Hey aspirant, welcome back to our captivating 'Know your Country' series. We invite you to join on an exploration of the remarkable country that is an authoritarian country. China is a country in East Asia. China is ruled by a very powerful central government. A huge workforce and lots of natural resources have driven economic change.

China is known as ‘Central State’ or ‘Middle Kingdom’ in standard Chinese, a form based on the Beijing dialect of Mandarin. The English name of China was borrowed from Portuguese during 16th century.

China is a country of continuous civilization for millennia. It dates back long time ago when the Chinese people first emerged themselves on the earth. Perhaps only China has truly "Made time for Civilization". As a long-existing part on the earth, China has experienced both brilliance and suffering from evil acts of imperialist and colonial powers in history, from which China has learned lessons. China has survived in the end thanks to its resilience and enduring vitality, which are unique characters in the culture genes of the Chinese nation throughout history.

Now steeped in the history of the China. The region that is now China has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. The earliest Chinese dynastic states, such as the Shang and the Zhou, emerged in the basin of the Yellow River before the last second millennium BCE. Before looking at different aspects, one must know the country symbols of the particular country. The country symbols of China are:

China
Official Name	People’s Republic of China (PRC)
Capital	Beijing
Continent	Asia
President	Xi Jinping
Prime Minister	Li Qiang
Currency	Renminbi
Language	Standard Chinese, Mongolian, Uyghur, Tibetan, Zhuang, others
Religion	Folk, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, other
National Flag
National Anthem	Yiyongjun Jinxingqu “March of the Volunteers”
National Game	Table Tennis
National Bird	Red-crowned crane or Manchurian crane (Grus japonensis)
National Tree	Ginkgo
National Flower	Plum blossom
National Animal	Giant panda

The Great Wall of China

[Source: Britannica]

So now, let’s move on the first aspect of the blog i.e. History of China.

History of China

Before, further knowing the History of China you have to know that the China has pre history and indigenous history. In indigenous China it is the world’s second-most populous country with a population exceeding.

Ancient and Early Medieval Period:

However, Ancient china produced what has become the oldest extant culture in the world. The name 'China' comes from the Sanskrit Cina (derived from the name of the Chinese Qin Dynasty, pronounced 'Chin') which was translated as 'Cin' by the Persians and seems to have become popularized through trade along the Silk Road.

Medieval Period:

The Romans and the Greeks knew the country as 'Seres', “the land where silk comes from”. The name 'China' does not appear in print in the west until 1516 CE in Barbosa's journals narrating his travels in the east (though the Europeans had long known of China through trade via the Silk Road). Marco Polo, the famous explorer who familiarized China to Europe in the 13th century CE, referred to the land as 'Cathay. In Mandarin Chinese, the country is known as 'Zhongguo' meaning "central state" or "middle empire".

Colonial Period:

Well before the advent of recognizable civilization in the region, the land was occupied by hominids. Peking man, a skull fossil discovered in 1927 CE near Beijing, lived in the area between 700,000 to 300,000 years ago, and Yuanmou Man, whose remains were found in Yuanmou in 1965 CE, inhabited the land 1.7 million years ago. Evidence uncovered with these finds shows that these early inhabitants knew how to fashion stone tools and use fire.

History of China

[Source: BBC]

However, one interprets this data (the Chinese conclusions have been disputed by the international community), the solid evidence provided by other finds substantiates a very ancient lineage of hominids and homo sapiens in China and a high level of sophistication in early culture. One example of this is Banpo Village, near Xi'an, discovered in 1953 CE. Banpo is a Neolithic village which was inhabited between 4500 and 3750 BCE and comprises 45 houses with floors sunk into the ground for greater.

Independence and Beyond:

China is regarded as one of the world’s oldest civilizations. In 1912, the Chinese monarchy was overthrown and the Republic of China established. The Republic saw consistent conflict for most of the mid-20th century. The latter led to a temporary stop in the civil war.

