SituatedineasternAsia,onthewestcoastofthePacificOcean,Chinaistheworld’sthirdlargestcountrywithatotalareaof9.6millionsquarekilometers.Extendingabout5,500kilometersfromnorthtosouthand5,200kilometersfromwesttoeast,theshapeofChinaonthemapislikearooster.Itsterrainishigherinthewestandlowerintheeastwithgreatvarieties,includingmountains,plateaus,foothills,basinsandplains.China’smountainousareas,broadandvast,occupynearlytwo-thirdsofthelandareaandhaveabundantmineralresources.MainlandChinahasacoastlineof18,000kilometersandalargenumberofoffshoreislands,withTaiwanIslandthebiggestone.TherearenumerousriversandlakesinChina,whichmakeupanimportantpartofChina’sgeographicalenvironment.