AGRICULTURE AND LAND USE
Most Chinese people are crowded together
in just 15 percent of the total land area,
mainly in river valleys in the east. Three in
ten live in huge cities; the rest live in the
countryside. There they grow rice and wheat
and raise pigs and other livestock. Much of
the rest of the country is mountainous and
wild. The Takla Makan Desert in the west is
dry and cold, and few people live there.
FAMILY LIFE
The family is the most
important institution in
Chinese life. Children
respect their parents
and look after them in
their old age. China’s
population is growing,
and until recently, the
government rewarded
parents who limited their
families to just one child.
This policy worked well in
the cities, but in farming
communities people required
large families to labor in the fields.TO DESCRIBE CHINA, you need to use enormous numbers.
The country is vast, covering more than 3.7 million sq miles
(9.5 million sq km). China’s written history stretches
back 3,500 years – longer than any other nation’s.
1.367 billion people live there, and one-fifth of the
world’s population is Chinese. In such a large country
there are many variations, including four major
language families. The land, too, is tremendously varied.
The east and southeast, where most people live, is green
and fertile. Other parts of the country are barren deserts
of sand and rock. Organizing and feeding the huge
and varied Chinese population is a mammoth task.
Since 1949, China has been ruled by a Communist
government which has tried to provide adequate food,
education, and health care to every part of the nation. During the late
1970s, Communist party moderates embraced economic reforms
that lifted government controls and encouraged private enterprise.
Consequently, China became the world’s third-largest economy in
the mid 1990s. China’s human rights record, however, is
still criticized because
of political oppression
at home and
in Tibet.BEIJING
The capital city of China is Beijing (formerly Peking).
Modern Beijing spreads out around the older central area.
To the north and west are houses and Beijing University.
The industrial area is to the east of the center. At the heart
lies Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) Square. Here
parades and celebrations take place on national holidays. In
1989, the government forcibly disbanded a pro-democracy
student demonstration here, killing thousands.Rice is grown
in flooded fields
called paddies.Tiananmen
Square, BeijingChina 114-
Chinese farmers make
use of every suitable piece
of land, carving steps, or
terraces, in the hillsides to
grow rice and other crops.NEW YEAR
China’s most important festival is the celebration
of New Year. Each year is named after an
animal, and people celebrate with
colorful processions.
Tangerines with leaves
are the lucky fruits of the
New Year. Odd numbers
are unlucky, so people
always give presents
of tangerines in pairs.China is the fourth-largest country
in the world. It is situated in eastern
Asia. The Russian Federation and
Mongolia lie to its north and
Southeast Asia and the Indian
subcontinent to its south and west.
The East China Sea is to its east.
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TRANSPORTATION
The bicycle is a common
method of transportation in
China, although private cars are
becoming increasingly popular.