地广人稀

地廣人稀

dìguǎng-rénxī

idiom

Meanings

1 vast territory with sparse population
2 a large area with few inhabitants

Characters

land; territory

Examples

新疆地广人稀，开车几小时见不到一个人。

Xīnjiāng dìguǎngrénxī, kāichē jǐ xiǎoshí jiàn bùdào yīgè rén.

Xinjiang is so vast and sparsely populated that you can drive for hours without seeing a soul.

这个国家地广人稀，自然资源却非常丰富。

Zhège guójiā dìguǎngrénxī, zìrán zīyuán què fēicháng fēngfù.

The country is vast and sparsely peopled, yet rich in natural resources.

内蒙古草原地广人稀，适合发展畜牧业。

Nèiménggǔ cǎoyuán dìguǎngrénxī, shìhé fāzhǎn xù mù yè.

The Inner Mongolian grasslands are wide open and sparsely populated, ideal for livestock farming.

Tips

history

From the 《汉书·地理志下》: describing a region, "习俗颇殊，地广民稀" — customs differ greatly, the land is wide and the people few. The form 地广人稀 (with 人 replacing 民) is the standard modern version.

usage

Neutral, descriptive. Standard geography-textbook vocabulary. Typical subjects: Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Northeast, Siberia, Australia, Canada. Antonym: 地狭人稠 (small land, dense population).

Stroke Order

地 dì

广 guǎng

人 rén

稀 xī