Where is China located. Country China: brief information and interesting facts

Date: 22.09.2019

China is a state in East Asia.

Official name of China: People's Republic of China, the abbreviation of the PRC is also widely used.

Territory of China: The area of the state of the People's Republic of China is 9596960 km².

Population of China: The population of China is over 1.3 billion (138,083,000 people).

Ethnic groups in China: Officially, there are 56 nationalities in China. Since Han people make up approximately 92% of China's population, the rest of the peoples are usually referred to as national minorities. In some periods, the number of officially recognized ethnic groups in China varied. Thus, during the 1953 census, 41 national minorities were indicated. And in the 1964 census, 183 national minorities were registered, of which the Chinese government recognized only 54. Of the remaining 129 peoples, 74 were included in the recognized 54, while 23 were classified as "other" and 32 as "doubtful".

Average duration life in China: The average life expectancy in China is 75.41 years.

Capital of China: Beijing.

Major cities in China: Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shenzhen.

Official language of China: Chinese.

Religion in China: The main religions in China are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. All of these confessional groups, with the exception of the adherents of Taoism, maintain contacts with relevant organizations in all countries of the world. Religious freedom is an ongoing long-term policy of the Chinese government. The PRC Constitution guarantees this freedom to every Chinese citizen.

Geographical location of China: China is a state in East Asia, the largest state in the world in terms of population, and ranks third in the world in terms of territory, behind Russia and Canada. China (PRC) shares borders with 14 states: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam.

Rivers of China:

Yangtze - length 6300 km. The basin area is 1807199 km². The catchment areas are Qinghai, Tibet, Yunnan, Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shanghai. Runoff into the East China Sea.

Yellow River - length 5464 km. The basin area is 752,443 km². The catchment areas are Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan and Shandong. Runoff into the Bohai Sea.

Heilongjiang - 3420 km long. The basin area is 1620170 km². The catchment areas are Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang. Runoff into the Sea of Okhotsk.

Zhujiang - length 2,197 km. The basin area is 452,616 km². The catchment areas are Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong. Runoff into the South China Sea.

Lancangjiang - length 2,153 km. The basin area is 161,430 km². The catchment areas are Qinghai, Tibet and Yunnan. Runoff into the South China Sea

Yalutsangpo - length 2057 km. The basin area is 240 480 km². Drainage areas - Tibet. Runoff into the Bay of Bengal.

Nujiang - length 2013 km. The basin area is 124830 km². The catchment areas are Tibet and Yunnan. Runoff in - Bay of Bengal.

Administrative divisions of China: The People's Republic of China exercises administrative control over 22 provinces, while the PRC government regards Taiwan as its 23rd province. In addition, the PRC also includes 5 autonomous regions where national minorities of China live, 4 municipalities corresponding to cities of central subordination, and 2 special administrative regions under the rule of the PRC.

State structure of China: After the formation of the PRC in December 1949, four Constitutions were adopted (1954, 1975, 1978 and 1982). In accordance with the Constitution of the People's Republic of China (December 1982), the PRC is a socialist state with a democratic dictatorship of the people.

The highest organ of state power in China is the unicameral National People's Congress (NPC), which consists of 2,979 deputies elected by the regional people's congresses for a term of 5 years. Sessions of the NPC are convened on an annual basis.

Due to the large number of deputies in the period between sessions, the functions of the NPC are performed by a standing committee elected from among the delegates (about 150 people).

Only MPs from the Chinese Communist Party and the eight so-called Democratic Parties of the People's Political Consultative Council of China (CPPCC) are allowed to vote. Hong Kong and Macau have their own legislatures. All deputies of the NPC are representatives of the bloc of communists and democrats.

The Central Military Council of the PRC was established in 1982. Its first chairman was Deng Xiaoping, and in 1990 he was succeeded by Jiang Zemin. The posts of chairmen of the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the PRC in the current political system of China, as a rule, are combined by one person.

The military council and its leader play an important role in the Chinese political system in China. So, in 1989, Deng Xiaoping, who held this post, by this time had already resigned from the highest party and state posts, almost single-handedly decided to suppress the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square.

The official names of some states sometimes differ from those that are usually used in everyday life. This is mainly due to the presence of the abbreviation. One of these countries is the PRC. This is the state we call China. What is the decoding of the PRC? This abbreviation hides the following name: People's Republic of China.

Where does the modern name come from?

Today China (PRC) is a socialist state. What is the principle behind its name? It has two elements. The form of government is indicated by the word "republic", and the presence of the socialist system is indicated by the word "people's". After all, it is assumed that in such a country, power belongs to all its citizens.

The same principle was adhered to by other countries that once embarked on the path of building socialism. These are, for example, Poland - People's Republic of Poland, People's Republic of Bulgaria - People's Republic of Bulgaria and others. And only after the states abandoned the socialist system, they removed the word "people's" from their names. And today it is the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Bulgaria, etc.

