A Preliminary Study On The Population Geography Of The Three Gorges In Modern China (1910-1953)

It is an important orientation in the research of historical population geography to study the complex relationship between the directional distribution of the population of different areas during different period of time and the local politics, military, economics, culture and ethnic groups, beginning from the area study to deepen the historical population geography study. With the population geography of modern the Yangtse Gorges as a case study, it can provide a local supportive proof to the population geography of modern China. Also, it can deepen our understanding of the complexity and diversity of spatial and temporal changes of population. In reality, it can be referred to in terms of the sustainable development of the man-land relationship in the Yangtse Gorges, being a historical background for the migrants and demographic realities of the Yangtse Gorges.Lacking holistic and comprehensive analysis, previous study of population geography of the Yangtse Gorges usually paid attention to one aspect without connecting and integrating other aspects. This paper, with a great amount of original population statistics, discusses the changes of population, regional structure and geographic distribution etc. of the Yangtse Gorges by using historical literature deduction method, statistical measurement analysis, field site inspection method and sequence comparison and profile analysis. It introduces the population geography of modern the Yangtse Gorges during different phases, analyzing factors that influence the spatial development of population geography in the Yangtse Gorges.This thesis consists of three parts. The first chapter is the introductory part. It includes the research background and the research significance. Also literature review of relevant studies is introduced beside the research approach and source of data and definition of the main content, the key point and space-time range of this study. In chapter two, the population size sequence of modern Yangtse Gorges, the author objectively and accurately rebuilds the population size sequence of the county level of the Yangtse Gorges by referring to the official data of the population census and registration of the Yangtse Gorges and chorography and other documents relating with population data of the counties of Yangtse Gorges. Based on the rebuilding of regional population size in the previous chapter, in chapter three, population growth and population distribution of modern Yangtse Gorges, the author analyzes the factors that could influence the population growth and population distribution of modem Yangtse Gorges during1910—1953and concludes the basic law of the spatial and temporal population changes of modern Yangtse Gorges through studying population growth process and the geographical distribution and the spatial pattern of population of modern Yangtse Gorges.