The State of China Atlas: Mapping the World's Fastest Growing Economy [Paperback]

Stephanie Hemelryk Donald (Author), Robert Benewick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2005

This magnificently produced atlas provides a unique visual survey of the profound economic, political, and social changes taking place in China, as well as their implications for the world at large. Completely revised and updated throughout, this new edition of The State of China Atlas marks a radical departure from conventional cartography and provides a fast, highly effective way of conveying large amounts of information through the medium of the map.
China is the world's fastest-growing economy and the second-largest trading nation. With its entrepreneurial outlook and population of 1.3 billion, it offers unique opportunities for domestic and overseas investors. This dynamic volume provides an abundance of information on China's new wealth, growing unemployment, migration to the cities, and trade disputes. It dramatically reveals China's clashes of priorities: between population growth and the one-child family policies; human rights and political stability; energy needs and the environment. Maps and graphics beautifully illustrate current trends in areas such as the gender gap, national minorities, traffic, investment, marriage and divorce, education, tobacco trade and use, religion, AIDS and SARS, ageing and dependency, and cell phone use.
* Completely revised and updated
* Vivid full-color maps convey a wealth of information quickly and efficiently
* Comprehensive information on China's population, employment, agriculture, industry, and economics

Copub: Myriad Editions Limited

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Clear, comprehensive, and focused on the most crucial issues facing the country."--Marc Blecher, Oberlin College

"A great visual introduction to the diversity of China."--Tony Saich, Harvard University

"The State of China Atlas fills a vital gap, ranging from population, economic growth, and political leadership through to social and environmental development."--John Gittings, former Asia editor, The Guardian

About the Author

Stephanie Hemelryk Donald is Professor of Communication and Culture and Director of Transforming Cultures at the Centre for Communication and Culture at the University of Technology, Sydney. Robert Benewick is Research Professor in the Department of International Relations at the University of Sussex.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520246276
• ISBN-13: 978-0520246270
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,454,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Geography

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chinese studies? You probably need this., March 21, 2007

By 

B. Caesar "caesartg" (Leeds, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The State of China Atlas: Mapping the World's Fastest Growing Economy (Paperback)

This book is very useful for anyone studying Chinese demographics, sociology or development. It has a plethora of maps and statistics that will help to build an image in the eye of the reader of China's developmental momentum, including its multitudinal problems.

However, be aware that the data is essentially a snapshot in time from surveys and data collected prior to publishing and this book's usefulness will decline as new data becomes available. With the speed that China is developing, clearly this book will need to be republished every few years.

Just now, however, it is still a very worthy purchase to give you a better understanding of the internal and external state of China, as well as the trends and mechanics of this huge nation.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars China's growing pains, by the numbers, June 7, 2009

By 

David Fairthorne (Thornhill, ON Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The State of China Atlas: Mapping the World's Fastest-Growing Economy, Revised and Updated (Paperback)

"The State of China Atlas" by Benewick and Donald

Although described as an atlas, this is a misnomer because there are no provincial or regional maps.

This book, published in 2009, describes the rapid industrial develpoment of China in recent years, and many of the problems that have arisen, such as ill-distribution of wealth and environmental pollution.

The narrative is backed up by plenty of statistics on different aspects of China, drawn from the many sources listed at the end of the book. Some statistics are in tabular form; others are bar charts and pie charts. Others again are presented as maps of China divided into provinces, each illustrating a particular achievement or problem.

There are also some interesting charts showing the political hierarchy of Communist China.

The overall picture of this great nation is not entirely flattering.

I noticed two errors that had gone undetected. Firstly the map of China divided into provinces, which is used repeatedly throughout the book, shows the provincial boundary between Sichuan and Chongqing in the wrong place, giving Chongqing a large area to the southwest which really belongs to Sichuan. Secondly there is a column of data showing that (incredibly) the annual population growth rates of provinces are in the exact alphabetical order of province name, with Anhui having the fastest growth and Zhejiang having the slowest growth!

Apart from these minor blemishes, for which I deducted one star, this book provides many interesting insights into the state of modern China and its growing pains. There is also a pocket edition of this book, containing similar material, but I do not see much need to carry a book like this on your travels.

A more polished work, including regional maps of China, is the National Geographic "Atlas of China" which I recommend. More geographical detail, including an individual map of each province, can be found on the web site of the Muztagh Travel Service.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great beginninng place for a China beginner, August 29, 2005

By 

Wayne M. Carle (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The State of China Atlas: Mapping the World's Fastest Growing Economy (Paperback)

Graphically inviting, the atlas organizes data relating to many topics in a map-like manner. One can scan information on politics, education, religion and a score of other subjects. And it's in a handy magazine format.