China also has thousands of offshore islands including Hong Kong Island. Over forty per cent of the country is mountainous. The mountains are mainly in the west with plains in the east. China also has desert regions. The Yellow River and the Yangtze River, two of the world's greatest rivers, flow across China.
Major rivers flow into the Pacific Ocean.
China also has many lakes and wetlands. Shanghai is China's largest and most prosperous city. The climate varies considerably covering a number of climatic regions. The environment ranges from tropical rain forests, to subtropical and even arctic areas. China has a variety of forest types.