China is Booming

Old stamp of Chinese soldiers Noun and adjective – Chinese (singular and plural). Population (July 2007 est.): 1.321.851.888. Population growth rate (2007 est.): 0,606%. Health (2007 est.): Infant mortality rate – 22,12/1,000. Life expectancy – 72,88 years (overall); 71,13 years for males, 74,82 years for females. Ethnic groups: Han Chinese – 91,9%; Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uygur, Yi, Mongolian, Tibetan, Buyi, Korean, and other – 8,1%. Religions: Officially atheist; Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam. Language: Mandarin (Putonghua), plus many local dialects. Education: Years compulsory – 9. Literacy – 90,9%. Work force (2006 est., 798 million): Agriculture and forestry – 45%; industry – 24%; services – 31%. Government Type: Communist party-led state. Constitution: December 4, 1982. Independence: Unification under the Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty 221 BC; Qing (Ch’ing or Manchu) Dynasty replaced by a republic on February 12, 1912; People’s Republic established October 1, 194...

Old stamp of a Chinese worker (2007):  $ 3.249 trillion (exchange rate-based). Per capita GDP (2007):  $ 2.458 (exchange rate-based). GDP real growth rate (2007): 11,4%. Natural resources: Coal, iron ore, crude oil, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world’s largest). Agriculture Products: world's largest producers of rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley; commercial crops include cotton, other fibers, apples, oilseeds, pork and fish; produces variety of livestock products. Industry: Types–mining and ore processing; iron; steel; aluminum; coal, machinery; textiles and apparel; armaments; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products including footwear, toys, and electronics; automobiles and other transportation equipment including rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; and telecommunications. Trade (2007): Exports: $ 1.221 tr...

Old stamp of a Chinese Palace On January 1, 1979, the Chinese Government officially adopted the pinyin system for spelling Chinese names and places in Roman letters. A system of Romanization invented by the Chinese, pinyin has long been widely used in China on street and commercial signs as well as in elementary Chinese textbooks as an aid in learning Chinese characters. Variations of pinyin also are used as the written forms of several minority languages. Pinyin has now replaced other conventional spellings in China’s English-language publications. The U.S. Government also has adopted the pinyin system for all names and places in China. For example, the capital of China is now spelled 'Beijing' rather than 'Peking.'

Religion plays a significant part in the life of many Chinese. Buddhism is most widely practiced, with an estimated 100 million adherents. Traditional Taoism also is practiced. Official figures indicate there are 20 million Muslims, 15 million Protestants, and 5 million Catholics; unofficial estimates are much higher. While the Chinese constitution affirms religious toleration, the Chinese Government places restrictions on religious practice outside officially recognized organizations. Only two Christian organizations, a Catholic church without official ties to Rome and the 'Three-Self-Patriotic' Protestant church, are sanctioned by the Chinese Government. Unauthorized churches have sprung up in many parts of the country and unofficial religious practice is flourishing. In some regions authorities have tried to control activities of these unregistered churches. In other regions, registered and unregistered groups are treated similarly by authorities and congregations worship i...

China's wedding industry is booming thanks to higher standards of living and new fashion trends that appeal to young couples. From luxurious gowns to wedding planners, Chinese lovers have never had so much choice. Choosing the right wedding dress is never easy, no matter where you live. One young bride - Sally Jing - is shopping in one of Beijing's more up market bridal shops, and is literally spoilt for choice. She has invited around 200 people to her wedding reception in Beijing, and is also planning a second wedding reception in her boyfriend's home-town in south China. Her boyfriend's family are paying for the wedding, while her parents are buying the couple a one-bedroom apartment in Beijing. For many of China's upwardly mobile young, a wedding is an opportunity to show-off their wealth and status, while conforming to traditions. While a few years ago many Chinese brides used to rent wedding dresses, now many choose to splash out on one-off hand-made go...

Gold consumption in China may double within the next 10 years, boosting prices as supplies fail to keep pace with booming demand from investors and the jewelry industry, the World Gold Council said. 'China has an insatiable appetite for gold, which looks likely to continue in an environment where domestic mine supply lags behind demand,' the council said in a report today. China's economy grew 10,7 per cent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, the fastest pace in two years, after a 4 trillion yuan ($ 586 billion) stimulus package spurred record lending and consumption. The world's biggest gold producer has increased reserves by 76 per cent to 1,054 metric tons since 2003 and has the fifth-biggest holdings by country, Hu Xiaolian, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, said in April. "An uptick in China purchases could bring an impetus back to the gold market," said Hwang Il Doo, Seoul-based senior trader with KEB Futures Co, by phone to...