The country history is marked by moments of triumph and tragedy, from the grandeur of colonial architecture to the somber memories of the China famine. Before going further we will get discuss about the events of the country:

Here is the timeline of some key events in China history:

21st–16th centuries BC: Xia dynasty: the first Chinese state.
11th–5th centuries BC: Zhou dynasty. Capital established at Chang’an (Xi'an).
551 BC: Birth of Confucius.
221–206 BC: Qin Dynasty. Construction of the Great Wall.
581–618: Sui dynasty. Printing invented. Grand Canal construction begins.
618–907: Tang dynasty. Invention of gunpowder and porcelain.
960–1280: Song dynasty. Movable-type printing and paper money.
1279–1368: Yuan (Mongol) dynasty. Beijing the capital. Marco Polo in China.
1368–1644: Ming dynasty. Imperial Palace built in Beijing.
1644–1911: Qing dynasty (Manchu). Rebellions and Opium Wars.
1911–49: Republic of China under Sun Yat-sen then Chiang Kai-shek.
1934–35: Communists abandon southern China: the Long March.
1938–45: Japanese invasion and World War II.
1945–49: Civil war between nationalists and communists.
1949: Revolution: Mao Zedong proclaims the People’s Republic.
1966–76: Cultural Revolution.
1976: Mao dies, succeeded by Deng Xiaoping. Economic reforms instituted.
1992: Deng restarts economic reforms.
1997: Deng Xiaoping dies, succeeded by Jiang Zemin; Hong Kong reverts from British to Chinese rule.
2003: Hu Jintao succeeds Jiang Zemin as president.
2008: Beijing hosts the Olympic Games.
2011: China overtakes Japan as the world’s second-largest economy.
2012: Xi Jinping becomes General Secretary of the Communist Party of China.
2013: Xi Jinping becomes China’s new president.

The timeline showcases China as a rich and diverse history in a simple way. Let’s move on to the next aspect of this blog i.e. Geographical Aspects.

Geographical Aspects of China

China's coastline measures approximately 32,000 kilometers, with a flat topography, and many excellent docks and harbors, most of which are ice-free all year round. A total of 5,400 islands dot China's territorial seas. The largest of these, with an area of about 36,000 square kilometers, is Taiwan, followed by Hainan with an area of 34,000 square kilometers. The Diaoyu and Chiwei islands, located to the northeast of Taiwan Island, are China's easternmost islands. China has many mountains, with mountainous areas (traditionally consisting of mountains, hills and rugged plateaus) making up 65% of its total land area.

Geographical Aspects of China

[Source: Travelbrochures]

Demographic Aspects:

China is the second most populous country in Asia as well as the second most populous country in the world, with a population of 1,425,671,352. Despite China and the United States’ similar demographic ratios, the intensity at which China experiences population shifts poses a larger threat to its economic prowess. The options available in the CCP’s toolkit to address China’s demographic shifts in the short run⁠—family planning and encouraging movement to other urban areas.

Demographically, China has transformed itself from a "demographic transitional" society, where reductions in mortality led to rapid population growth and subsequent reductions in fertility led to a slower population growth, to a "post-transitional" society, where life expectancy has reached new heights, fertility.

Climate and Weather:

China's climate is remarkably diverse, spanning a wide range of temperature zones and precipitation patterns due to its vast geographical expanse and varied topography. The country's climate is primarily influenced by its location in East Asia, the presence of the Tibetan Plateau, and the East Asian monsoon system.

Temperature Zones:

Temperate: The eastern and southeastern regions of China, including the coastal areas and lower elevations, experience a temperate climate with distinct seasons. Summers are warm and humid, while winters are cool to cold.
Subtropical: The southern regions of China, including Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, fall under the subtropical climate zone. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are mild and short.
Tropical: The southernmost tip of China, including Hainan Island, experiences a tropical climate with consistently warm temperatures throughout the year.
Alpine: The Tibetan Plateau and high mountain ranges in western China experience an alpine climate with cold temperatures, thin air, and significant snowfall.

