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Nanling Mountains

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Nanling Mountains are a major mountain range in Southern China. They act as a big dividing line for the land. These mountains separate the Pearl River Basin from the Yangtze Valley. They also mark the line between south and central subtropical zones. The mountains sit between four different provinces. These are Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, and Jiangxi.

Nature looks very different depending on where you stand in the range. The western basins are made of limestone rock. These areas contain karst regions, which are unique land shapes. The eastern basins are made of red sandstone. These spots have danxia landform areas. The mountains are not extremely high. The highest point is the summit of Kitten Mountain.

History shows that these mountains were a path for many people. The Nanling act as a corridor for different ethnic groups. They provide natural channels and trough corridors. These paths are relatively low and not hard to climb. Since the Qin dynasty, five ancient roads have existed here. These are the YuechengLing, Mengzhuling, Qitianling, Lingling-Guiyang, and Dayuling roads.

There are five main ranges that make up the Nanling. These are the Yuecheng, Dupang, Mengzhu, Qitian, and Dayu Mountains. The area is a special spot for many living things. It is a biodiversity hot spot for plants, birds, and amphibians. Many of these species are endemic. This means they live only in this specific place.

Life south of the mountains feels very different. The climate there is tropical. This warm weather lets farmers grow two crops of white rice each year. People also find special clay in the mountains. They use open-pit mining to get this clay. This clay is a major source of rare earth elements for the whole world.

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