The decoding of the PRC remains the same to this day. After all, China continues to follow the path of building socialism and is not going to abandon this system. That is why this state continues to be called the People's Republic.

origin of name

So, what is the PRC is already clear. The history of the origin of the abbreviation is clear enough. But now there is next question: "Why is the republic called the Chinese?"

The inhabitants of the state themselves call him Zhong Guo. Translated, this means "middle country". China, on the other hand, is a European name that was adopted by the Russian language. This word appeared with the light hand of the traveler Marco Polo back in the Middle Ages. But initially it sounded a little different - Katay. Its origins can be found in the name of the Khitan tribe.

However, there is a paradox here. It lies in the fact that the tribe from which the name of the now powerful country originated was not Chinese. These were the Mongols who came from Manchuria and seized the northern territories of the state. The somewhat modified name of the tribe was gradually assigned to the area conquered by the Mongols, and then to the whole country.

Sometimes the mysterious and distant China is also called the Celestial Empire. Why? Nobody could explain the origin of this name. According to some historians, the ancient Chinese were convinced that their country was the only one in the world under the auspices of heaven. They considered the rulers of their state "sons of heaven". But there is also another opinion. According to him, the current PRC is a country on whose territory the highest mountain system of the planet - the Himalayas - is located. Perhaps she gave China such a poetic name.

A little about the mysterious state

What is PRC? Zhong Guo, as the Chinese call it, is one of the most mysterious and amazing countries in the world. It is home to paper and compass, silk and gunpowder, porcelain, as well as many other discoveries and inventions that are very useful for mankind. China is a state that never ceases to attract the attention of travelers, researchers and historians.

What is PRC? It is a state located in the southeastern part of the Asian continent. With its outlines, China resembles a huge bird soaring in the sky.

The country is the heir to a great civilization, the history of which goes back almost five millennia. What is PRC? It is a unitary state with a tough governing system and a well-built vertical of power, which has been subordinate to the Communist Party since 1949.

The PRC is located on a huge area. It is an area of 9,596,960 square kilometers, which includes the island of Taiwan and its adjacent small islands, which is not controlled by the central government. In terms of occupied area, China is in third place on our planet, second only to its neighbor Russia, as well as Canada. But in terms of population, the country is on the first line of the world ranking. As of 2015, there were 1,368,660,000 people living in China.

A bit of history

Researchers believe that China was inhabited already 7 million years ago. The very first ruling dynasty of the country were representatives of the Xia clan. They were in power as early as 2700 BC. NS. Subsequently, the country was ruled by different dynasties, which successively replaced each other.

Approximately 400-200 years. BC NS. in China, the slave system ceased to exist. After him, feudal relations began to flourish. This is the period when iron tools began to be used in large quantities and the smelting of bronze was mastered. At the same time, Chinese craftsmen began to produce glazed ceramics known in the West world and developed the production of silk.

From 221 BC NS. the country was ruled by the Qin dynasty. Its representative - Qin Shi Huangdi - the scattered principalities were united into one whole state. The ruler himself began to be considered the first emperor. Qin Shi Huang Ti created a whole system of counties and prefectures and gathered 30 thousand people to build the Great Wall of China, which took decades to build and stretched for 8 thousand km.

After that, the Han dynasty ruled China for 406 years. This was a period when agriculture reached a particular rise, various crafts and trade developed. The empire expanded its territorial holdings. The Great Silk Road reached a particular heyday, along which trade caravans went to the Mediterranean coast, in Central Asia and to the countries of Western Europe.

Later, the Three Kingdoms reigned in China. During this period, there were three states of equal power on the territory of the state. Then came the time of the Tang Dynasty, which is known for the further flourishing of agriculture, craftsmanship in the manufacture of textiles, porcelain and ceramics. In addition to these crafts, shipbuilding began to develop and cultural and trade ties with Persia, Korea, India and Japan gained momentum.

After the overthrow of the Tang dynasty, a series of military conflicts began in China. In historical annals this period is known as the Age of Ten Kingdoms and Five Dynasties. However, despite internal disagreements, the Celestial Empire was considered the first country in the development of science, technology and printing.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan. And at the end of the same century, his grandson seized additional territories, which made it possible to create a single state, which also included Yunnan, Xinjiang and Tibet. He also ordered to move the capital of the country to modern Beijing.

The next dynasty, the Ming, brought the Celestial Empire to a long flourishing. This was the period of equipping a large number of expeditions, which made it possible to make the largest discoveries before the era of Columbus.

Since 1840, China began to wage the so-called opium wars with Great Britain. The reigning Emperor Daoguang by all means resisted drug smuggling, which brought colossal profits to the British. That is why Britain launched a war against China. However, the hostilities did not bring the desired success to the conquerors. China had to sign humiliating agreements that concerned relations not only with Great Britain, but also with the United States, Russia, Japan and France. This defeat of the state in conflicts with influential countries, as well as the constantly growing discontent of the people, became the reason that in the period from 1919 to 1949 popular revolutions periodically flared up in the Celestial Empire. As a result, the power of the emperor was overthrown.

