With mountains in the west and the sea in the east, Hebei is high in the northwest and low in the southeast. Of its total area, mountains make up 35 per cent; highlands 12 per cent; and plains, hills and basins 50 per cent. The province is divided into, four topographical zones. 1) Tile Zhangbei Plateau, the southeastern extension of the Inner Mongolia Plateau, is a fine natural pastureland. 2) The Northern Hebei Mountain Area consists mainly of the Yanshan Mountains which stretch from west to east, and of peaks mostly 1,000 meters or more above sea level. Of the many strategic passes in the mountains, the best-known are Xifengkou, Gubeikou and Shanhaiguan. The world-renowned Great Wall starts at Shanhaiguan, popularly known as "the First Pass Under Heaven". 3) The Western Hebei Mountain Area, 1,000 meters or more above sea level, includes the mountains of the Taihang range that borders on Shanxi Province. The Lesser Wutai Mountain on the northern rim, which rises 2,870 meters above sea level, is the highest peak in Hebei. 4) The Hebei Plain in the southeast, formed of the silt deposits of the Huanghe, Haihe and Luanhe rivers, is generally 50 meters above sea level. It is an extension of the North China Plain and the major grain and cotton grower of the province.

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