Free Essays on China

Population Disaster? The People’s Republic of China is a vastly populated country. The inhabitants of the country make up approximately twenty percent of the world’s population. For nearly 2,000 years, the population of China fluctuated between 60,000,000 and 110,000,000. When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, the population was approximately 540,000,000. Within three decades, the population had increased to over 800,000,000. During the next three decades the population is expected to increase by over 260,000,000. Although this is not as tremendous an increase as in the first thirty years of the country, this number is equivalent to the total population of the United States. This increase is driven by the high fertility rates of the 1950’s and 1960’s, which averaged between 5.6 and 6.3 children per woman. During the 1970’s and 1980’s the fertility rate dropped to around 1.8 children per woman. Even though the fertility rate has dropped, the population will continue to experience tremendous growth because of the large number of young adults of reproductive age. The United Nations Population Division estimates that China’s population will grow to 1,490,000,000 by 2025, but will decrease slightly to 1,480,000,000 by 2050. This decline is a result of China’s government enforced one-child policy. Some 58,000 children are born every day in China, which averages out to 20,000,000 births each year. This number would be much higher if not for the one-child policy. Pregnancies must be authorized and women must obtain a birth coupon before conception. Couples who do not follow these procedures have fines imposed upon them, sometimes amounting to more than what they would earn in an entire year. This one-child policy has also resulted in the mass murder of infant girls. Many female fetuses are aborted because of the strong preference for boys in the country. Upon birth, girls are routinely... Free Essays on China Free Essays on China During the 18th century China went through a long period of peace and prosperity, which had adverse affects. The population increased from 100 million to 300 million, from 1644 till the end of the century. Corruption spread through the imperial court as well as a decline in military spirit. Upon entering the 19th century, China was shocked with revolt. The invasion of powers from the Western societies devastated the empire. The Ch’ing Dynasty had a strong opposition to foreign trade. During the 19th century China faced many conflicts with Western powers. Great Britain was not content with China’s trade agreements and instigated Opium War (1832-42). The United States and Great Britain put forth the Open Door Policy, stating that â€Å"all nations enjoy equal access to China’s trade.† China did not agree with this document and their dislike for foreign relations grew. The Boxer uprising (1900) was China’s last effort to stop foreign influence. The Ch’ing Dynasty ended with Tz’u-hsi in power, who dominated for 50 years, ending her rein in 1908. Tz’u-his ran a dishonest government and did not benefit the people of China. In 1911 the dynasty was overthrown and a republic was established with Sun Yat-sen as President. Since China was not receiving any aid from Western powers Sun made and alliance with the Chinese Communist Party (formed in 1922).... Free Essays on China Early China & Xia Dynasty: 10,000 BC to 1500 BC Daily Life in Very Early China Chinese civilization started around 10,000 BC, when a group called the Yangshao (yahng show) settled near the Huang He River. Archaeologists have uncovered many Yangshao villages in northern China. In one village, they found the remains of farmhouses, built partly underground, with plaster floors, and roofs held up with wooden posts. About 3,000 BC, another farming group appeared, the Lungshan people. The Lungshan were very advanced for their time. They harvested silk, and used it to weave fine fabrics. They used the potters wheel. They baked strong bricks in ovens, and used them to build their homes. They worked together on flood control and irrigation projects. They had great engineering skills. Legend has it that their "Great Engineer", Yu, founded the Xia (sometimes called the Hsia) Dynasty in about 2,000 BC. There are no written records. Our knowledge of their life comes from ruins of their town, ancient stories and legends. This story tells us quite a bit about ancient life in Xia times. Daily Life during the Shang & Chou Dynasties About 1700 B.C. to 250 B.C. These two ruling families controlled much of ancient China for about 1,500 years! Daily life was much the same during both dynasties. Shang & Chou Introduction: Shang and Chou times are known for their use of jade, bronze, horse-drawn chariots, ancestor worship, highly organized armies, and human sacrifice. Cities were surrounded by protective walls. One city was surrounded by a wall 30 feet high, 65 feet thick, and 4 1/2 miles long! Inside these walled cities lived the rulers, priests, and warriors. Merchants and craftsmen lived in mud houses built up against the outside walls of the cities. Farmers lived in nearby villages. Chopsticks were invented, which changed the way people ate their food. Family: For both the rich and the poor, the family was all important. The oldest male w... Free Essays on China MY CHINA REPORT China has the longest recorded history of it’s past. Chinese scholars wrote about lessons that people learn in their life. Confucius was a famous Chinese scholar that stressed the importance of keeping