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Manchuria

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Manchuria is a famous historical region in Northeast Asia.

Amurrivermap
Amurrivermap

Most of this land is located in Northeast China today. Some parts of the region sit in the Russian Far East.

EB1911 Manchuria
EB1911 Manchuria

The area includes the three Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning. It also covers parts of the modern-day Inner Mongolia region. This land is often defined by the drainage basin of the Amur River.

Amurrivermap
Amurrivermap

The geography can be described in a narrow or a broad way. A broad view includes the Amur River basin and parts of Russia.

Defining the borders of this land has changed over time. In the past, the Qing dynasty ruled much of this area. Between 1858 and 1860, some lands were ceded to the Russian Empire. This happened during a time called the Amur Annexation.

MANCHURIA-U.S.S.R BOUNDARY Ct002999
MANCHURIA-U.S.S.R BOUNDARY Ct002999

These ceded lands are now known as Outer Manchuria or Russian Manchuria. They include places like the Amur Oblast and Primorsky Krai. The boundaries were once marked by high mountains to the north.

Map-Qing Dynasty 1616-en
Map-Qing Dynasty 1616-en

These changes helped shape the map we see in history books.

Many different groups of people have called this land home. The Manchus are the descendants of the Jurchen people.

A Tartar Huntsmen on His Horse
A Tartar Huntsmen on His Horse

You can also find Mongols, Koreans, and Nanai people living here. Ancient Koreanic kingdoms were even established in this region long ago.

Three Kingdoms of Korea Map
Three Kingdoms of Korea Map

The area has a very rich human history. Many different cultures have shared these rivers and hills for centuries. This makes the region a very important place for studying different ethnic groups.

The name "Manchuria" has a very interesting story. It is an exonym, which means it is a name used by outsiders. The term likely came from the Japanese in the 18th or 19th century.

John-Tallis-1851-Tibet-Mongolia-and-Manchuria-NE
John-Tallis-1851-Tibet-Mongolia-and-Manchuria-NE

Some scholars say the name was used to support the state of Manchukuo.

Manchukuo map
Manchukuo map

Because of its links to Japanese imperialism, the name can be controversial. Today, many people in China prefer to call the area the Northeast. This helps avoid the difficult history tied to the old name.

Learning about Manchuria helps us understand how names and borders work. It shows how a single place can have many different names. For example, the Qing dynasty once called it Guandong.

Qing dynasty and Manchuria
Qing dynasty and Manchuria

The name "Manchuria" spread from Japan to Europe through maps.

Even today, people use different terms depending on their history. This region remains a key part of the story of Northeast Asia.

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🖼️ Images & Media (18)
File:Amurrivermap.png
Amurrivermap.png
File:John-Tallis-1851-Tibet-Mongolia-and-Manchuria-NE.jpg
John-Tallis-1851-Tibet-Mongolia-and-Manchu...
File:EB1911 Manchuria.png
EB1911 Manchuria.png
File:Manchukuo Railmap en.png
Manchukuo Railmap en.png
File:Ming divisions.png
Ming divisions.png
File:The Americana - a universal reference library, comprising the arts and sciences, literature, history, biography, geography, commerce, etc. of the world (1903) (14763639145).jpg
The Americana - a universal reference...
File:Climate Map for Manchuria-Northeast China.png
Climate Map for Manchuria-Northeast China.png
File:China Railways passenger train K1452 on Binsui railway 20120817.jpg
China Railways passenger train K1452 on...
File:Ussuriysk-Stone-Tortoise-S-3542.jpg
Ussuriysk-Stone-Tortoise-S-3542.jpg
File:Three Kingdoms of Korea Map.png
Three Kingdoms of Korea Map.png
File:Yuan dynasty and Manchuria.jpg
Yuan dynasty and Manchuria.jpg
File:Map-Qing Dynasty 1616-en.jpg
Map-Qing Dynasty 1616-en.jpg

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