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China-Report-World CultureGramsTM People's Republic of World Edition 2015 China long been ruled by dynasties. The first Chinese dynasty was BACKGROUND the Xia Dynasty, established around 2000 BC. In more than four thousand years, China experienced at least 28 dynasties Land and Climate with more than five hundred emperors. The first imperial As the fourth largest country in the world, China is just dynasty to unify all of China was the Qin Dynasty (221–206 smaller than the United States. Because mountains or deserts BC). Qin Shi Huang, known as the first emperor of China, cover much of western China, the majority of the population built the Great Wall to guard against invading nomadic lives in the east, where rivers and plains allow for productive groups, and was the emperor for whom the famous agriculture. China's geographic features range from the Terra-Cotta Army was fashioned. Himalaya Mountains to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (“the roof The Han Dynasty (206 BC to AD 220) was the second of the world”) to subtropical islands. The Great Wall of China unified imperial dynasty and is considered the first Golden stretches 5,488 miles (8,851 kilometers). Some of the world's Age of China. The Silk Road, or the trade route between longest rivers are in China; the Yangtze River runs 3,900 western Asia and Europe, flourished during this time. The miles (6,300 kilometers). Tang Dynasty (AD 618–907) is also considered one of the China's climate ranges from sub-arctic in the north to most prosperous periods in China's history. The Tang sub-tropical in the south. Monsoons in the southeast cause emperors, one of whom (Wu Ze Tian) was a woman, frequent summer floods that can kill thousands each year. appointed foreign scholars as senior officials in the royal Sandstorms in the north are increasingly common due to court. Literature, the arts, science, technology, and trade all desertification. thrived during the Tang Dynasty. China's capital during this China's diverse plant life includes more than 2,800 species time, Chang'an (now Xi'an), was the most populous city in the of trees, such as metasequoia, bamboo, palm, oak, China fir, world, and hosted many foreign students and merchants. evergreen, and China cypress. Deforestation is an increasing Some of the Chinese dynasties were formed by native Han problem, especially in the east, as housing developments and (such as the Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644), and others were industries replace natural forests. As a result of urbanization established after nomadic tribes from the north conquered and a rapid increase in industrial activity, water and air China proper (as did the Qing Dynasty, 1644–1911). pollution have become major problems. Nomadic tribes were eventually absorbed into Chinese culture. History Revolution and Communism Ancient Dynasties A revolution inspired by Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing The Chinese have one of the world's oldest continuous Dynasty in 1911. In 1912, with the country fragmented by civilizations, spanning some four thousand years. China has opposing warlords, Sun Yat-sen established the Kuomintang 1 TM CultureGrams China (KMT) party in an effort to unify China. •Devalued currency and market crash: As foreign After Sun's death in 1925, Chiang Kai-shek took control currencies decreased in value in the summer of 2015, Chinese (1927) and ousted the once-allied Communist Party. The manufacturing and exports found it harder to compete with Communists, led by Mao Zedong, struggled with the KMT cheaper foreign goods. Chinese authorities responded by for control of China while both groups fought Japan in World devaluing their own currency so that exports would be War II. After the Japanese were defeated (1945), the civil war cheaper and hopefully sell more internationally, but in August ended with Mao's forces in control and Chiang's army fleeing 2015 the Chinese stock market experienced massive losses. to Taiwan to regroup. They never returned, and Mao ruled Many factories have closed, unemployment has risen, and from 1949 to 1976. China still considers Taiwan its 23rd labor strikes are common. province. In 2009, leaders of China and Taiwan exchanged •Poverty pledge: Speaking to the United Nations in their first direct messages in more than 60 years. September 2015, President Xi Jinping announced that China While the Chinese initially welcomed communism, the would pledge $2 billion in aid to help fight poverty in Great Leap Forward (1958–61) and the Cultural Revolution developing countries, increasing its total contribution to $12 (1966–76) had disastrous effects on the country. More than 40 billion over the next 15 years. China has been criticized in the million people starved or were killed during Mao's rule. past for not doing enough in the international effort to reduce Moderate Changes poverty. After Mao died in 1976, Deng Xiaoping came to power and gradually moved away from Maoism. His more moderate policies led to foreign