history records. In 1600 BC the Shang Dynasty ruled the Kingdom. In 500 BC Confusicious’s system of idea’s and values became popular and although it’s over 2000 years old it continues to guide China today. China is a massive country, it is 3,695,000 square miles. The highest point is Mount Everest, it is 29,028 feet above sea level. The lowest point is Turpan Pendi, it is 505 feet below sea level. China’s climate is similar to the United States, however they have monsoons in the summer and typhoons in the winter. The Yangtze River is the largest river in China , it is 3434 miles long. The Yangtze is a very important river and is used for transportation and irrigation of one of China’s main rice growing areas. China has a large variety of natural resources. One is mineral resources, such as mercury and maganese. Coal is one of their largest natural resources, they have over 115 billion metric tons of it, the world’s largest. Oil is also in abundance. China has major amounts of land and water resources because of it’s vast area’s, which it uses to it’s advantage. China has many culture’s and custom’s. Ancient folkways consist of worship, astrology, fortune telling and medicine. China practices ancestor worship. Ancestor worship says that the ancestor’s of people have great power and authority to influence events or control the well being of living family members. These ancestors have the ability to communicate with the supreme god, and the people through dreams and by possession. The government of China is run by the National Peoples Congress. The National People’s Congress is the highest government authority. According to ... Free Essays on China Modern China is an enigmatic country by today’s standards concerning economic values and political ideals. The â€Å"communist† government that Mao Zedong brutally sculpted and administered has gone through an intensive transformation. The days when Marxism and Socialism supposedly provided guidelines for Chinese economic policies have passed. Now the government exists as a quasi-communist authoritarian regime supported by a market economy. Economic progress is commonly associated with democratization, and in many cases this theory holds true. Taiwan is the exemplary East Asian model of a formerly authoritarian regime turned democratic due in part to economic development. Yet some nations, Singapore for example, maintain healthy economies and high standards of living despite the presence of authoritarianism within the government. Although China has experienced noteworthy economic development over the past twenty years, its government has not made any significant progress towards democracy. The Chinese economy stagnated during the social-oriented rule of Mao in the 1950’s. Instead of focusing on the modernization of the country’s agricultural-based economy, China’s leader intended to install the many values and doctrines of communism into Chinese society. It was evident that economics took a back seat to Mao’s greater vision of a communal society, â€Å"†¦Stalin emphasized only technology, technical cadres. He wanted nothing but technology, nothing but cadre; no politics, no masses†¦Stalin speaks only of the production relations, not of the superstructure, nor of the relationship between superstructure and economic base†¦Stalin mentions economics only, not politics.†1 The chairman of the People’s Republic believed that once communism had grown deep roots in his country’s society, economic development would inevitably follow. The failure and disastrous aftermath of â€Å"The Great Leap Forward† brings to light many asp... Free Essays on China Population Disaster? The People’s Republic of China is a vastly populated country. The inhabitants of the country make up approximately twenty percent of the world’s population. For nearly 2,000 years, the population of China fluctuated between 60,000,000 and 110,000,000. When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, the population was approximately 540,000,000. Within three decades, the population had increased to over 800,000,000. During the next three decades the population is expected to increase by over 260,000,000. Although this is not as tremendous an increase as in the first thirty years of the country, this number is equivalent to the total population of the United States. This increase is driven by the high fertility rates of the 1950’s and 1960’s, which averaged between 5.6 and 6.3 children per woman. During the 1970’s and 1980’s the fertility rate dropped to around 1.8 children per woman. Even though the fertility rate has dropped, the population will continue to experience tremendous growth because of the large number of young adults of reproductive age. The United Nations Population Division estimates that China’s population will grow to 1,490,000,000 by 2025, but will decrease slightly to 1,480,000,000 by 2050. This decline is a result of China’s government enforced one-child policy. Some 58,000 children are born every day in China, which averages out to 20,000,000 births each year. This number would be much higher if not for the one-child policy. Pregnancies must be authorized and women must obtain a birth coupon before conception. Couples who do not follow these procedures have fines imposed upon them, sometimes amounting to more than what they would earn in an entire year. This one-child policy has also resulted in the mass murder of infant girls. Many female fetuses are aborted because of the strong preference for boys in the country. Upon birth, girls are routinely...