On October 1, 1949, the PRC was proclaimed - the People's Republic of China. At the same time, the land reform took place. The PRC Constitution was adopted. Industry and power engineering received a significant impetus for development. The rate of production of cars and aircraft has increased. The machine-building industry reached a particular flourishing.

Despite the fact that China is already considered a powerful power, the development of the PRC continues to this day. The country is one of the leading space states on our planet. It possesses nuclear weapons and has the largest army in terms of the number of military personnel. At the same time, the PRC is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

China's economy

According to the correct policy pursued by the PRC government, the country's development has now reached unprecedented proportions. Since the late 1970s, China's centralized economy has been shifted to a market-oriented economy. This is what allowed her to take a leading place in the world. So, already by 2010, China was considered the largest exporter among all the states of our planet.

The PRC economy has reached its heyday thanks to the reforms carried out by the country's government. They began with the curtailment of collective farms and then continued to expand. This resulted in price liberalization and fiscal decentralization. At the same time, the autonomy of state-owned enterprises increased, private sector, modern stock markets were developed. The economy became open to foreign trade as well as investment. It should be noted that every year the PRC implements the reforms developed by leading experts, introducing them gradually.

V recent times China has renewed support for state-owned enterprises operating in areas considered to be priorities for the country's economic security. The goal of such a policy of the PRC is to create a global competitive society.

The ongoing restructuring of the Chinese economy has contributed to the fact that since 1978 the country has experienced a tenfold increase in GDP. Considering purchasing power parity, already in 2013 China was ranked second in the world in terms of economic development after the United States.

Population of the PRC

China is a huge, very different and unusual country. Moreover, such a description of the Celestial Empire can be given not only by foreigners who came here as tourists, but also by local residents. After all, the northern and southern territories of the PRC have colossal differences. How is this expressed? The North is considered to be more Europeanized. In the south, the population continues to preserve national traditions. That is why it is simply impossible to get to know all of China. After all, this amazing country can rightfully be called a country of contrasts.

Today, fifty-six nationalities live in the PRC, which adhere to various religions. 92% of them are those Chinese who are most familiar to us, or Han. The remaining 8% include small peoples. Among them are Zhuang and Hui, Miao and Uighurs, Mongols, Tibetans, Manchus, etc.

The overwhelming majority of Chinese people are atheists. It so happened in the Celestial Empire with the advent of the socialist system. Only a small population of the country professes Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and other religions.

Political structure of China

There is a one-party system in the PRC. Indeed, despite the fact that about eight parties have been created and are operating in the country, only one of them plays a leading and leading role. This is the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP. The same is spelled out in the Constitution of the PRC.

According to the provisions of this most important document, the highest state authority is the National Assembly, which brings together people's representatives. There are also deputies elected from the autonomous cities, regions and provinces. Members of the assembly are also representatives of the armed forces, who are elected for a five-year term.

The head of the PRC is the chairman, who is sometimes called the president of the country. He and his deputy are elected by the National Assembly for five summer period... In this case, the chairman of the PRC can become no more than two consecutive terms. This senior official has, in turn, the right to appoint a suitable candidate for the office of Premier of the State Council of the country, as well as elect the members of this body who are part of the Chinese government. A citizen who has reached the age of 45 can become the chairman of the PRC. In his post, he signs decrees and laws prior to their entry into force.

There is a Central Military Council in the PRC. He controls the army of the country. Local power is the prerogative of the local people's congresses, while the judiciary belongs to the people's prosecutors and people's courts.

The leading role in the nomination and appointment of candidates for any position in the government is played by the Communist Party. In this regard, party meetings are of particular importance in the state, as well as secretaries and members of the Politburo at all levels.

Administrative division of the PRC

The Chinese Constitution approved a three-tier division of the territory. According to this document, the country is divided into provinces, which, in turn, consist of counties, which are divided into parishes. But in fact there are five such levels. After all, there are districts between provinces and counties. Volosts are also divided into villages.

There are also autonomous regions, as well as volosts, counties and districts, which were created to govern national minorities. There are other special units in China. For example, a city in the Celestial Empire, according to the administrative division, can be a district, a county, or have a central subordination equated to a province.

Taiwan

In the last stage of the civil war (1946-1949), the Chinese Communist Party defeated the nationalist Kuomintang party. After that, the Kuomintang government had to evacuate to Taiwan. To protect it, the United States even deployed the Seventh Fleet of the Navy here. And although there was a temporary truce after the civil war, disputes between the ROC, located in Taiwan, and the DPRK continue to this day. The island state claims power over the entire Celestial Empire. China, on the other hand, considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.

