China
China is officially the People’s Republic of China or PRC and this country is in East Asia. There are more than 1.3 billion people living in China and the capital of the country is Beijing. The first dynasty in China was the Xia and they were there around 2100 B.C. Many people had been doubtful of that fact until scientific excavations found a Bronze Age site at Erlitou back in 1959.
The landscape in China is quite diverse and people who are visiting the country will see everything from deserts, mountain ranges, plateaus, and rainforests. China has both dry seasons and wet monsoon seasons and the temperatures vary according to the region of the country.
China is also a bio-diverse country and there are more than 34,687 species of animals and plants in the country. The most famous animal in China is the giant panda and despite efforts to keep them safe in the wild, they are becoming endangered. There has been more success with breeding giant pandas in captivity, but because they can never be reintroduced into the forests, the number of wild pandas will continue to dwindle.
The people living in China speak Chinese, but there are approximately 292 other active languages in the country. The culture of China has always been influenced by Confucianism as well as conservative philosophies.
Interesting and Unique Facts about China:
· One in five people in the world are Chinese
· The population of China is four times larger than the population of the United States
· China is known as the Flowery Kingdom
· The Chinese invented toilet paper during the late 1300s – it was only for the emperors though
· The Chinese also invented paper, gunpowder, the compass, and printing
· Stamp collecting is the favorite hobby of many Chinese
· Giant pandas date back to two or three million years ago
· White is worn for mourning and funerals in China
· Cricket fighting is popular in China and many children keep crickets as pets
· The waterwheel was invented in China in 31 A.D. – way before the Europeans
· Shanghai was the only port that allowed Jews in without an entry visa as they were fleeing during the Holocaust
· Chinese lanterns were first used back in 250 B.C. and they symbolize long life
China is a very large country and it is filled with more people than anyone could imagine. Despite the number of locals, people will find that they will have the opportunity to see quite a bit of the area and learn more about the history and cultures of the country.