Soil and Vegetation:

In general, forests are more characteristic of the east and south, while grasslands, deserts and plateaus dominate the landscape in the north and west. The forests can be divided into boreal (taiga), coniferous, deciduous broadleaf, evergreen broadleaf, tropical and mangrove forests. China, with its vast and diverse climatic conditions, has a wide variety of soils. Indeed, all the soil types of the Eurasian continent, except the soils of the tundra and the highly leached podzolic-gley soils of the northern taiga (boreal forest), are found in China.

China’s complex climate and geological condition have enriched species and created a diversified spatial distribution pattern of biodiversity, making China one of the countries of the most abundant of species and special types of vegetation in the world. Seven vegetation type groups are recorded by Vegetation of China.

Soil and Vegetation of China

[Source: Britannica]

Now, let’s look at the political aspects of China.

Political Aspects of China

The Chinese political system is authoritarian. There are no freely elected national leaders, political opposition is suppressed, all religious activity is controlled by the CCP, dissent is not permitted, and civil rights are curtailed.

The governors of China's provinces and autonomous regions and mayors of its directly administered municipalities are appointed by the State Council after receiving the nominal consent of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Legislature: China's legislative system has gone through significant reforms since the end of the 1970s. These reforms have changed the legislatures and the legislative process considerably and have led to an increase in legislative publications that had been very limited since 1949.
Judiciary: The Chinese judiciary is regularly criticized for the lack of independence. The lack of "genuine progress" in establishing an independent judiciary is then cited as evidence that China's reform process is trapped in transition.
Executive: The Chinese political system is authoritarian. There are no freely elected national leaders, political opposition is suppressed, all religious activity is controlled by the CCP, dissent is not permitted, and civil rights are curtailed.

Central government leaders must, in practice, build consensus for new policies among party members, local and regional leaders, influential non-party members, and the population at large. However, control is often maintained over the larger group through control of information.

President of China

[Source: India Today]

So now, let’s look at the Culture of China.

Culture of China

Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest cultures, originating thousands of years ago .In modern China, there are 56 officially labeled ethnic groups. Throughout Chinese history, many non-Han foreigners like the Indo-Iranians became Han Chinese through assimilation; other groups retained their distinct ethnic identities, or faded away.

Language: The official dialect of China is Mandarin, also call “Putonghua”. More than 70% of the Chinese population speaks Mandarin, but there are also several other major dialects in use in China: Yue (Cantonese), Xiang (Hunanese), Min dialect, Gan dialect, Wu dialect, and Kejia or Hakka dialect.
Cuisine: These eight culinary cuisines are Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan and Zhejiang. Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from China. Because of the Chinese Diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has profoundly influenced many other cuisines in Asia and beyond, with modifications made to cater to local palates.
Festivals: The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is the most important festival in China and marks the beginning of the lunar New Year. It is celebrated for 15 days from the first day of the lunar year. The festival is a time for family reunions, feasting, and gift-giving.
Performing Art: The performing arts range from martial arts like Kung Fu to folk songs and dances that vary by region and area. The performing arts in China are known to date back to the tribes that occupied the land long before the culture became well developed.
Sporting Culture: Sport in China has been long associated with the martial arts. Today, China consists of a variety of competitive sports. Traditional Chinese culture regards physical fitness as an important characteristic. China has its own national quadrennial multi-sport event similar to the Olympic Games called the National Games.
Art and Craft: Products such as carving, embroidery, pottery and porcelain, glassware and dyeing, replicas of ancient cultural relics are all exquisitely crafted. Other well-known crafts are weaving, printing and dyeing.
Cultural values: The Chinese traditional cultural values of harmony, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, honesty, loyalty, and filial piety are embodied in China's diplomacy through the concept of harmony, the most important Chinese traditional value.
Multiculturalism: China is home to 56 ethnic minorities, each of them with their respective identity, culture, language and religion. China's violent and brutal expansion and annexation of foreign territories during dynastic times created the current 'multicultural and multi-ethnic' state.
Indigenous Heritage: Indigenous peoples of Tibet. No one knows exactly where the Chinese came from or who they are. It is believed that the humanoid - human-like creatures - appeared about two and half million years ago and that the humans as we know today, Homo sapiens sapiens, came into being some 35,000 years ago.

