• Mesa
  • Shunchang County

A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a more resistant layer or layers of harder rock, e.g. shales overlain by sandstones. The resistant layer acts as a caprock that forms the flat summit of a mesa. The caprock can consist of either sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone; dissected lava flows; or a deeply eroded duricrust. Unlike plateau, whose usage does not imply horizontal layers of bedrock, e.g. Tibetan Plateau, the term mesa applies exclusively to the landforms built of flat-lying strata. Instead, flat-topped plateaus are specifically known as tablelands.

Shunchang (ancient Shunchang County, Yanping Prefecture) was founded in the fourth year of Tang Changxing (933). According to the Yanping Chronicles of Qing Jiaqing, "its initial obedience, hence the name, takes the meaning of shun and prosperity." It has been used since then. Shunchang County is located in the northwest of Fujian Province. The county is bordered by Jianyang, Jianou, Nanping, Shaxian, Jiangle and Shaowu. The original total area is 1480 square kilometers. After Jianxi County was withdrawn and merged into Shunchang in 1970, the county area increased to 1985 square kilometers, accounting for 7.5 percent of the total area of Nanping area. In 1990, the county had jurisdiction over 3 towns, 11 townships, 4 neighborhood committees and 129 village committees. The total population is 230803, with an average of 113 people per square kilometer.
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