The Republic of China has a democratic system of government. The head of state is the president, who is elected by the people. Since the 70s of the last century, Taiwan has been undergoing a process of liberalization of the economic and political system, which, together with the assistance provided by the Americans, has led the country to an increase in GDP and its per capita indicator.

Special administrative regions

On the territory of China are the cities of Macau and Hong Kong, which from the middle of the 19th century. were ruled by Portugal and Great Britain. After its formation in 1949, the newly created government began to defend the PRC's right to these lands. However, the task was complicated by the fact that these former colonies had already developed their own market economy and democratic political systems.

In this regard, in the 80s of the last century, Deng Xiaoping proposed the "one country, two systems" policy. It provided for the annexation of Hong Kong and Macau to China, but at the same time preserving their democracy and market. The PRC government held a series of negotiations with Britain and Portugal. Their result was the return in 1997 of Hong Kong, and in 1999 - Macau.

According to the PRC constitution, these special areas are equated to provinces. At the same time, they have broad autonomy. Hong Kong and Macau are allowed to have their own constitutions, judiciary, legislative and executive branches, currency, as well as to conduct independent immigration, tax and customs policies.

Directions of the country's development and relations with other countries

The PRC government is pursuing a unified course of reforms. Moreover, they all develop in social, economic and political spheres at a stable pace, and no change is expected in the near future.

The PRC seeks to develop a strong relationship with Russia. This will help maintain a peaceful environment conducive to creative processes within each of these states. It was for this that China initiated the signing of agreements that allowed it to settle its territorial disputes with the Russian Federation.

In its foreign policy The PRC seeks to develop trade relations as well. The country's government is negotiating the creation of a free trade area between China, South Korea and Japan. It is also planned to develop cooperation with Russia and many other countries of the world.

China is a state in East Asia.

Official name of China: People's Republic of China, the abbreviation of the PRC is also widely used.

Territory of China: The area of the state of the People's Republic of China is 9596960 km².

Population of China: The population of China is over 1.3 billion (138,083,000 people).

Life expectancy in China: The average life expectancy in China is 75.41 years.

Capital of China: Beijing.

Major cities in China: Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shenzhen.

Official language of China: Chinese.

Rivers of China:

Heilongjiang - 3420 km long. The basin area is 1620170 km². The catchment areas are Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang. Runoff into the Sea of Okhotsk.

Zhujiang - length 2,197 km. The basin area is 452,616 km². The catchment areas are Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong. Runoff into the South China Sea.

Lancangjiang - length 2,153 km. The basin area is 161,430 km². The catchment areas are Qinghai, Tibet and Yunnan. Runoff into the South China Sea

Yalutsangpo - length 2057 km. The basin area is 240 480 km². Drainage areas - Tibet. Runoff into the Bay of Bengal.

Nujiang - length 2013 km. The basin area is 124830 km². The catchment areas are Tibet and Yunnan. Runoff in - Bay of Bengal.

Due to the large number of deputies in the period between sessions, the functions of the NPC are performed by a standing committee elected from among the delegates (about 150 people).

- a state located in Central and East Asia. In the north it borders with Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia, in the west - with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, in the southwest - with Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, in the south - with Laos and Vietnam, and in the east - with the Korean People's Democratic Republic.

The name of the country comes from the ethnonym of the Mongol tribes - the Kidans.

Official name: People's Republic of China (PRC)

Capital: Beijing

The area of the land: 9.6 million sq. km

Total population: 1 billion 339 million 735 thousand people

Administrative division: China is divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 3 cities under the central government.

Form of government: People's Republic.

Head of State: President of the People's Republic of China.

Population composition: The bulk of the population is made up of Chinese (Han, 93%), Zhuangs, Uighurs, Mongols, Tibetans, Hui, Miao, etc.

Official language: Chinese (Peking dialect "Putonghua" or "Mandarin"), which has many different, often completely independent dialects. In tourist centers, English is used, in the north of the country, Russian is often used.

Religion: Officially, the entire population is considered atheists, but many practice Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Lamaism, Protestantism, Catholicism and others.

Internet domain: .cn

Mains voltage: ~ 220 V, 50 Hz

Country dialing code: +86

Country barcode: 690-695

Climate

China's climate is very diverse - from subtropical in the south to temperate in the north. On the coast, the weather is determined by monsoons, which arise from the different absorptive properties of land and ocean. Seasonal air movements and associated winds contain a large number of moisture in summer and rather dry in winter. The arrival and departure of monsoons largely determines the amount and distribution of precipitation across the country.

The huge differences in latitude, longitude and altitude across China give rise to a wide variety of temperature and meteorological regimes, despite the fact that most of the country lies in the region of a temperate climate.

The northernmost province of China, Heilongjiang, has a temperate climate similar to that of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, while the southern island of Hainan is in the tropics. The temperature difference between these regions is large during the winter months, but the difference decreases in summer. In the northern part of Heilongjiang, temperatures in January can drop to -30 ° C, average temperatures are around 0 ° C. The average July temperature in this area is 20 ° C. In the southern parts of Guangdong province, the average temperature ranges from 10 ° C in January to 28 ° C in July.

