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

HSK 5

这个国家地广人稀，自然资源却非常丰富。

Zhège guójiā dìguǎng-rénxī, zìrán zīyuán què fēicháng fēngfù.

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

HSK 7-9

新疆地广人稀，开车几小时见不到一个人。

Xīnjiāng dìguǎng-rénxī, kāichē jǐ xiǎoshí jiàn bùdào yī gè rén.

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

HSK 7-9

内蒙古草原地广人稀，适合发展畜牧业。

Nèiménggǔ cǎoyuán dìguǎng-rénxī, shìhé fāzhǎn xùmùyè.

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