ABSTRACT
China occupies one of the pivotal geographical regions of the earth, covering an area of 3,691,500 square miles. It is bounded clockwise from the north by Mongolia, the former USSR, North Korea, the Pacific Ocean, Hong Kong, Macao, North Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. China's location within the framework of the Eurasian landmass and the Pacific Ocean has influenced the country's history and is the basis of many of its present strategic, commercial, and climatic problems.
