Facts about China  – China is an ancient country having a profound history. Originated in the eastern area of the Yellow River Region, the country’s civilization is over 5,000 years old and was considered one of four ancient civilizations of the world, along with the civilizations of ancient Babylon, ancient Egypt and ancient India.The name CHINA is derived from the Persian Cin, whose meaning and origin is unknown

Country Profile of China

National Identities of China

Flag of China

The flag of China is red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner.

National Emblem of China

Coat of Arms: China’s national emblem is composed of the entrance gate to the Forbidden City in Beijing, with five stars above it representing the Communist Party of China and the four social classes.

Sheaves of wheat and rice form the edges (symbolizing the agricultural revolution), and a cogwheel (representing industrial workers) makes up the base.

People of China

Chinese people are various individuals or groups of people associated with China (or Greater China).

• They are the largest nationality in the world. Since the earliest historical times, they have lived, multiplied and laboured in this land.
• The advanced agriculture and manufacture, as well as the Four Great Inventions, have impressed and shocked the world.
• Around 92% of the population in China is made up of ethnic Han Chinese.
• The remaining 8% consists of minority nationalities, such as Tibetans and Mongols.
• Most of the minority nationalities are concentrated in the sparsely settled areas of western and southwestern China.

Economy of China

China’s socialist market economy is the world’s second-largest economy by nominal GDP.

China is considered a significant economic power and the economic sector has seen considerable growth in the past few decades. In the 1950s, a majority of economic activity was brought under state control, which then determined production, pricing, and distribution of goods and services.

Membership

China is an active member of numerous UN system organizations, including the

• UN General Assembly and Security Council
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
• UN Conference on Trade and Development
• UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
• UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees
• UN Industrial Development Organization
• UN Institute for Training and Research
• UN Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission
• UN Truce Supervision Organization

China also holds memberships in the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (dialogue partner), Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum.

Sports in China

• China has its own national quadrennial multi-sport event similar to the Olympic Games called the National Games.
• China hosted the 2014 Youth Olympic Games from August 16 to 28, 2014.
• 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing.
• 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing.
• Beijing will be the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Climate of China

• The Chinese climate varies from region to region since the country is massive.  In the northeast, the summers are hot and dry and the winters are freezing cold.
•  The north and central regions have frequent bouts of rain coupled with hot summers and cold winters.
• In the southeast, there is plenty of rainfall, semi-tropical summers, and cool winters.
• Flooding can occur in the central, southern and western regions and the country, in general, can experience earthquakes.

China has rich biodiversity, boasting the largest number of bird species and gymnosperm varieties in the world.

• China has been active in international affairs concerning the Convention and vocal on important issues related to biodiversity.
• China is also one of the few countries to complete the Convention’s action plans.

Who is Dalai Lama?

Dalai Lama is a title given to spiritual leaders of the Tibetan people. They are monks of the Gelug or “Yellow Hat” school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama title was created by Altan Khan, Shunyi Wang of China in the Ming Dynasty of China in 1578. The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso.

During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the Dalai Lama fled to India, where he currently lives as a refugee. The 14th Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

China’s Silk Road project

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative (B&R) and One Belt, One Road (OBOR), is a development strategy proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping that focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, primarily the People’s Republic of China, the land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt” (SREB) and the oceangoing “Maritime Silk Road” (MSR).

The Silk Road not only served as a major trade route between India and China but is also credited for facilitating the spread of Buddhism from India to East Asia.

Sino-Indian border dispute

Sovereignty over two large and various smaller separated pieces of territory have been contested between China and India.

The westernmost, Aksai Chin, is claimed by India as part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and region of Ladakh but is controlled and administered as part of the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang.

The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is a line that separates the Indian administrative areas of Jammu and Kashmir from Aksai Chin.

It is a virtually uninhabited high altitude wasteland crossed by the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. The other large disputed territory, the easternmost, lies south of the McMahon Line.

It was formerly referred to as the North East Frontier Agency and is now called Arunachal Pradesh. The McMahon Line was part of the 1914 Simla Convention between British India and Tibet, an agreement rejected by China.

Border disputes between India and China

• Arunachal Pradesh – controlled by India and claimed by China. Inhabited by Moinbas, Lhobas (Adi), and Daibameis.
• Tawang District – controlled by India and claimed by China.
• Aksai Chin – controlled by China and claimed by India.
• Shaksgam Valley – controlled by China and claimed by India (Conferred to China in 1963 by Pakistan) Trans-Karakoram Tract.

Amazing Facts about China

• The People’s Republic of China is one of the five communist states left in the world.
• The Song Dynasty was the first government ever to issue paper money and create a permanent standing navy.
• China’s four great inventions are the compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing.
• The Pekingese dog, which has Chinese origins and is named for Beijing, was the dog of Chinese emperors.
• Silk originated in China before 3500 BC. China is the biggest producer of silk.
• Since 1978, the People’s Republic of China has had a one-child policy, which limits the number of children a couple is allowed to have in an effort to slow population growth.
• China is the world’s largest exporter and second-largest importer of goods.
• In China, over 35 million people still live in caves.
• The McMahon Line is a borderline that was agreed by Britain and Tibet as a part of the Shimla Accord treaty in 1914.
• Facebook, Twitter and The New York Times have been blocked in China since 2009.
• China’s “SkyCity”, planned in 2013 to be the tallest building in the world with a record-breaking construction time of just 90 days, is now a massive fish pond.
• The world’s largest producer of cigarettes is a company owned by the Chinese government.