A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF AGRICULTURAL TYPES IN CHINA
中国农业类型划分的初步研究

China is an agricultural country with vast area and long history as well as complicated natural conditions and has various production types in agriculture. Classification of the agricultural types in China, therefore, shows great possibilities and necessities. The principles of classification of agricultural types in China are the similarity in physio-economic conditions, structural characteristics of agriculture and orientation of agricultural production. Additionally considered in principle is integrity of county-level administrative boundary. The indice system for classification is composed of 20 indices which fall into 6 groups of characteristic indices. These groups ate: landuse structure, output value structure, intensity, output profit, commodity proportion and physical conditions. The result is that China can pe de-vided into 12 first-class agricultural types, which are planting, planting-forestry planting-livestock husbandry, forestry, forestry-planting, forestry-livestock husbandry, livestock husbandry, livestock husbandry-planting, livestock husbandry-forestry, plantingnforestry-livestock husbandry, coastal fishery and the special type. 122 second-class subtypes then are classified according to the differentiation of topography, operation method, and type of crops, livestocks and foresis. From the above classification study, the areal differentiation of agriculture in China can be revealed. Moreover, such a study may not only provide a scientific base for evaluating individually potentials and structural characteristics of agricultural production, determing agricultural orientation, and implementing agricultural plans and rational distribution, but also build a substantial study content in agricultural geography.