China is a large country in eastern Asia. It is the world's largest country in population with over 1 billion people—about 20 percent of all the people in the world. China is the third largest country in area. Only Russia and Canada have more territory. China is also one of the world's oldest countries, with a rich history that stretches over thousands of years.
The Chinese call their country Zhongguo, which means Middle Country. This name probably came from the ancient Chinese belief that their country was the geographical center of the world and the most cultured civilization. The English name China probably came from Qin«chihn», the name of an early Chinese dynasty (series of rulers from the same family).
Over 90 percent of China's people live in the eastern half of China, which has most of China's major cities and nearly all the land suitable for farming. Western China, by contrast, has far fewer people and resources. It is home to many of the country's minority groups.
Agriculture has always been the chief economic activity in China. Most of the people live in rural villages, and over half of all workers are farmers. However, China has some of the world's largest cities. They include Shanghai and Beijing (also spelled Peking), the nation's capital.
China is one of the world's oldest living civilizations. Its written history goes back about 3,500 years. The Chinese were the first to develop the compass, paper, porcelain, and silk cloth. They undertook huge construction projects, such as the Great Wall. Over the centuries, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other Asian lands borrowed from Chinese art, language, literature, religion, and technology.
In early times, the country that is now China was divided into small states, which were sometimes allied and sometimes at war. In 221 B.C., the Qin dynasty conquered the states and created a strong central government, forming the first united Chinese empire. Such empires continued to rule for more than 2,000 years. Chinese empires expanded the country's territory, built great cities, and sponsored magnificent works of literature and art. Nomadic groups from the north sometimes conquered all or part of the country. But the invaders generally adopted more from Chinese civilization than the Chinese adopted from them.
In the 1800's, China's last empire, the Qing, began to weaken. In 1911, revolutionaries overthrew the Qing, and the next year, China became a republic. But the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party), which ruled the republic, never established effective government over all of China. In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party defeated the Nationalists and set up China's present government. The Communists called the country Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo (People's Republic of China). The Nationalists fled to the island of Taiwan, where they reestablished their government. The People's Republic claims that Taiwan should be part of its territory. This article discusses only the People's Republic of China. For information about Taiwan, which Nationalists call the Republic of China, see the World Book article on Taiwan.
The Communists made many major changes in China. They placed all important industries under state ownership and direction. The government also took control of most trade and finance. In the late 1900's, the Communists began to loosen their grip on the nation's economy and to allow more free enterprise. China has one of the world's largest economies, and many of its people prosper. But the majority of Chinese still live modestly.
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«chihn», the name of an early Chinese dynasty (series of rulers from the same family).
