Northern and southern China

The Qinling–Daba Mountains serve as the transition zone between northern and southern China. They approximately coincide with the 0 degree Celsius isotherm in January, the isohyet, and the 2,000-hour isohel. The Huai River basin serves a similar role, and the course of the Huaihe has been used to set different policies to the north and the south. == History ==

Historically, populations migrated from the north to the south, especially its coastal areas and along major rivers. and Liu Song during the Northern and Southern dynasties After the fall of the Han dynasty, The Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589) ruled their respective part of China before re-uniting under the Sui dynasty. During the Qing dynasty, regional differences and identification in China fostered the growth of regional stereotypes. Such stereotypes often appeared in historic chronicles and gazetteers and were based on geographic circumstances, historical and literary associations (e.g. people from Shandong, were considered upright and honest) and Chinese cosmology (as the south was associated with the fire element, Southerners were considered hot-tempered). These differences were reflected in Qing dynasty policies, such as the prohibition on local officials to serve their home areas, as well as conduct of personal and commercial relations. During the Republican period, Lu Xun, a major Chinese writer, wrote: == Today ==

Climate Northern regions of China have long winters that are cold and dry, often below freezing, and long summers that are hot and humid. Transitional periods are short. The ecology is simple and not resilient to droughts. The ecology is complex, and floods are more common. Jones Lamprey, a British army surgeon in 1868, writes that northerners have lighter skin tones than southerners, although the shade can change greatly from season to season depending on an individual's exposure to sunlight when performing manual labor outdoors. Northerners are often taller than southerners. Variants of Mandarin are widely spoken in northern regions and often with a rhotic accent. Respondents from northern China are found to be more individualistic, think more analytically, and more open to strangers. Those from the southern regions are more likely to think holistically, interdependent, and draw a larger distinction between friends and strangers. The difference was attributed to the growing of rice, which often requires the sharing labor and managing shared irrigation infrastructure. Transportation Traveling between places tends to be easier in northern regions where the terrain is more even. The shorter life expectancy in northern China can be partly attributed to outdoor air pollution due to winter district heating. According to the data from a survey in 2011, people in southern China were 10.51% less likely to be obese and overweight compared to the North. == See also ==