Contaminants and the soil environment in China

China is a large country with a territory covering 50° N in latitude and 60° in longitude. The area extends from cold temperate regions in the north to subtropical and tropical regions in the south. It has the highest mountains in the world — the Himalayas. The annual precipitation ranges from less than 50 mm in desert regions to over 2000 mm along seashores. Such a wide geographical range and huge area result in great diversity of geology, climate and related vegetation. As a consequence, nearly all the principal types of soils of the world, ranging from tundra soils to intensively weathered latosols (Oxisols) can be found in the country.