Malacca from the map below. Whoever owns Malacca, takes a strong place in the control of Strait of Malacca and even the trade route from Asia to Europe.

Other than the museums, I have visited several places of interests, such as the famous Fort A Famosa, Christ Church, Jonker Street, etc. I also tried the well-known local food such as laksa, chicken rice ball, and Nyonya food.

I have also talked to some local shop owners, whose ancestors are Portuguese and Dutch. It was a great experience and more importantly, after the trip, I have a better understanding in the relationship between physical geography and human geography. Although human geography is largely based on human activities and cultures, we should never forget the physical geographical reasons behind the human behaviors.