ABOUT CHINA

China is a vast country, rich in history, culture and beauty. It is a fascinating land of ancient history, immense territory and diverse peoples.Only by visiting China can one gain a deeper understanding of the reality and spirituality of the Chinese people, and only by experiencing this wonderland of eternal brilliance can one understand the seductiveness and beauty of the Eastern culture. We have compiled some information about the People, the Land, the Climate and the History that we hope you will find useful and interesting.



The People - China is home to over 1.2 billion people, 20% of the world's population. The major spoken language is Mandarin, and the Chinese written language has been consistently used for over 2,000 years. 92% of the Chinese population are of the Han nationality, and the remaining 8% are comprised of 55 ethnic minorities. Buddhism, Taoism and Islam are the major religions.

The Land - China is the third largest country in the world. Its total land mass covers over 3.5 million square miles; 3,230 miles from east to west, and 3,400 miles from north to south. China's coastline is 11,185 miles long, from the Korean border in the north to the Vietnamese border in the south.. The coast is flanked by the Bohai Yellow, East and South China Seas. China has some of the highest mountains in the world, the deepest valleys, and some of the longest rivers. It has vast deserts and high plateaus, and one third of its land mass is mountainous. China's topography is terraced, with the land sloping down from the west to the east. Of the more than 50,000 rivers in China, the Yangtze is the longest at 3,915 miles. China is divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities.

The Climate - Climatic zones in China range from cool temperatures in the north to tropical temperatures in the south. Summer temperatures in China are generally hot and humid, due to the prevailing winds blowing from the seas to the south and southwest. The winter temperatures are generally cold and dry, due to the north winds blowing from the Siberian regions. Rainfall is heavier in the summer months, with the south being more humid and the north being drier.

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Beijing	28	32	40	60	75	78	80	76	68	55	40	36
Shanghai	40	42	50	65	72	80	82	80	75	62	50	42
Xi'an	32	38	50	56	72	80	78	76	60	52	40	30
Kunming	50	52	58	65	68	68	70	67	65	62	55	50
Guangzhou	58	60	69	71	80	83	83	81	78	70	60	57
Guilin	40	42	50	60	65	65	68	70	72	71	48	35
Chongqing	47	50	58	67	73	78	84	86	77	66	57	51
Guiyang	37	42	53	63	71	72	76	77	68	57	53	47
HongKong	55	57	64	71	78	81	83	83	81	75	68	59
Lhasa	29	34	41	46	54	60	61	60	57	48	39	32
Chengdu	45	50	58	67	73	78	84	86	77	66	57	51
Wuhan	37	41	50	61	70	80	84	83	75	64	53	42

The History - China's has a long and colorful history, encompassing the oldest continuous civilization on Earth. The ancestors of the modern Chinese settled on the east Asian continent more than 10,000 years ago. From its primitive founding, the pageant of Chinese history has unfolded in a long and colorful tapestry. Within a century of its founding in the twenty-second century B.C., the first dynasty was operating as a state and showed an emerging stratification of society. China became a unified national entity in 221 B.C., and experienced more than 2,000 years of imperial rule. During this century, the people of China have taken great enroads to ensure their future freedom and growth. Today, the People's Republic of China is growing toward a bright future.

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