About China
History
Although the earliest dynasties stretch back into the third millennium BC, it was not until 221 BC that a large part of China first came under unified rule. Emperor Qin Shihuang conquered a number of neighboring states, set up his capital near present-day Xian and established a centralized imperial system that was to last 2,200 years.
The Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) and Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) saw the unification of a written language and legal code, the creation of an imperial university (124 BC) and the development of organized agriculture and industry. The Han organised taxation and compulsory military/labor service, running a vast bureaucracy and highly efficient data collection system. Surviving Han censuses and other historical records written on strips of wood and bamboo provide a remarkable insight into life at the time. The success of the Han in creating a national identity is reflected in the name 'Han Chinese' given to the vast majority of today's mainland population.
The next great era for China was the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), an outward-looking period of expansion and liberalism that built on the old Han administrative system to create a vast hierarchical pyramid with the emperor at the top. Chinese influence extended westwards along trading routes such as the Silk Road into Central Asia and down into India.
Good relations were established with the Tibetans and elements of Chinese society and culture borrowed by Japan and Korea. At home, agricultural techniques improved as wet-rice cultivation shifted further south, raising production levels. At this time, the national population was over 60 million, with the capital, Xi'an, containing over one million inhabitants
General Information:-
| President |
Mr. Hu Jintao |
| Prime Minister |
Mr. Wen Jia Bao |
| Capital |
Beijing |
| Area |
9.5 million Sq Km |
| Climate |
Extremly diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north |
| Natural Resources |
Coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tungsten, antimony, maganese, vanadium, molybdenum, aluminium, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest) |
| Population & its structure |
1.24 billion
93% Han Chinese, 55 recognised minorities |
| Legislative Body |
National People's Congress and its standing Committe exercise legislative power |
| Official Languages |
Standard Chinese & Mandarin |
| Major Industrial Cities |
Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Guangzhou |
| Currency |
Yuan / Renminbi (BMB) |
| Bank Exchange Rate (Nov '99) |
1 US$ = 8.27 RMB |
| Inflation |
2% (approx) |
| Legal System |
A complex amalgam of custom and statue; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal and commercial law |
| GDP: Purchasing Power Parity |
$4.42 trillion (approx) |
| GDP - real growth rate |
7.8% (approx) |
| GDP - per capita |
$3600 (approx) |
| GDP - Composition by sector |
Agriculture - 19%
Industry - 49%
Services - 32% |
Energy
The World Bank approves:
The Renewable Energy Development a US$100 million loan and US$35 million equivalent grant will use wind-generated electricity to increase the power supply to those already receiving electricity and will use photovoltaic, or solar-generated, electricity to supply schools, households, and small businesses in the poorest parts of northwest rural China with electricity. The project consists of two parts-the first involves the use of solar-powered energy to provide isolated rural populations in the poor northwestern regions with electricity. Individual homes, shops, and schools in rural China will be equipped with solar panels that will generate electricity that could be stored and used during evening and night time hours. The second aspect of the project will increase the supply of electricity to local communities in four selected provinces-Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Fujian, and Shanghai-and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the construction and operation of windfarms at five strategically chosen sites.
Loan Terms: Maturity=20 years, grace period=5 years, commitment fee=0.75 percent, front-end fee on Bank loan=1 percent, LIBOR-based, single currency.
