American Geographical Society

The Population of China in 1902Source: Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, Vol. 34, No. 5 (1902), pp. 440-441Published by: American Geographical SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/197595 .

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THE POPULATION OF CHINA IN I902. THE POPULATION OF CHINA IN I902.

Early in I902 the Chinese Government began an enumeration of the population of the Empire for purposes of taxation. The results have been officially announced, and are published in the Peking Gazette and other Chinese newspapers. There is reason to believe that the enumeration (including some estimated areas) has been made with more than ordinary care, and that the result will be

accepted as a satisfactory approximation of the population of

China. The population of the Empire by provinces and dependencies

follows:

Early in I902 the Chinese Government began an enumeration of the population of the Empire for purposes of taxation. The results have been officially announced, and are published in the Peking Gazette and other Chinese newspapers. There is reason to believe that the enumeration (including some estimated areas) has been made with more than ordinary care, and that the result will be

accepted as a satisfactory approximation of the population of

China. The population of the Empire by provinces and dependencies

follows:

PROVINCES.

Chili ..................... Shantung ................ Shansi ................... Honan ...................

Kiangsu... I ..............

Nganhwei................ Kiangsi ..................

Chehkiang ............... Fukien .................. Hupeh .............. Hunan .................. Shensi ................... Kansu................... Szechuen ................ Kwangtung ........... Kwangsi ................. Kweichau ...... ......... Yiinnan ..................

PROVINCES.

Chili ..................... Shantung ................ Shansi ................... Honan ...................

Kiangsu... I ..............

Nganhwei................ Kiangsi ..................

Chehkiang ............... Fukien .................. Hupeh .............. Hunan .................. Shensi ................... Kansu................... Szechuen ................ Kwangtung ........... Kwangsi ................. Kweichau ...... ......... Yiinnan ..................

DEPENDENCIES.

Manchuria ............... Mongolia ................. Tibet ................... Turkestan ..............

DEPENDENCIES.

Manchuria ............... Mongolia ................. Tibet ................... Turkestan ..............

POPULATION.

20,937,000

38,247,900 I2,200,456

35,316,825 13,980,235

23,672,314

26,532,I25

11,580,692

22,876,540

35,280,685 22, I69,673

8,450,182

0o,385,376

68,724,890

31,865,251

5,142,330

7,650,282 12,721,574

POPULATION.

20,937,000

38,247,900 I2,200,456

35,316,825 13,980,235

23,672,314

26,532,I25

11,580,692

22,876,540

35,280,685 22, I69,673

8,450,182

0o,385,376

68,724,890

31,865,251

5,142,330

7,650,282 12,721,574

8,500,000

2,580,000 6,430,020 1, 200,000

8,500,000

2,580,000 6,430,020 1, 200,000

PER SQUARE MILE.

362 689 i83 576 379 446

393 333 554 535 298

I 14

79 427 401

64

I3I

82

PER SQUARE MILE.

362 689 i83 576 379 446

393 333 554 535 298

I 14

79 427 401

64

I3I

82

23

2

9 2

23

2

9 2

The population of the eighteen provinces of China proper is

407,734,330, according to this enumeration, or 301 to the square 440

The population of the eighteen provinces of China proper is

407,734,330, according to this enumeration, or 301 to the square 440

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OS10 1 1 OS10 1 1

to to 40 40

ku Gul

Pee

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Pee 4 4

DENSITY OF POPULATION IN

CHINA. CENSUS, 1902.

DENSITY OF POPULATION IN

CHINA. CENSUS, 1902.

of of i 1

_ _

i 1

_ _

0 50 100 200 300

EXPLANATION

LI:I Under 100 to the square mile.

1 11 100 to 200 to the square mile.

298 to 400 to the square mile.

400 to 500 to the square mile.

500 to 600 to the square mile.

689 to the square mile.

i ( v^ , (

0 50 100 200 300

EXPLANATION

LI:I Under 100 to the square mile.

1 11 100 to 200 to the square mile.

298 to 400 to the square mile.

400 to 500 to the square mile.

500 to 600 to the square mile.

689 to the square mile.

i ( v^ , (

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bhau bhau

-Xmoy

FO

ratow (T(

-Xmoy

FO

ratow (T( 2 2 -kong -kong

Gulf of To n ki n Gulf of To n ki n

105 110II

105 110II

C II I N A

115

C II I N A

115

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A

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S E S E

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100 100 105 105 110 110 115 115 120 120 (I?l (I?l

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A I A I

1 1 105 105 110 110

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The Population of China in 1902. The Population of China in 1902.

mile. The population of the dependencies is 18,710,020, making the total population of the Empire 426,444,350.

The accompanying map shows clearly the density of population in China proper. It will be observed that the population is most dense in the wide basin of the Yangtse river and in some of the coast provinces, and is least dense in the mountainous regions of the northwest and southwest. The largest density is in Shantung, which contains very large agricultural and mineral resources, and includes the fertile valley of the lower Hoang-ho.

In the first six volumes of Die Bevolkerung der Erde the Chinese enumeration of I842 with a total of 4I3,000,000 was accepted as worthy of credit. The seventh volume, however, went back to the enumeration of 1812, which gave a population of 360,000,000. The editor explained that this was done because the mass of criticism was opposed to the acceptance of the figures of 1842, and the known wasting of the population by wars and famine seemed to justify smaller figures. Some of the best writers on China have declined to express any opinion as to the population. Thus Richt- hofen, in his great work " China," published in I882, simply repro- duced the Chinese figures of 1812 and I842 without comment.

In recent years, however, more credence has been given to Chinese population statistics. Mr. E. M. Kohler expressed very well the prevailing feeling when he said in a recent number of the Deutsche Rundschau that though the methods of the Chinese census are inexact they are more trustworthy than the estimates of for- eigners, who know only a small part of the country. He gave the results of the census from 1711 to 1882, and reasons for assuming that 380,000,000, the figures of 1882, were approximately accurate at that time.

mile. The population of the dependencies is 18,710,020, making the total population of the Empire 426,444,350.

The accompanying map shows clearly the density of population in China proper. It will be observed that the population is most dense in the wide basin of the Yangtse river and in some of the coast provinces, and is least dense in the mountainous regions of the northwest and southwest. The largest density is in Shantung, which contains very large agricultural and mineral resources, and includes the fertile valley of the lower Hoang-ho.

In the first six volumes of Die Bevolkerung der Erde the Chinese enumeration of I842 with a total of 4I3,000,000 was accepted as worthy of credit. The seventh volume, however, went back to the enumeration of 1812, which gave a population of 360,000,000. The editor explained that this was done because the mass of criticism was opposed to the acceptance of the figures of 1842, and the known wasting of the population by wars and famine seemed to justify smaller figures. Some of the best writers on China have declined to express any opinion as to the population. Thus Richt- hofen, in his great work " China," published in I882, simply repro- duced the Chinese figures of 1812 and I842 without comment.

In recent years, however, more credence has been given to Chinese population statistics. Mr. E. M. Kohler expressed very well the prevailing feeling when he said in a recent number of the Deutsche Rundschau that though the methods of the Chinese census are inexact they are more trustworthy than the estimates of for- eigners, who know only a small part of the country. He gave the results of the census from 1711 to 1882, and reasons for assuming that 380,000,000, the figures of 1882, were approximately accurate at that time.

441 441

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