The amount of precipitation changes even more than the temperature. On the southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains, numerous rains fall, the maximum of which occurs during the summer monsoons. Driving north and west of the mountains is less likely to rain. The northwestern regions of the country are the driest; there is practically no precipitation in the deserts located there (Taklamakan, Gobi, Ordos).

The southern and eastern regions of China often (about 5 times a year) suffer from devastating typhoons, as well as from floods, monsoons, tsunamis and droughts. The northern regions of China are covered with yellow dust storms every spring, which originate in the northern deserts and are carried by winds towards Korea and Japan.

Geography

State in Central and East Asia. In the north it borders with Mongolia and Russia, in the northeast with Russia and the DPRK, in the south with Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, India, Bhutan and Nepal, in the west with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, in the northwest with Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In the east and southeast, the country's coast is washed by the Bohai, Yellow, East China and South China Seas (the length of the coastline is 18 thousand km), the country owns more than 3.4 thousand islands.

China is the third largest country in the world (9.6 million sq. Km). The relief of the country is extremely diverse - from the Tibetan Plateau, framed by the highest mountain systems of Asia (average height of about 4500 m) in the southwest and the high plains and mountains of the Eastern Tien Shan in the northwest, to the Loess Plateau and the lowlands of the Great China Plain in the east.

In the northeast, there are low chains of the Manchu-Korean Mountains and the Khingan Mountains, and in the south - the Nanling Mountains and Yunnan-Guizhou Highlands. The rocky deserts of Taklamakan and Gobi occupy vast areas in the north and west of the country, while cultivated subtropical forests occupy southeast China.

Flora and fauna

Vegetable world

One of the most famous plants China is bamboo. More than 300 species of bamboo grow here, which covers about 3% of all Chinese forests. Most of the bamboo stands are found in the subtropical zone in the south of Chang Jiang. Bamboo is valuable not only for giant pandas, it is used as a building material and for food.

Also, many other famous plants grow in China. For example, azalea, rhododendron, lotus, magnolia, ginkgo, maple, birch, poplar and spruce. The diversity and mixture of tropical and temperate plants in China is best understood by comparing the plants of Jilin province in the north and Hainan province in the tropics. Hard to find general views plants in these two regions.

The Chinese diversity of ecosystems is striking: tropical forests in the south of the country; desert and steppe in northwest China; taiga forests on the border with Russia; mangroves along the shores of the South China Sea. Tropical and temperate coniferous forests with evergreens and deciduous plants predominate in the southern provinces of Hainan, Yunnan and Guangxi.

On the edge of the Gobi Desert there are wide grasslands and only to the northeast do the last large tracts of forest in China appear.

In the north, the harvesting of the facai plant (a vegetable that resembles moss) was prohibited to avoid desertification.

Animal world

Thanks to the richness of the Chinese flora, there is also a variety of fauna in the country.

Despite clear disparities in numbers, rare animals continue to survive in the wild, remote areas of China. It is noteworthy that among the rare species of animals there are alligators in central and eastern China, the giant salamander in the west, the Chang Jiang dolphin and the pink dolphin. The famous giant panda lives in a limited area in the valleys and in the Sichuan region.

Throughout the mountains of China, you can meet antelopes, wild yaks, sheep, numerous species of pheasants and songbirds. The northeastern part of China is inhabited by interesting species of mammals. Reindeer, moose, bears, sables and Manchu tigers live there.

Ducks, cranes, herons, and swans are found in this region. It is best to watch birds here in spring.

Without a doubt, the tropical south of Yunnan province, a region with the richest flora and fauna. The region is home to parrots, hornbill, nocturnal lemur, gibbon, Indo-Chinese tiger and wild Indian elephant.

sights

China has everything: the highest mountains and highlands, lowlands and plains, along the shores of numerous seas - ports, beaches and resorts, famous monasteries, including the legendary Shaolin, ginseng farms in Qinghai province, numerous archaeological excavations in the Gobi and Takla deserts- Makan, climbing bases on the eastern slopes of the Himalayas and Karakorum.

Colossal "reserves" of natural attractions - the picturesque Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau with many mountain rivers, waterfalls and deep caves, the unique Taihu and Xihu lakes, the picturesque Taishan Mountain (included in the UNESCO treasures list), Dunhuang Caves - a treasury of ancient Buddhist art, Yun Gang caves , Huanggoshu waterfall (height 74 m, width 81 m), karst caves and "stone forest" in Wansheng county, Reed Flut cave, Black Buddha, New Water and the Dragon near Guangxi, the majestic Longgong and Rijing caves near Anshun, and in the vast steppes of Inner Mongolia, you can see the ancient art of horse racing.

