The same massive tectonic forces that piled up the Himalayas and the Plateau of Tibet, combined with interior continental location, have made the western part of China a region of... marshy lowlands and swamps.

tropical rain-forests with daily rains and a thick canopy of vegetation in the upper stories of the trees.

deserts, high plateaus, and mountain ranges.

humid temperate climates with mixed deciduous and coniferous forests.