A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE SUNSHINE CLIMATIC DIVISIONS OF CHINA

By using the method of cluster analysis, the annual variation curve types of the sunshine percentage in China are divided into 12 divisions. The basic types are: the Southern region which has low sunshine percentage but with sunny and dry summer causing an inverted ‘V' variation; northeast China, north China and southwest China which has more sunshine but with summer rain; the three sunny regions are: the Southern Xinjiang, the Eastern Xinjiang and the Northern Xinjiang, and the South China Sea region. There are five transition regions, and another region located between the Southern region and the South China Sea region.