Culture of China

[Source: China Daily]

China culture is a captivating blend of influences, a testament to its history, diversity, and resilience. It’s a culture that embraces the outdoors, values mate ship, and celebrates its multicultural heritage, making China a truly unique and culturally rich nation.

Education in China

The Chinese educational structure provides for six years of primary school, three years each of lower secondary school and upper secondary school, and four years in the standard university curriculum. All urban schools are financed by the state, while rural schools depend more heavily on their own financial resources.

Chinese investment in research and development has grown by 20 percent per year since 1999, exceeding $100 billion in 2011. As many as 1.5 million science and engineering students graduated from Chinese universities in 2006. By 2008, China had published 184,080 papers in recognized international journals – a seven-fold increase from 1996. In 2017, China surpassed the U.S. with the highest number of scientific publications.

Economy of China

China is the world's largest manufacturing economy and exporter of goods. It is also the world's fastest-growing consumer market and second-largest importer of goods. China is also the world's largest consumer of numerous commodities, and accounts for about half of global consumption of metals.

It has four of the world's top ten most competitive financial centers and three of the world's ten largest stock exchanges (both by market capitalization and by trade volume. China's economy is both a contributor to rising global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions causing climate change and severely affected by its adverse impacts.

Economy of China

[Source: NBC News]

Now, let’s check out some interesting facts about China.

Interesting Facts about China

Today, China is known for having one of the fastest growing economies in the world. New skyscrapers seem to be popping up every day. However, China also is home to some of the oldest written records in history. The history and culture of China is incredibly unique and enticing.

Hangzhou: Hangzhou is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. It is governed as a sub-provincial city. As of 2010, the entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people.

Xian: Xi’an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People’s Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang’an before the Ming Dynasty. Xi’an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang. Xi’an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army.

Beijing: Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010.Beijing is China’s second largest city by urban population after Shanghai and is the country’s political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China’s largest state-owned companies. Beijing is a major transportation hub in the national highway, expressway, railway and high-speed rail network. Beijing’s Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic.

The Great Wall of China: The Great Wall is not a single continuous wall but a series of fortifications built over centuries by different dynasties. Its construction spanned over 2,000 years, starting from the 7th century BC to the 17th century AD. It stretches over 21,196 kilometers, making it the longest man-made structure in the world. Contrary to popular belief, it is not visible from space with the naked eye. Over a million people were involved in its construction, including soldiers, peasants, and prisoners. It served as a defense against invaders, a trade route, and a communication channel. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The most popular section is Badaling, near Beijing, attracting millions of visitors annually. The wall's construction materials evolved over time, from compacted earth to stone and bricks. It remains a symbol of China's enduring legacy and a testament to human ingenuity.

Interesting Facts about China

[Source: Britannica]

China unique blend of natural wonders, cultural diversity, and quirky characteristics make it a truly captivating country. These interesting facts offer a glimpse into the nation’s rich tapestry, inviting further exploration of this remarkable land down under.

However, China faces significant challenges in the medium term to address growing imbalances in its economy, with growing consumer and asset price inflation the main symptoms of these imbalances. China's macroeconomic levers will need to evolve to ensure the current growth trajectory is sustainable. This is recognized by Chinese policy makers. The period of the next five year plan may prove a pivotal one for the Chinese economy. Check out the interesting facts of other countries on KD Live and update yourself with the time. So, we will weet in some other blog. till then, stay tuned!