Hunting is organized in the forests of the Big Khingan. Ice sculpture festivals are held annually in Harbin and you can even ride alpine skiing and skates.

Traveling through the ancient Silk road, you can visit Xinjiang, where there are three famous canyons, in Sanxia on the Yangtze River, on Mount Emei and in the Jiuzhaigou State Reserve. A uniquely picturesque region - the Lijiang River in Guilin and five "sacred" mountains, abounding in beautiful places. Mount Huangshan is considered "the face of the Chinese mountains", and Mount Emeishan is famous for its inaccessibility and unique charm.

99 cities of enormous cultural and historical significance and 750 unique cultural monuments, which are under state protection, as well as 119 landscape sites, are open to tourists. Among them, 19 are included in the UN List of World Natural and Cultural Heritage.

Gugun Museum
Tiananmen
Shaolin
Big Buddha in Hong Kong
Mount She (Sheshan)
Zhujiajiao City on the Water
Egret Castle
Monkey Island Nanwan
Longhua Pagoda
Reed Flute Cave
Er Wang Dong cave
Guangzhou TV Tower

Banks and currency

The national currency of China is the Chinese yuan renminbi. There are 10 chiao in one yuan, and 10 fen in one jiao. There are banknotes in circulation in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1 yuan, 5, 2, 1 jiao; coins - 1 yuan, 5, 2, 1 jiao, 5, 1 fen.

Banks are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 14:00, on Saturday from 9:00 to 12:30. Commercial banks work from 8:00 to 17:00, on Saturday - from 8:00 to 11:30. Uniform working hours are not always observed, a particular bank can set its own working hours.

Currency can be exchanged at the main branches of the Bank of China, hotels, international airports, at railway stations and in some large shopping centers... You should keep the receipts received during the exchange, since the return exchange of the remaining yuan at the end of the trip can be carried out only upon presentation. There may be complications with the exchange of old or damaged dollar bills - they may not be taken.

China accepts American Express, JCB, Visa, Master Card and Diners Club credit cards. They can be used to pay in hotels, international restaurants, and large government department stores. When buying with a credit card, there is a special fee (usually 4% of the purchase price) and discounts are not applicable for such purchases. You can withdraw cash from a credit card at branches of the Bank of China, and the commission is usually 4%.

There are many ATMs in Beijing, but you can withdraw money only at ATMs (Bank of China) or at the airport, ATMs of other banks most likely will not give you money. In general, there are few such ATMs in China.

Useful information for tourists

Residents of China tend to respect knowledge, scholarship, books. The Chinese greet each other with a handshake. Entrepreneurs must have business cards with them, the text on which must be printed in Chinese (preferably gold ink) and English(just not red). The Chinese are extremely frugal, striving to quickly accumulate capital.

In China, dress is quite common, so you should not take something special and extravagant with you. For formal occasions, bring a jacket and tie, suit or formal dress. It is best to use small but large suitcases or trolley bags. Prepare to change clothes quite often, the weather in China is changeable.

Traveling around Beijing with a rickshaw is an unforgettable experience. Although the cycle rickshaws who are on duty at the hotels waiting for customers often charge quite a high price, it is definitely worth a ride.

Tipping is not accepted, but the maid or porter at the hotel will not give up RMB 1-2.

The Chinese have never considered honesty to be a virtue, but in relation to foreigners, cunning and deceit are traditional. Deception of a foreigner is considered a sign of great intelligence. Therefore, tourists are advised to bargain fiercely and check the change, as money is often counterfeit.

It is prohibited to export antiques from the country, it is confiscated at the border, but it is not customary to warn the buyer about this. Handicraft items must be red tagged or there will be trouble with customs. You can also find out about this at the last moment, so it is better to consult your guide about upcoming purchases.

Many people do not even suspect that there is not one Republic of China in the world now, but two, only one of them has the prefix "people's". But that is not all. In the twentieth century, there was another Chinese Republic for a short time, but this time it was "Soviet". Let's try to figure out which of them is who.

PRC

This powerful state is widely known in the world under the more familiar name "China". It was formed on 01.10.1949. The capital of this country is located in Beijing. is a socialist state. Today it is chaired by Xi Jinping. Rule the country This country is a permanent member And every day its weight in world politics and economy is growing rapidly.

The government of the People's Republic of China has always been concerned about the defense capability of its country. Today, the PRC is the owner of the largest army in the world. At the same time, it also possesses a large arsenal of nuclear weapons. The largest are Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin. Despite the fact that this republic is home to a huge number of people speaking different dialects, they have one state language - Chinese.

Geographical location and general information about the PRC

The People's Republic of China is located in East Asia. Its coordinates are 32 ° 48'00 "north latitude and 103 ° 05'00" east longitude. This state ranks third in the world in terms of its area. It covers an area of almost 9.6 million square meters. km. But in terms of population, no one can compete with the PRC. According to 2013 estimates, 1,366.5 million people lived in this country.

