China

I. BACKGROUND

Part 1: China Factsheet with a Spotlight on Inner Mongolia

Visit the Web sites below to find out about Chinese geography and culture.

The Chinese government's “About China” resources
World Almanac for Kids
The World Factbook: China

1. What are the official emblems of China?
The Tiananmen Gate Tower under five stars, encircled by ears of grain and with a gear wheel below

2. When was the People's Republic of China founded?
October 1, 1949

3. What is the capital of China?
Beijing

4. Describe the location of China.
In East Asia, between North Korea and Vietnam

5. What is the area of China?
9,596,960 sq km

6. What is the population of China?
1,321,851,888 (July 2007 est.)

7. What is the currency of China?
Yuan

8. Name two languages spoken in China.
Mandarin, Wu, and Yue (Cantonese) are several of the many languages and dialects spoken in China

9. Name a major mountain range in China.
The Himalayas, Yin mountain range, Qinling mountain range, Nanling mountain range

10. How many countries border China?
14 - Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam

China is also bordered by two regions: Hong Kong and Macau

11. Name three of the natural regions of China.
Tropical rainforest, tundra, desert, wetlands, forest

12. China is divided into how many provinces? How many autonomous regions?
China is divided into twenty-three provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two special administrative regions

Twenty-three provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Zhejiang (China considers Taiwan its 23rd province)

Five Semi-Autonomous Regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet)

Municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin

Two Special Administrative Regions: Hong Kong and Macau

13. What is the national holiday of China?
The Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, October 1st

14. Put the following countries in order in terms of area: Canada, China, Russia, United States

Russia - Canada - United States - China

15. What percent of China 's land is arable?
Almost 15%

16. What are the major crops grown in China?
Rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed

17. What animals are raised in China?
Pigs, fowl, and fish

18. What type of government exists in China?
Communist state

Spotlight on Inner Mongolia
Visit the Web sites below to find out about Inner Mongolia's geography and culture.

The Chinese government's official site on Inner Mongolia.
The Inner Mongolia 60th Founding Anniversary web site

19. True or False: Inner Mongolia is the largest province in China.
False. Inner Mongolia is the third largest administrative division of China. It covers about 12% of China's total area.

20. How many people live in Inner Mongolia?
23.77 million people

21. When was Inner Mongolia founded?
Inner Mongolia was the first of China's five semi-autonomous regions. It was founded in 1947.

22. What are some of the favorite sports of people in Inner Mongolia?
Wrestling, archery, horse racing, and camel racing

23. What is the capital of Inner Mongolia?
Hohhut

24. Describe the flag of Inner Mongolia
The flag is light blue with a canton of vertical stripes in a pattern of red, yellow and white