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Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts

Geographical information about China

Satellite Image of China made by the NASA
Total area: 9.596.960 sq. km. (3,7 million sq. mi.)
Capital City: Beijing
Major cities: Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Harbin, Chengdu
Terrain: Plains, deltas, and hills in the east and mountains, high plateaus, deserts in the west.
Climate: Tropical in south to subarctic in north.

China's Nationality and Ethnic Groups

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, 1949. Branches: Executive – president, vice president, State Council, premier. Legislative – unicameral National People’s Congress. Judicial–Supreme People’s Court.
Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (the P.R.C. considers Taiwan to be its 23rd province); 5 autonomous regions, including Tibet; 4 municipalities directly under the State Council. Political parties: Chinese Communist Party, 70,8 million members; 8 minor parties under Communist Party supervision. Suffrage: Universal at 18.

People Ethnic Groups
The largest ethnic group is the Han Chinese, who constitute about 91,9% of the total population. The remaining 8,1% are Zhuang (16 million), Manchu (10 million), Hui (9 million), Miao (8 million), Uygur (7 million), Yi (7 million), Mongolian (5 million), Tibetan (5 million), Buyi (3 million), Korean (2 million), and other ethnic minorities.
Language There are seven major Chinese dialects and many subdialects. Mandarin (or Putonghua), the predominant dialect, is spoken by over 70% of the population. It is taught in all schools and is the medium of government. About two-thirds of the Han ethnic group are native speakers of Mandarin; the rest, concentrated in southwest and southeast China, speak one of the six other major Chinese dialects. Non-Chinese languages spoken widely by ethnic minorities include Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur and other Turkic languages (in Xinjiang), and Korean (in the northeast).

China's Economy and GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

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 trillion: electronics; machinery; apparel; optical, photographic, and medical equipment; and furniture. Main partners: United States, Hong Kong, Japan, EU, South Korea, Singapore.
Imports: $ 917,4 billion: electronics, machinery, mineral fuel and oil, chemicals, plastic. Main partners: Japan, EU, Taiwan, South Korea, United States, Malaysia, Australia.

China's Pinyin System of Romanization and Chinese spelling

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.'

China's Religions and Traditions

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 in both types of churches. Most Chinese Catholic bishops are recognized by the Pope, and official priests have Vatican approval to administer all the sacraments.

China's Luxury weddings booming in China, the latest trend

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 gowns.
Li Fei, a bridal-wear designer, says today many couples shun cheap materials in favour of more luxurious fabrics.
"In the past, people used to rent their wedding dress, or buy a cheap one because they would wear it only once. Nowadays young couples have a very different attitude. Because it is a once in a lifetime chance to show off, they pay much more attention on the quality and character of the wedding dress," she says.
Her store sells both ready-made dresses or bespoke gowns.
Fei adds they make simple dresses that showcase the quality of the fabrics.
"This dress is represents the style of our shop. We praise minimalism, and like to highlight the quality of the material, and the delicate details."
Fei, who trained in Paris, sells her designs for anything from RMB US $ 880 to US $ 2.900.
Commenting on the spending habits of Chinese couples is Zhang Li, the editor of Public Marriage Information, a monthly magazine specializing in bridal ware.
She says on average Beijingers spend around US $ 7.300 for their wedding.
Because of this lucrative market, a whole range of businesses have sprung up to cater for the wedding market.
From specialized photographers to wedding planners, would-be couples have plenty to choose from.
Today Chinese lovers can tie the knot in western style or opt for a more traditional ceremony.
One such service provider is Vivian Wedding, a small wedding planning company run by Vivian Hu.
She says her customers are looking for guidance in all the stages of planning a wedding: from the conception, to running the logistics of the big day.
"Our customers hire us as consultants from the very beginning to plan the wedding. For example we choose the hotel, the wedding car, wedding dress even where to take the wedding photos. Apart from consultant services we also help organize logistics on the wedding day," says Hu.
Hu's company now provides a wide variety of services from greeting cards to choosing the right menu.
She started the company two years ago with her husband in a spare room in her apartment, and now has a smart showroom in downtown Beijing.
In traditional Chinese culture marriage is highly valued as an institution - this is reflected by the more than 200 million weddings a year, according to the state-run Wedding Industry Committee.
Zhang Li, editor of Public Marriage Information magazine, says weddings are often lavish affairs, with several hundred people being invited.
"The cost of a wedding dress starts from around US $ 290 and up. The biggest expense on weddings in my opinion is the wedding feast. In Chinese weddings, people will invite so many relatives and friends come to the wedding, from 100 people up to 500 and more," she says.
With several months before her big day, Sally Jing's biggest decision is made.
She has finally made her choice of a wedding dress, one designed by Fei, and is happily recording the moment with the help of a photographer.
She says the dress makes her feel like a princess.
"I like this dress a lot. I feel like a princess when I wear it. I think the design is really unique, showing my waist curve perfectly."
The dress chosen by Jing has intricate silk stitching and retails at US $ 1.300.
According to data released by the Wedding Industry Committee, the Chinese wedding industry is worth more than US $ 58.5 billion.
11,458,000 couples were married in 2009, according to the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs.
That was an increase of 9% compared to the previous year.

China's Gold investments

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 today. 'Given China's currency reserves and rising wealth, the impact from their buying on prices will be powerful, although it may take time.'

China's Population Policy

With a population officially just over 1,3 billion and an estimated growth rate of about 0,6%, China is very concerned about its population growth and has attempted with mixed results to implement a strict birth limitation policy. China's 2002 Population and Family Planning Law and policy permit one child per family, with allowance for a second child under certain circumstances, especially in rural areas, and with guidelines looser for ethnic minorities with small populations. Enforcement varies, and relies largely on 'social compensation fees' to discourage extra births. Official government policy opposes forced abortion or sterilization, but in some localities there are instances of forced abortion. The government's goal is to stabilize the population in the first half of the 21st century, and current projections are that the population will peak at around 1,6 billion by 2050. A logical consequence is that there are more boys born than girls because only the boy can continue the bloodline of the family. If the first child will be a girl it sometimes leads in to an abortion. That's the reason that there are more boys than girls in China.