Ethnicity is a carrier of language and culture.Spatial distribution of ethnic diversity is fundamental for identifying and reconstructing the migration patterns and evolution histories of cultures and languages.Utiliz...Ethnicity is a carrier of language and culture.Spatial distribution of ethnic diversity is fundamental for identifying and reconstructing the migration patterns and evolution histories of cultures and languages.Utilizing the Chinese 4th National Census (1990) data,we investigated the specific time geographical patterns of population and diversity of Chinese ethnicminorities.As anticipated,results show that Chineseminorities are chiefly concentrated in dis-tant plateaus and mountains in the southwest,northwest and northeast of China.Further,population density centers of the 10 majorminorities are rather scattered,alternatively dominating at different parts of the country.This study pro-vides a first comprehensive quantitative test on a prevailing notion of 'six plates and three corridors' on the empirical clustering patterns of Chinese ethnicminorities.There are more consistent evidences supporting this notion in the north of China,with the central and southern regions showing more complex patterns,potentially transformed by processes such as migration,fragmentation,and percolation.The results of this study suggest that a geographical ap-proach can provide heuristic and complementary information for better understanding of historical social processes.展开更多
A scientific delineation of geographical boundaries reflects the cognitive level of scientific abstraction and systematic analysis of the spatial variation of geographical objects and is a basic scientific issue of ge...A scientific delineation of geographical boundaries reflects the cognitive level of scientific abstraction and systematic analysis of the spatial variation of geographical objects and is a basic scientific issue of geography. From the perspective of earth system science,this study first explicates the core issues(e.g., basic concepts, scientific contents, and basic properties) of geographical boundaries. Based on the principles of scientificity and systematicness, we then classify geographical boundaries in terms of intrinsic mechanisms, extrinsic appearance and scientific attributes. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the mathematical connotation and representation methods of geographical boundaries, discusses the characteristics of and differences between traditional and modern methods for geographical boundary delineation. Finally, we present a framework for a “geographical boundary model”with an integration of qualitative, quantitative, and positioning methods. Focusing on geographical boundary(a basic theoretical problem in geography), this study engaged in concept definition and method analysis, with the findings enriching the theory and methodology of geographical information science.展开更多
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.30870432)
文摘Ethnicity is a carrier of language and culture.Spatial distribution of ethnic diversity is fundamental for identifying and reconstructing the migration patterns and evolution histories of cultures and languages.Utilizing the Chinese 4th National Census (1990) data,we investigated the specific time geographical patterns of population and diversity of Chinese ethnicminorities.As anticipated,results show that Chineseminorities are chiefly concentrated in dis-tant plateaus and mountains in the southwest,northwest and northeast of China.Further,population density centers of the 10 majorminorities are rather scattered,alternatively dominating at different parts of the country.This study pro-vides a first comprehensive quantitative test on a prevailing notion of 'six plates and three corridors' on the empirical clustering patterns of Chinese ethnicminorities.There are more consistent evidences supporting this notion in the north of China,with the central and southern regions showing more complex patterns,potentially transformed by processes such as migration,fragmentation,and percolation.The results of this study suggest that a geographical ap-proach can provide heuristic and complementary information for better understanding of historical social processes.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.41930102。
文摘A scientific delineation of geographical boundaries reflects the cognitive level of scientific abstraction and systematic analysis of the spatial variation of geographical objects and is a basic scientific issue of geography. From the perspective of earth system science,this study first explicates the core issues(e.g., basic concepts, scientific contents, and basic properties) of geographical boundaries. Based on the principles of scientificity and systematicness, we then classify geographical boundaries in terms of intrinsic mechanisms, extrinsic appearance and scientific attributes. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the mathematical connotation and representation methods of geographical boundaries, discusses the characteristics of and differences between traditional and modern methods for geographical boundary delineation. Finally, we present a framework for a “geographical boundary model”with an integration of qualitative, quantitative, and positioning methods. Focusing on geographical boundary(a basic theoretical problem in geography), this study engaged in concept definition and method analysis, with the findings enriching the theory and methodology of geographical information science.
