%0 Journal Article %A YU Zheng-jun %A TIAN Xiang-li %A CHEN Ya-ling %T Analysis of Characteristics and Cause of Spatial Distribution of the World Heritage in China %D 2015 %R 10.11849/zrzyxb.2015.10.014 %J JOURNAL OF NATURAL RESOURCES %P 1762-1773 %V 30 %N 10 %X World heritages are the common wealth of all mankind. To analyze the distribution of world heritages in China, reveal the characteristics and regularity of the spatial distribution, can provide scientific basis for declaration, management and protection plans for the world heritages. This paper, with the help of Google Earth, fixed the position of world heritages in China on the map. Then, by using Excel and GIS software, detailedly analyzed the quantity characteristics and spatial distribution characteristics of world heritages in China, and also investigated the causes of the variety of spatial distribution. The results show that: the work on world heritages in China has gone through three stages, respectively, initial stage, leap transition stage, steady development stage. The world heritages show a trend of agglomeration on spatial distribution, which mainly distributed in a circle, the center of the circle being in Henan, the radius being 1017.6 km. All kinds of world heritages display different spatial distribution characteristics in different divisions of geographic regions, such as in the division of east-middle-west, south-north, or Three Terrains, respectively. The natural heritages mainly distribute in the western region and the southern region, but the cultural heritages mainly distribute in the central and eastern region and northern region. From the Three Terrains point of view, the world heritages in China mainly distribute on the second and third steps. The distribution of world heritages in China is affected by many factors, such as natural, socio-economic, human etc. And then relevant countermeasures were put forward, including: continue the world heritage declaration, maintain stable and rapid economic development, strengthen the protection of the world heritage etc. %U https://www.jnr.ac.cn/EN/10.11849/zrzyxb.2015.10.014