A Land of Many People
The People’s Republic of China, or
China, is the second largest country on the continent of Asia. It is home to
over 1.3 billion people. This is the largest population of any country. China’s
population is composed of 55 ethnic minorities and one majority, the Han culture.
China’s landscape and wildlife are diverse, ranging from forests and
mountains to rugged coastlines. China’s rare and endangered wildlife
includes the giant
panda, snow leopard, and tiger.
An Ancient Civilization
China is one of the four oldest civilizations
in the world. It has one of the longest recorded histories of any country,
stretching back over 4,000 years. China’s history is divided into 19 Dynasties.
In that long history, the Chinese people invented papermaking, printing, and
irrigation systems. The compass, explosive powder, and fireworks are also Chinese
inventions.
The Great Wall was built over 2,000 years ago and stretches for an amazing
1,600km.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org The Great Wall and Other Great Feats
The Chinese have created some of the great engineering wonders of the world.
The Great Wall is the most famous. It stretches over 1,600
km long and was built more than 2,000 years ago. The Grand Canal from Hangzhou
to Beijing was a great water project in ancient China. It is 1,794
km long. This makes it the longest canal in
the world. Even today, the Chinese build on a grand scale. The new Three Gorges
Dam on the Yangtze River is the largest dam in the world – over 5
km across the top.
China's Big Cities
About one-third of all Chinese live in large
modern cities. More than 14 million people live in Beijing, the capital. Shanghai
is the largest and tallest city in the world. More than 16 million people live
there. These are cities filled with tall skyscrapers, cars, and people. Most
people in Chinese cities travel by bicycle (China has more bicycles than any
other country) or in public buses and taxis.
The majority of China’s citizens travel by buses, taxis, and bicycles.
China has more bicycles than any other country in the world.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org Many Languages and Religions
China is a country with many religions. The majority Han follows Buddhism,
Christianity, or Taoism. There are also local myths and
beliefs that smaller groups of people throughout the country follow.
The majority of Chinese speak Mandarin (Putonghua) based on the Beijing dialect.
In southeastern China, near Hong Kong, the Cantonese dialect is most common.
English is becoming a popular language, especially in cities, where many younger
Chinese people are taking it up.
Tall Mountains and Flat Plains
China is located on the eastern edge of the
continent of Asia. It is the fourth-largest country in the world, after Canada,
the United States, and Russia. It has an area of 9.6
million km2 or one-fifteenth of the world's land mass. China’s topography, moving
from west to east, looks like a series of three steps. High mountains drop
down to low hills and plateaus in
the central region and then to lowlands and plains near the coast.
A Land Rich in Natural Resources
China’s diverse landscape provides
many natural
resources. Underground, are large deposits of two important resources,
coal and iron ore. Water is another major natural resource. China has more
than 500 rivers. Many of these rivers flow swiftly from sources high in the
mountains. This makes China’s potential for hydropower one
of the greatest in the world. Timber from mountainous forests has been harvested
for centuries. Bamboo is
one of the most widely used forest products.
Bountiful Farmland
In China’s central and southern plains and valleys, many different
crops are grown to provide food for the people of China.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
China’s central and southern plains and valleys are rich agricultural
areas. They supply much of the food for China’s people. China has a variety
of climates.
This means that many different crops can grow in China. Chinese farmers grow
rice, vegetables, fruits, wheat, corn, and even tropical fruits like oranges
and bananas.
Different Habitats for Many Creatures
Siberian tigers still roam the remote, cold, northern regions of China and
into Russia. This big cat is an endangered species but is still hunted illegally
and traded on the black market.
©G.Ellis/GLOBIO.org China has many different kinds of land that
provide wildlife habitat: wetlands,
alpine mountains, mixed deciduous-conifer forests, coastlines, tropical forests,
deserts, and river systems. China’s diverse habitats support many rare
and endangered species. Mountains are home to snow leopards and yaks. Temperate
forests have giant pandas, red
pandas, and golden snub-nosed monkeys. Tigers still roam colder regions
in the north. The tropical southeastern region has clouded leopards and many
primates and birds.
The Yangtze River even has a species of freshwater dolphin but there are very
few left and scientists even believed it to be extinct for
a time.
Conservation in China
Many people live in eastern China. In this
part of China much of the original vegetation and
forests have been lost as the result of farming and the growth of cities. Environmental
damage, such as pollution and
habitat destruction, has become a major concern in China. The government is
working to create new laws to protect the environment and wildlife. Kids in
China are also learning more about conservation of wildlife and how to protect
the environment in their school studies.