China

1. China • Introduction • More than one sixth of all the people in the world live in China. Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world is on the border between China and Nepal. One of the lowest places in the world is a lake in the north-western part of the country. China’s capital, Beijing, features the world’s largest plaza, Tiananmen Square. China is named after the family that set up the first great Chinese empire-the Qin (ch’in) dynasty.

2. Geography • China covers about 9,572,900 square kilometres. It shares land borders with 14 countries: Mongolia, Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The Yellow Sea and the East China Sea lie to the east and the South China Sea lies to the south-east. High mountain ranges separate much of the country from its neighbours to the west. The Himalayas are to the south-west, the Karakoram Rage is to the west and the Altai Mountains are to the north-west. China can be divided into three major regions: The south-west, the north-west and the east. The south-west is a cold mountainous area. A large part of the area is taken up by the Qing Zang, or Plateau of Tibet which ranges from about 3960 to 4570 metres above sea level. The plateau is surrounded by mountains with peaks above 6100 metres, and because of the amazing heights Tibet is called the ‘’roof of the world’’. The north-western part of China is a highland. The eastern region of China contains almost all the country’s low-lying areas. China’s major rivers are the Huang He, the Yangtze and the Xi. The Yangtze is the longest river in China. It is 6418 kilometres long.

3. Plants and Animals • Thousands of different kinds of plants grow in China, and hundreds of those cannot be found anywhere else in the world. At one time China was all covered with forests, but now 15% of the country is covered with forests. The most valuable trees in China are the Tung tree, Camphor tree, Lacquer tree, Star Anis and Privet. China has a wide variety of animals. It is home to many animals that have become extinct elsewhere in the world, including the paddlefish of the Yangtze and the giant salamander in western China. Other animals and birds found in the country: Giant pandas, takins, tigers, monkeys, alligators, pheasants and laughing thrushes.

4. People • The Han or the ethnic Chinese make up more than 90% of the population of China. The country has about 55 minority groups. The government has discouraged religious practices, but small minorities practice Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Most people live in small towns or villages. Only about 30% of the country’s people live in cities. Many cities like Shanghai and Beijing are quite large. Rapid growth of the population has been a major concern in China. In the 1900s, the government encouraged each family to have only one child in order to control the country’s population. The policy worked.

5. Culture • China’s rich culture has developed over many centuries. Archaeologists have found decorated pottery that was created about 12,000 years ago. Writing developed very early in China. Written documents first appeared during the Shang Dynasty (1700s to 1100sBC). Literature in of China also dates back many centuries. China has produced some great poets and philosophers like Laozi (500sBC), Confucius (551-479BC), Li Bo and Du Fu. The art of forming letters is one of the oldest and most basic forms of Chinese art. Painting, pottery, jade-carving, metalwork, furniture design and textiles have a long tradition in China. By the AD 500s China had developed porcelain. This was more than 1000 years before porcelain was discovered in Europe.

6. Economy • China is a socialist country which means that the government plays a major role in the economy. For many years most of the businesses and farms were owned by the government. In the late 1970s, however, China’s leaders began to reform the country’s economy. They allowed individuals to own some property and encouraged foreign companies to invest money in Chinese businesses. As a result the economy expanded rapidly into the 21st century.

7. Agriculture • Agriculture is an important part of the Chinese economy. China is the world’s largest producer of rice and is among the leading sources of wheat, corn, tobacco, soya beans, peanuts and cotton. The country also leads the world in the production of pigs, chickens and eggs.

8. Industry • China has a large supply of natural resources, and much of its industry is based on the processing of those resources. Among the leading mineral products are zinc, copper, lead, iron ore, antimony (a metal used to make computer components), tungsten and coal. Chinese factories produce iron, steel, chemical fertilisers, cotton thread, textiles and clothing, cement, consumer electronics, appliances, vehicles and paper products.

