2008 Beijing Olymoic Cities - Beijing

Natural environment

BEIJING lies in the north of the North China Plain, at 39 degree 56'N and 116 degree 20'E. It neighbors the Tianjin Municipality in the east, and borders Hebei Province on three sides-the north, west and south.

The terrain of the Beijing area slopes from the northwest to the southeast. Mountains snake round the city's north, west and northeast, while the southeast part of the city is a plain that slopes gently toward the coast of the Bohai Sea.

The Yongding, Chaobai and Juma rivers and the north section of the Grand Cannel crisscross the area under Beijing's jurisdiction. Most of the rivers originate from mountainous areas in the northwest, cut through mountains and zigzag through the plain in the southeast before emptying into Bohai Sea.

Beijing belongs to the warm temperate zone with a semi-humid climate. It has four distinctive seasons, with short springs and autumns while summers and winters are always long. Annual temperatures average 12.8 degrees Celsius. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of -6.4 degrees Celsius, and July, the hottest with an average temperature of 29.6 degrees Celsius. The annual precipitation s measured at 371.1mm, and the frost-free period is 196 days.

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It covers 16,807.8 square kilometers. Mountainous areas occupy 10,417.5 square kilometers, accounting for 62 per cent of the city's landmass. The rest, 6390.3 square kilometers or 38 per cent of the total, are flatland. The municipality governs 14 urban districts and 4 rural counties.

Abbreviation: Jing

Area: 16,800 square km

Population: 11 million

Month/Mean temperature(C)

Jan: -4.4

Feb: -2.1

Mar: 4.7

April: 13.0

May: 17.2

June: 18.9

July: 23.6

Aug: 25.6

Sept: 24.0

Oct: 19.1

Nov: 12.2

Dec: 4.3


Population and ethnic groups

Beijing had a registered population of 11 million by the end of 2004. The average life expectancy is 74 for Beijing residents. People of all China's 56 ethnic groups are found in Beijing. The vast majority of the population belongs to the Han ethnic group. People of the Hui, Man and Mongolian ethnic groups number more than 10,000 separately.










Historic sites

Beijing is home to the Peking Man, one of the earliest human species that existed some 500,000 years ago. Historic records and archeological findings prove that as a city, Beijing dates to more than 3,000 years ago. It was the capitalof five feudal dynasties-the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing.

On October 1 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded and, since then, Beijing has been the national capital, the country's political and cultural center and center of the country's international exchange. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace are on the UNESCO List of World Heritage.




Climate

Beijing lies in the continental monsoon region in the warm temperature zone and its climate represents as hot and rainy in summer and cold and dry in winter.

The four seasons in Beijing are distinct. It is dry, windy and sandy in spring and hot and rainy in summer. Autumn is the best season in a year when the sky is blue; the air is crisp, mild and humid. However, winter is cold and dry with little snow. The average temperature throughout a year is 11.7. The average temperatures of the hottest month, July and the coldest month January range from 27 and -4.6. The shorter seasons, spring (usually from February to April) and autumn (usually from August to October) are better seasons for visiting Beijing when it is sunny and warm with few tourists crowding in the attractions.

If you come to Beijing in spring, you could wear a thin sweater, a pair of sweat pants, and a coat. But sometimes it may be a good idea to bring a warm cap because it is windy and sandy during this period though it is not cold. In summer the temperature could reach as high as 30. When you go out, you could take an umbrella along with you if it doesn't bother you much, because a downpour may come unexpectedly at evenings from July to August. Autumn is the most beautiful season, but after October you may feel the constant changes of the weather and you may encounter light rains at any moment. So it is better to bring some heavy clothes with you. In winter, you need a heavy woolen sweater, and a long wind coat or a down jacket. Generally there will be two or three heavy snowfalls each winter, so it is always wise for you to have anti-skidding shoes with you when you come. Lastly, don't wear light-color clothes in winter.

Bilingual weather information can be obtained if you dial 121 in Beijing.

(Source: BOCOG)