Landforms of China

Stunning mid-20th century topographic map of China.

This visually impressive map of China vividly brings to life the country’s breadth of geographic variations, from the towering peaks of the Himalayas to the vast plains of the Gobi Desert and Tarim Basin. Natural features, transportation routes, and major settlements are individually labeled throughout an image that includes portions of India, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

The image is a product of the pen of Erwin Raisz, a renowned cartographer from Hungary who curated the Map Collection at Harvard for nearly 20 years. During his extensive career spanning nearly five decades, Raisz produced hundreds of maps in his exacting, precise style.

This particular example was prepared for G.B. Cressey’s Land of the 500 Million, published by McGraw-Hill in 1955.