China is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean (East China, Yellow, South China). Its neighbors are Russia, North Korea, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos. The coast of China starts from the border with North Korea and stretches to Vietnam. It has a length of 14.5 thousand km. The PRC time zone corresponds to +8. Telephone country code +86.

Economy of the People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China is one of the leaders in the world economy. So, at the end of 2013, its GDP amounted to 7318 trillion US dollars, which in terms of the population of the country is 6569 dollars. The gross product (PPP) amounted to 12 383 trillion US dollars. In per capita terms, it is $ 9828. In December 2014, the PRC's economy became the first in the world in terms of this indicator.

In the People's Republic of China, the national currency is the yuan (CNY). It corresponds to 156. The economy of the People's Republic of China is diversified. At the same time, the PRC is a generally recognized world leader in the production of many types of industrial products, such as cars and equipment. It exports to almost all countries a huge amount of consumer goods, so it is often called the "factory of the world." China is the owner of the largest foreign exchange reserves.

Population of the PRC

According to the Human Development Index (HDI) in 2014, China ranked 91st among the countries of the world. It was 0.719, which is a very high result. Ethno-burial (the name of the inhabitants of a certain area) sounds like "Chinese", "Chinese", "Chinese".

Dozens of different peoples live on the territory of the PRC (officially recognized as 56). All of them differ in their customs, traditions, national costumes, cuisine. Many of them have their own language. All these small peoples in total make up only 7% of the population of this state. The bulk of the people living in the PRC are Chinese, who call themselves "Han".

Despite the fact that since 1979 the country has been under strict control over the birth rate, the annual natural population growth continues to grow steadily. The average life expectancy for Chinese people is 71 years. In recent years, the share of urban and rural residents has practically become equal, which indicates a high rate of urbanization in the country. The population of the People's Republic of China professes the following main religions - Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism.

General history of the formation of the PRC

China is one of the most ancient states on Earth. Some scientists are sure that the civilization of this state is about 5 thousand years old. Available written sources confirm that on the territory of the PRC already 3.5 thousand years ago there were administrative entities with a developed management system. Each successive dynasty of rulers worked to improve it. The economy of this country has always been based on developed agriculture.

The introduction of Confucianism as a state ideology and a unified writing system played an important role in strengthening the Chinese civilization. This happened in the II-I century BC. Over the course of hundreds of years, various kingdoms and provinces located in a given territory, sometimes united, then disintegrated. At the same time, the local population suffered from constant raids of nomads. To protect against them, it was built. Over the millennia, this mighty civilization developed, fought, assimilated with the surrounding Asian peoples. Modern China is the result of centuries of political and cultural processes.

For millennia, this state was ruled by emperors of different dynasties. The Republic of China, called Zhonghua Mingguo, existed from 1911 to 1949.

02/12/1912 the last emperor, Pu Yi, signed the abdication of the throne. In this state, de jure, a republican form of government was introduced, but in fact, in the period from 1911 to 1949, a period of "time of troubles" lasted. At the same time, China disintegrated into various state formations, emerging on the basis of provincial army detachments. Only in 1949 did the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) army become victorious in civil war going on its territory. This was largely due to the support of Soviet Union... The CCP defeated the conservative party of the Republic of China called the Kuomintang. The rulers of the latter fled to Taiwan. There they became the founders of a state like the Republic of China.

Republic proclamation

In September 1949, the People's Consultative Council of China began to work on the territory of present-day China. It was he who proclaimed the formation of the People's Republic. At this time, the Central People's Government Council (CPGC) was elected, and Mao Zedong became its chairman. In 1954, the PRC adopted a Constitution that renamed the CNPC into the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

In the period from 1949 to 1956, the USSR provided all kinds of assistance to this state in the creation of basic industries. Nationalization and collectivization were carried out on the territory of the republic. Socialist construction began to develop at a tremendous pace. In 1956, a new course of development was proclaimed in the country, thanks to which Mao Zedong's ideas regarding the policy of "communization" and the "Great Leap Forward" began to be implemented. From 1966 to 1976, a "cultural revolution" was proclaimed in China, which led to an intensification of the class struggle. Walking along a "special" path of development, the state and society denied commodity-money relations, banned non-state forms of ownership, froze foreign economic relations and arranged public courts.

The beginning of the "economic miracle"

The newcomer condemned the policies of his predecessor and in 1977 launched a new campaign called the "Beijing Spring". In 1978, at the plenum of the CPC, a course towards a socialist market economy was proclaimed. She had specific features. It was supposed to combine a planning and distribution system and a market system with a significant attraction of foreign investment. Chinese enterprises have gained more independence in their economic activity... The state sector in the economy was significantly reduced, and free economic zones were opened. Great attention was paid to overcoming the poverty of the population, as well as to scientific and technological progress.

