China

Austin Pirkle, Kenneth Howe, Jackie Le,

and Jaewon Shon

Basic Facts
The Flag
o
o
o
o

National Flag: Five- Stars- Red- Flag

Red background- represents the revolution
Gold colors- radiate on the red background
5 stars- represents the unity of Chinese people under
the leadership of the Communist Party of China
o The flag of China was officially adopted on October 1,
1949

Basic Facts
Area: 9,600,000 sq
km
Home to Mt. Everest
in Tibet
Bordered by the
Pacific Ocean
Most popular cities
are Shanghai,
Beijing, and
Guangzhou

Basic Facts
The Capital
o
o
o
o
o

Beijing is the capital of China

Home to the Great Wall of China
Population of about 11.51 million people
It is 6487 square miles
Hosted the 2008 Olympics

Basic Facts
Statistics
o Chinas current GDP is 9.24
Trillion US dollars compared
to the US which is 16.8
Trillion
o There are currently 1.375
billion people living in
China
o Only 11.8%(157 million)
live below the poverty line
which is less than $1.25 a
day
o The US pays 1.16 trillion
dollars a year in debt
money to China

Society
President: Xi Jinping
Population as of April 2011: 1.4 billion
people
o China has about 20% of the worlds total
population

Currency: Renminbi
Language: Mandarin. There are many
different dialects but the most commonly
used dialect is Mandarin.
o Mandarin has about 20 different dialects
o In China, there are over 200 different
languages that are spoken

 Religion

Society

Almost half of the

country are Atheist or
non-religious
The most traditional
religion in China is
Confucianism
Throughout the years,
Buddhism has grown
in population
dramatically
Other religions
include:
Taoism
Islam
Christianity

 Ethnicities

Society

o China has about 56

different ethnic groups
o About 96% of the
population is a part of
the ethnic group called
The Han
o The left over 4% are
the other 55 ethnic
groups in various parts
of the country
o Other ethnicities in
China:
Miao
Li
Mongolian

Society
Education
o Education is a very
important part of the society
o They believe that a good
education ensures the
future of not only the
person/ individual, but the
entire family and the
country as well
o China has the largest
education system in the
world
o Being a teacher in China is a
highly respected profession

Culture Norms/Values
Greetings
o Normal handshake with the greeting of Ni
Hao which is like saying hello
o Two-hand handshake where you place your left
hand over your right shows how much you
value the person.
o In the workplace when someone enters the
room you stand and wait to be given the
gesture to sit down.

Culture Norms/Values
Titles and Names
o It is appropriate to address someone by
Professor, Dr., Mr. or Ms.
o Never use the word Miss because it has
negative connotations that go along
with it.
o Do not usually use the term Mrs.

Culture Norms/Values
Gift Giving
o The Chinese most appreciate gifts given to them
that relate to your country or organization.
o Three gifts to not give a Chinese man.
Umbrella - The Chinese word for umbrella
sounds similar to being separate
Clock - This resembles end of life
Books - This can sometimes symbolize losing
o It is considered greedy to accept a gift so it must
be offered multiple times for them to accept it.
o They do not open these gifts in front of you

Culture Norms/Values
Taboo
o Death is not openly
talked about so it is
inappropriate to say
something like, My
phone is dead
o It is not acceptable
to talk about
religion, sex, or
sexual orientation

Culture Norms/Values

Sacred Animals
o Dragons are highly revered creatures in China.
They are seen as helpful, wise, and bring good
fortune.
o Pandas are highly admired in China. They
represent peace.
o Snakes, Cats, and Sparrows are animals to
avoid.
o Never compare anyone to a dog.

Culture Norms/Values
Hygiene
o Smoking is
consistent
everywhere, even
in restaurants.
o It is not seen as
gross to hawk and
spit a loogie, pick
your nose, or ears
in public.

Culture Norms/Values
Social
o Common when entering someones
home to leave footwear by the front
door.
o This can vary from household to
household so just see what the host is
doing.

Culture Norms/Values
Food
o Use round tables to eat at.
o As a guest you always
wait to be seated.
o The host usually will give
you your food for you
o It is rude to refuse
anything that the host
offers you.
o Do not place your
chopsticks in your bowl or
plate because it is seen as
disrespectful.

Culture Norms/Values
Alcohol
o It is expected to consume alcohol when
offered to you.
o When toasting it is considered respectful
to lower your glass below the person who
is toasting.
o The Chinese consume large amounts of
alcohol, mostly spirits.
o Beer and wine are more of a
supplementary drink.

Current Issues
Air Pollution
o Respiratory and heart diseases related to air pollution are
the leading cause of death in China.
o 75% of the energy in china comes from the act of burning
coal,
o Also, with the Chinese population growing like it is today
there is a higher demand for automobiles
o . Various studies estimate pollution costs the Chinese
economy about 7-10% of GDP each year.

Current Issues
Water Pollution
o Decades of waste poured
from factories and cities
into China's rivers have
turned many of them into
open sewers.
o About 40% of the water in
the country's river
systems has a quality
index of 3 or worse,
meaning that it is unfit for
human consumption.

Current Issues
Urbanization
o About 62% of chinas
population lives in rural areas,
but economist predict that by
2035 that 70% of chinas
population will be in urban
areas.
o Naturally, this huge migration
to the city will have a massive
impact on the social and
welfare state as well as on the
environment, which the
government has to address
through its policy decisions.

Current Issues

An Aging Nation

o Since the end of 2000, China has become an ageing nation.

o With the current rise in chinas elderly population strict
enforcement has been placed on the one-child policy.
o There are currently 130 million elderly residents, equating to
just over 10% of the population.
o Predictions are that it will have increased to 342 million in 20
years time and by 2050 the countrys median age is likely to
be 45 up from 30 currently.

Work Cited
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/china.htm
http://data.worldbank.org/country/china
https://intranet.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_fi
le/0007/499354/Cultural-Bytes-China-RHS-120903.p
df
http://www.cfr.org/china/us-relations-china-1949--present/
p17698
http://www.activeukchina.com
http://wwf.panda.org