A STUDY ON THE REGIONALITY AND REGIONAL DIFFERENTIATION OF GEOGRAPHY
关于地理学的区域性和地域分异研究*

The earth surface has been the traditional object of geography. Characterized by the integration and regionality, geography is a bridge across natural sciences and human sciences. Regional study is an ancient and important tradition, forming the regional school of geography. Prof. HUANG Bingwei has been engaged in integrated research of physical geography and has paid attention to observing and tackling issues from the point of view of regional scope for a long time. In view of integrated or unified geography, regional approach is an important level and effective way to embody the combination of nature and humanity. Physico geographically the natural complex is usually studied from three various angles and levels, i.e., process, type and region, they are closely interrelated. In a regional point of view, to apporoach the formation and evolution, differentiation and combination, demarcation and connection of regional units is a summarization and generalization of the integrated study on geographical processes and types. It promoted further study of various branches of physical geography. The majority of geographers would agree that regions have an important role in the discipline. To carry out the integrated study on natural and human factors at a regional level is a necessary way to approach and coordinate man land relationship. As regards theoretical studies, the zonality and azonality of regional differentiation of geographical environments should be generalized according to the facts and materials in certain areas. The periodicity of natural zonation needs to be improved based on studies of ecogeographical relationship of physical environments. On the basis of a better scheme of ecogeographical regional system of China we may study the natural zonation and physico geographical regionalization of the world. The research level of global environmantal changes depends on further understanding of its regional differentiation. Geographically, to carry out studies on the typical regional unit and further cognition of the regularity of regional differentiation is a bridge connecting the global and entering the international issues. The regionality of geography should be embodied in the concept of sustainable development, the study of sustainable development may correspondently include different scales in space. Regional sustainable development is a key link to carry out China's agenda 21, while the strategic thoughts and new model of sstainable development need to be embodied through the implementation in various regions. In the history of geographical thoughts, the regional study has been a traditional school and has promoted the development of geography. As an important level and fundamental common ground, the regional study incarnates the synthesis of physical geography and human geography. It is convinced that on the basis of further theoretical research and bringing forth new method, regional study remains a core domain of geography and has good