By the end of the 1980s, the population of the People's Republic of China was fully provided with food. Every year, GDP and industrial production have steadily increased. Deng Xiaoping's reforms were successfully implemented by his subsequent successors:

since 1993 - Jiang Zemin;
since 2002 - Hu Jintao;
since 2012 - Xi Jinping.

State system of the PRC

Throughout history, 4 Constitutions were adopted in this country (1954, 1975, 1978, 1982). According to the latter, China is a socialist state with a democratic dictatorship of the people. Its supreme body of power is the unicameral It consists of a huge number of deputies (2979), who are elected for 5 years by regional elections. The NPC convenes annually. Only members of the CPC and 8 "democratic" parties that are members of the CPPCC (People's Political Consultative Council of China) are allowed to participate in the elections. The highest executive body is the State Council, or (as it is often called) the Central People's Government. It includes: the prime minister with his deputies, ministers, the auditor general, rank-and-file members, and the executive secretary. The highest court is the Supreme People's Court. Local authorities - people's congresses and executive-administrative (people's) governments - play a huge role in the development of the country.

Today, Special Administrative Regions, namely Hong Kong and Macau, have their own legislatures. The head of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, does not stop friendly relations with the successor of the USSR - The Russian Federation... Every year friendship between countries and mutually beneficial cooperation are only gaining momentum. The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Russian Federation pays great attention to further strengthening relations between our countries.

Administrative division

Since China is a huge state in terms of its scale and population, it has a very complex Administrative division... The PRC exercises control over 22 provinces, and the government considers Taiwan to be the 23rd administrative unit. This state also includes 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities (cities of central subordination), 2 special territorial units. Together they are called "mainland China". Separate administrative divisions are: Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan.

In fact, there are such levels of local government in China:

provincial (23 provinces, 4 cities under central jurisdiction, 5 autonomous and 2 special regions);
district (15 prefectures, 3 aimags, 286 urban and 30 autonomous districts);
uyezd (counties: 1455 simple, 370 - urban, 117 - autonomous; 857 simple and 4 special districts; 49 simple and 3 autonomous khoshuns);
volost (13 587 ordinary and 1085 national volosts, 19 683 settlements, 106 ordinary and 1 national somon, 2 districts of county subordination and 7194 street committees);
rural (urban neighborhoods, local communities, villages).

Hong Kong is one of the In this special administrative region of the PRC, which came under its jurisdiction in 1997, is home to more than 7 million people. Macau is an autonomous territory (formerly a colony of Portugal) with a population of over 0.5 million.

Now it is necessary to deal with the states located on this territory. What is the Republic of China? And this is none other than Taiwan, which the PRC government considers the 23rd province of its country. This island in the Pacific Ocean is located 150 km from the eastern coast of mainland China. Between them is the Taiwan Strait. The island's territory is 36 thousand square meters. km.

The independence of this state was proclaimed on 10.10.1911, but it still has partial diplomatic recognition. The official language of Taiwan is Chinese. Its capital is Taipei. This republic is a democracy with a semi-presidential state system and universal suffrage. Today Taiwan is one of the most developed countries in this region. He is included in the so-called "four Asian tigers". The president of this mixed republic is Ma Ying-jeou.

The flag of the Republic of China is a red flag representing the Earth, with a blue rectangle in the upper left corner representing Heaven. It depicts the White Sun. The flag of the Republic of China first appeared back in 1928 in the Kuomintang party.

Taiwan is home to about 23.3 million people. At the same time, GDP per capita in 2013 amounted to USD 39,767, which is 11 times more than this indicator in China. Taiwan's technology industry plays an important role in the global economy. Moreover, its value only increases every year. The economy of the Republic of China has been successfully developing over the past decades thanks to the application the latest technologies and excellent education of the population. The currency of this country is the Taiwan dollar.

The formation of the Republic of China has evolved over the decades in such a way that it always takes into account the changing demands of a growing economy. Today, the term of compulsory basic education is 9 years. Recently, the Taiwanese authorities want to increase this period to 12 years. The entire educational system is largely biased towards the study of technical sciences. As a result of training, graduates have one of the most high levels training in mathematics and science.

Many have long forgotten about the era of socialism-communism. Few people know that there was such a state as the Chinese Soviet Republic. It did not last long. This small state was created in 1931 under the leadership of the Communist Party in the south of Central China (in Jiangxi). In 1937 it was transformed into a Special Region.

The Chinese Soviet Republic had its own flag, Provisional Government, Constitution, laws, banknotes and other state attributes. Advice people's commissars this republic was headed by none other than Mao Zedong, who later became the long-term leader of the People's Republic of China. The Central Army Group became the military base of this country. It included the troops of Mao Zedong and Zhu Te. In 1931-1932. there was a reorganization of the Red Army.

The main geographic features The Chinese Soviet Republic were: mountainous position, remoteness, lack of communications, which contributed to its protection from external enemies. It was inhabited by about 5 million people.