关键词: 地名群, 地理分布

Abstract: The contemporary colony of town names in the north China Plain is the continuation and progress on its historical foundations, the town names had the form of characters at least in the Shang Dynasty (17th-11th century B.C.) In the Qin and Han Dynasty (22lB, C.-A. D220), the primary geographical pattern of the colony and some principles of naming were found.d, A lot of county names were established during the Sui and Tang Dynast (A.D, 581-907). By the zin Dynasty (A.D 1115-1234), the colony had been enriched and perfected over the past. Dividing, merging, changing and removing of the place names continue from the founding of New China up to now,The growth of economic power and population is the foundation of the development of towns, therefore it is the main factor that influences the capacity and stability of the town names inside the colony. Not only the stability was strenthened, but also some of historical place names reappeared along with the economic development. Replacements of political power and military operations are immediate powers of speeding up the change in the place names. The effect of history and culture on people's minds, hence a lot of place nemes have born emotional colouring.The colony has clear features of district in distribution for it is restricted by the geograprical factors (especially the condition, of communicatiou). At present, along the railway from Beijing to Guangzhou, the Grand Canal and the highway from Beijing to Kaifeng to Huangchuan, the three lengthwise Chains which are formed of the town names have been takeng shape. The two crosswise chains are along the railways from Beijing to Qinhuangado and the other from lanzhou to Lianyungang. They are the important lines to control the geographical distribution of the town names inside the uhole region. By the citilization the towns would be crowded together on the former lines and put the new compositions into the colony. We must pay attention to it at laying down the long-term programme of towns distribution for this region.

Key words: the colony of town names, geographical distribution