我国地势西高东低。东部第一台阶为湿润的平原和丘陵,人口稠密。第二台阶分布在中部和西北部,大部为干旱半干旱气候。西南部的青藏高原属高寒气候,人口稀少。一条分界线东北起于黑龙江省的黑河,西南至云南省的腾冲。此线以东居住着全国96％的人口。以西居住着4％的人口。作者把全国分为八大人口区。在未来岁月里,我国人口分布的总格局不会有很大改变。

The terrain of China is low in the east and high in the west, the First Platform in the east is humid low plains and hills, the Second Platform in the central and northwestern part of the cowntry is arid and semi-arid climate, and the Third Platform is highest Plateau of the Qinghai-Xizang, with frigid climate. A Dernarcation Line begins from Heihe of Heilongjiang Province in northeast to Tengchong of Yunnan Province in the southwest. In the northwesterw side of the line there is a population of only 4% of the country's total, while in the southeastern side of the line there is a population of 96% of the total. The author divides the country into eight major Demographic Regions. The general pattern of population distribution of the whole coutry would not change too much in the future years.