China By Jessica

General Information China is called Zhongguo ( 中國 or 中国 ) in Chinese. - zhōng ( 中 ) means "middle" or "central," while guó ( 国 or 國 ) means "state". ("Middle Kingdom“ in English ) Capital city : Beijing Population : just over 1.3 billion people (1,321,851,888 as of mid-2007) - the world's largest and most populous country. Area : total 9,596,960 sq km

Location of China * the third-largest country in the world * bounded by North Korea, Kazakhstan and Mongolia on the north, Russia on the west, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan on the south-west and Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Vietnam on the south-east.

China’s land -China takes up most of the East Asia. -Mountains and deserts take up over two thirds of China. : A desert is a dry region of extreme temperatures and little vegetation. -Himalayan mountains are the highest in the world that locate on the border between Tibet and Nepal. The tallest of these is Mount Everest. - The Chinese Grand Canal is the longest canal in the world. - The Great Wall of China is the symbol of China.

The Picture of Land

The Symbol of China - the Great Wall of China - - It was begun in the 600 B.C. as many small walls between warring states. -approximately 6,400 km -It was organized by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang Di -It was built to keep the enemy's away in China.

China’s Water -China is surrounded by Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea. -China’s rivers : - There are two major rivers, the Yellow and the Yangtze River. - The Yellow River system is one of the world’s major water highways. - Both rivers flow from the high western mountains to the lower eastern regions. - China has some water problem because of pollution.

China’s Climate -The climate of China is extremely diverse. - The northern zone has summer day time temperatures of more than 30 ℃ and winters of Arctic severity. (Beijing) - The central zone has very hot summers and cold winters. - The southern zone has very hot summers and mild winters. - Dust storms usually appear in the spring.

People -Chinese people do not share a common background and lifestyle. -There are 56 national groups. The majority of the population is Han Chinese and the other groups make up 80% of the population, -Because the population is getting larger and larger, the government decided to make married couple to have only child.

Chinese Food -Chinese cooking is known for its variety of flavors and by its many different cooking styles. -Steaming and stir-frying are the most common ways to cook food in China. -Tea is the most common beverage.

Vegetation -Crops grown in China vary from region to region. Most of the land is farm land. They mostly grow rice and vegetables. -The northern plains grow beans, potatoes, cabbages, tomatoes, melons, onions, corn and millet. -The southeast of China is the most productive region. The fertile Yangtze and Xi river basins are there, and the weather is so mild that crops grow all year. Nearly one half of China’s total rice crop is grown in this region.

Natural Resources -China has lots of natural resources such as coal, oil, and hydroelectric power. - The raw materials for manufactured goods are found as well.

Tradition -China’s New Year Day is very important. They celebrate that day by lighting lanterns, eating food, giving money, and doing a Ritual for the ancestors. -On the evening of the Harvest Moon Festival, people climb hills and mountains to get a good view of the full moon.

Major Inventions 1.Paper 2.Gunpowder 3.Compass 4.Silk Weaving 5.Printing Press 6.Clock Work 7.Spinning wheel 8.Water Wheel

Culture 1.Calligraphy – The Chinese people thought calligraphy to be the most beautiful art form. Artists were highly espected because it took great skill to master the difficult brushstrokes. 2.Painting – A particular stroke is used for painting bamboo, another for trees, and one for rocks and mountains. Many Chinese painting depict nature. Landscapes and symbolic birds and flowers are popular subjects.

Culture 3. Amasing circus acrobats – For 2000 years professional Chinese acrobats have been performing these difficult and spectacular tricks. 4. Shadow puppets – Puppeteers move their puppets between a bright light and a screen to create a shadow effect.

Culture 5. Chinese music – The main instrument is the hu quin. It has two strings and is played with a bow. The pipa lute has more strings and is plucked like a guitar. And Chinese flute, xiao is made of bamboo. The most traditional Chinese instrument is the sheng pipe, which is made of several bamboo reeds.

Transformation -China is changing rapidly. These changes effect on living conditions. -Because China is very huge country, there are many transportation ways. Travel by water has traditionally been the easiest way. And bicycles are the most popular means of local travel. But car owners are increasing. -And very high apartment is built as well.

Tiananmen Square - It is an important place because a collage student stood in front of 4 tanks then he climbed on top of one and told it to go home then he went in the crowed.

THANK YOU

Reference opulation.htm Books CHINA: THE LAND CHINA: THE PEOPLE CHINA: THE CULTURE