tourism, a more liberal economy, THE PEOPLE private enterprise, growth, trade, and educational exchanges with other nations. The Tiananmen Square massacre in June Population 1989 and a subsequent government crackdown derailed these China's population is the world's largest. To reduce growth, measures for a time. By 1992, China was again focusing on the government sponsors family-planning programs and economic reform, and it quickly cultivated one of the world's offers incentives to families with only one child; penalties are fastest-growing economies. However, Deng did not favor imposed on those with more children. This policy, which political liberalization. applies mainly to the Han Chinese (92 percent of the Since Deng's death in 1997, his successors have reiterated population), varies according to region. Rural families may his policy of a socialist market economy with a strong central have a second child if the first is a girl, and according to government. Hong Kong (a British colony) reverted to 2013 reforms, urban couples with one child are allowed a Chinese control in 1997, and China was admitted to the second if at least one of the parents was an only child. Still, World Trade Organization in 2001. The nation also hosted the the annual growth rate has fallen significantly. summer Olympic Games in 2008. However, China faces Of China's 55 minority groups, 15 include more than one several domestic challenges. Ethnic violence occasionally million people. These are the Zhuang, Mongolian, Hui, flares in the Xinjiang and Tibet regions. Several food safety Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Buyi, Korean, Manchu, Dong, scares have come up in recent years. China's population is Yao, Bai, Tujia, and Hani nationalities. While about half of rapidly aging. Pollution is becoming a major health hazard in all Chinese live in rural areas, the urban population is major cities. Many government leaders recognize widespread growing rapidly and in January 2012 exceeded the rural one corruption as a problem as well. Despite these challenges, for the first time. Millions of rural migrant laborers move in China continues to rank among the world's leaders in gross and out of cities in search of work. Shanghai (23.8 million) domestic product, exports, and receipt of foreign investment. and Beijing (20.6 million) are the largest cities. Ocean Territory Disputes Many nations bordering the South China Sea have conflicting Language claims over the region’s waters, motivated in part by fishing Standard Chinese (Putonghua), or Mandarin, is based on the rights, access to shipping lanes, and potential oil resources. In Beijing dialect and is the national language. It is taught in January 2014, China declared that foreign ships must request schools, so most Chinese can read, write, and speak permission to enter Chinese-claimed waters. The move, Mandarin. Many people also use the dialects or languages of which is based on aggressive territory claims that violate their geographical region. These include Wu, Min, Yue international law, has sparked disputes with neighbors such as (Cantonese), and Kejia. Language variations are found more the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. in the central and southern areas of China. Written Chinese Recent Events and Trends uses characters to express words, thoughts, or principles. A •Controversial islands: In 2015, China began building Romanized alphabet (pinyin) is used to help teach Chinese in artificial islands on coral reefs in the South China Sea, an area school and for international communication. While as many with important international shipping lanes. Some of China’s as 50,000 characters exist, only about 8,000 are currently in neighbors and the United States criticized the construction of use. Chinese requires a knowledge of 1,500 to 2,000 these islands, asserting that they unlawfully expand China’s characters for basic literacy. While people in different regions sovereignty in the South China Sea. In June 2015, China might not understand each other's verbal language, they use promised to stop building new islands, but it will continue to the same basic set of characters and can communicate in place artillery and other military resources on the existing writing. islands. 2 TM CultureGrams China Religion clothing reflective of their cultural past and the climate in Government policy allows the Chinese to exercise religious which they live. beliefs within certain guidelines. Buddhists, Taoists, For some formal occasions and traditional festivals, Muslims, and Christians do practice, but some groups are Chinese people wear traditional attire. The traditional dress prohibited. Some studies estimate that as much as 30 percent for women is the cheongsam (a slim, one-piece dress). The of Chinese have some religious faith. Temples, mosques, and traditional dress for men is the chang-pao (a long dress with churches are open to the public, but public worship is four slits on the lower sides) and mandarin jacket.
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