9. History • The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in 1921. In 1924 the CCP and the Nationalists joined forces to try to take power and bring about reforms in the country. At first the alliance was enormously successful, and it helped to bring some unity to China. But, after conquering Shanghai, the Nationalists, led by Chiang Kai-shek, turned against the CCP and drove it into the countryside in 1927. The following year the Nationalists took control of China. • In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria, a region in north-eastern China. Then in 1937 the Japanese invaded north China. They remained in those regions until the end of World War II. When Japan surrendered in 1945, a struggle for control of China broke out between the Nationalists and the Communists under Mao Zedong. In the late 1940s the Nationalist forces were defeated. They fled to the island of Taiwan, where they established where they established a Chinese government in exile. a It would continue to claim that it was the rightful government of China into the 21st century. On the mainland, however, the Communist government was in control of the country. • On 1 October 1949, the Communists renamed the country. It became the People’s Republic of China, and Mao Zedong was its leader. The Communists attempted many reforms, some of which were successful.

10. Facts about China • Capital: Beijing • China’s president: Xi Jinping • Population: 1.354 billion • More bird species live in China than any other place in the world. • The oldest tree in the world is the gingko. • Gunpowder was discovered in China where it was used to create fireworks. • Paper was first invented in China in 105AD. • Fingerprinting was used in China in 700AD. • The majority of Chinese drink polluted water. • China averages about 274 protests per day. • China is officially known as the People's Republic of China. • In 2003, China became the third country to successfully send a person to space. • The Great Wall of China is the largest man-made structure in the world, stretching an incredible 21,196.18 km.

11. Jackie Chan • Jackie Chan is an actor, choreographer, comedian, producer, stuntman, director and martial artist. He has won over 27 film awards. He was born on 7 April 1954. His children are Jaycee Chan and Etta Ng. He married Joan Lin in 1982. Jackie Chan is very popular.

12. Rockets in China • Rockets may have been first used in China in the 13th century. The Chinese made rockets by filling bamboo cases with gunpowder. When they lit the gunpowder, it exploded. The gas from the explosion sent the rocket into the air. The Chinese used rockets during religious ceremonies. They believed that the noise of the rockets would frighten off evil spirits. The Chinese shot rockets at Mongol invaders. The use of rockets as weapons soon spread from China to Europe. At that time an Indian prince started to use metal cases for rockets. Rocket technology continued to improve. In the late 19th century a Russian scientist named Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky proposed the idea that rockets could be used to travel into space. His theories about rockets remain in use today. Robert H. Goddard, a US engineer, built the first liquid-fuel rocket in 1925

13. Chinese New Year • A major holiday in China is the Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year begins in late January or early February. The 15-day celebration begins with the new moon and lasts until the full moon. Chinese years are named after 12 different animals: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the fowl, the dog and the pig. The cycle of animals repeats itself in the order above. Many things are done to get ready for Chinese New Year. The house is cleaned from top to bottom before the holiday. No sweeping or dusting is done on the holiday itself because the Chinese fear that good fortune will be cleaned away. Rooms get decorated with flowers, plants and oranges. Fireworks are often shot off on New Year’s Eve as a way of sending out the old year and welcoming the new one. On the first day of Chinese New Year, children and unmarried adults are given little red envelopes with money in them. Food is an important part of the holiday season. Special foods are eaten on certain days. Many foods have meaning behind them. Raw fish is said to encourage success. Chinese New Year is looked at as a time to be with one’s family. The last event of the 15-day celebration is the Lantern Festival. Many people carry lanterns with them in places like temples and parades. A long, colourful dragon made out of silk, paper and bamboo is carried through streets by numerous dancers.

14. Chinese Years

15. China’s military • China has the third greatest military in the world. More than 600 million men and women are estimated to be fit for military service. China has a defence budget of $100 billion, more than 4000 aircraft, nearly 600 ships and nearly 23,000 land weapons. China has a very strong army.

16. Map of China

17. Hope you learned something about China!! Project by Christian