Population Distribution

The overall population density for China in 2004 amounted to 359 individuals per square mile; although, this figure doesn't accurately reflect the widely varying population concentrations among the country's regions. Under closer examination it's clearly evident that a majority of the Chinese population is focused in what's called the heartland of the country. This region in eastern China is marked by fertile plains, plateaus and basins which make it the foremost food producing land in the entire country. Typical metropolis population densities in eastern China can top 5,800 persons per square mile.

On the other hand, the landscapes of the western regions are less favorable consisting mostly of steep mountains with unforgiving climates; thus making it difficult to live in this area, which is reflected by the low population concentration figure of 26 individuals per square mile.

To prevent further crowding in the east, the Chinese Communist Party instituted a policy in the 1950's that required individuals to obtain permission from the police before they could move.

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Initially this was enforced because of the scarcity of jobs in urban centers. The government's policy changed during the 1970's when urban demand for unskilled workers skyrocketed. Out of necessity to fuel China's booming economy, the government became more lenient with regard to urban migration. To assist in the development of the eastern city's infrastructures, short-term migration was allowed. Searching for employment and a better way of life, many Chinese that once lived in the countryside flooded the cities.

This has resulted in a dual class system within many cities, which is comprised of an upper class that primarily works for state-supported organizations and a lower class consisting of migrant workers that fulfill the construction and low-level service job needs.

Although this transformation has taken place, it's apparent that significant segments of the Chinese people still prefer the rural lifestyle because as of 2002, 62 percent of the overall population lived in a country setting.

Ethnic Groups

There are many ethnic groups and nationalities in China although a vast majority (92 percent) is considered to be ethnic Han. When the people of northern and central China absorbed the inhabitants of southern China a shared culture was developed. This shared culture was based on similar values that were held between the two peoples. These values were primarily derived from the teachings of Confucius. They also had a mutual written language and a coordinated agricultural system that provided them with wheat, rice and other grains.

Although the northern and central Chinese were accepting of the southerners, the same respect wasn't held for many of their surrounding neighbors. This included groups of Mongols in the north and northwest, Muslim Turkics in the west, Manchus in the northeast and Tibetans in the west and southwest whom they considered uncivilized. Traditionally the Chinese have kept to themselves unless it was agriculturally advantageous to associate with other societies.

Many of these nearby societies have adopted the Chinese way of life over the centuries. The more populous groups, out of the 55 ethnic Chinese nationalities, that have been acculturated include the Zhuang, Hui, Uygur, Mongol, and Tibetan peoples. The minorities that have been integrated into the Chinese culture also enjoy the benefits that go along with this status such as improved nutrition, medicine, and opportunities for further economic development. Some cultures have rejected integration attempts though. The Koreans and Vietnamese are among those that have refused to accept Chinese acculturation. Even though the Korean and Vietnamese civilizations are considered to be separate entities under their own rule, they have retained what can best be described as an intimate relationship with the Han people.

It's important to note that outburst along China's borders, where many of the country's minorities live, are not all that uncommon. For example, an uprising occurred after the Chinese occupied Tibet in the 1950's. The Chinese military took a strong-arm approach to overpower the Tibetan unrest, which included the exiling of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The international community has widely denounced this response and other actions taken by the Chinese government to repress their minority groups although it's projected that it will be a long time before these oppressive policies change.

Language

Mandarin, pu tong hua in Chinese, is the official national language of China and is spoken by approximately 70 percent of the country's population. There are many Mandarin dialects that are mutually unintelligible. Similar in nature to the various Romance languages in Europe, French, Italian, and Spanish, the dialects are related but each is a separate language.

The dialects are dissimilar to others in that they share a single common written form using exactly the same characters. This commonality is due in part to the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to standardize the Chinese language. As a result of these efforts, many of the Chinese characters have been simplified. This simplification has also expanded to include many of the unique minority languages that now have written scripts based on the pinyin method of Romanization for transliteration. The pinyin method is also frequently employed to transliterate Chinese words for diplomatic, official and media purposes.

The differentiation between the regional dialects lies within the pronunciation of the characters. Consequently, each dialect assigns a unique tone for a given word, making their spoken forms unintelligible. Differences between the spoken Chinese dialects are most distinguished among the regions of southern China. The dialects provide each region a separate identity and to some degree ethnic distinction among the Han people.

Today, English is often mandatory part of the curriculum in many schools although the same cannot be said of previous generations. As a result, there are relatively few people in China that speak English well, compared to other nationalities. Therefore, it's often recommended that business people and tourist know some Mandarin Chinese to carry on conversations more smoothly. Spoken Mandarin is considered to be relatively simple grammatically so it shouldn't take too long to get the basics down. Plus, foreigners who take the time to learn the Chinese language are usually granted a warmer welcome.

Religion and Philosophy Prior to 1949, Chinese people practiced Confucianism, Taoism (Daoism), and Buddhism. Individuals often practiced these distinct schools of thought in parallel with one another as opposed to Western ideologies where a single religion is typically followed. Thus, Chinese people have historically been very flexible about accepting new ideas and or gods into their dogma.

In 1949, when the Communist took control over China, organized religion was officially banned because it was considered to be incompatible with Communism. Atheism is professed by the Chinese communist government today. Although, the latest constitution drafted in 1982, allows for religious freedom. This freedom was granted in an effort to improve the strained ethnic minority relationships with Muslims and Buddhist. There are a small number of Chinese citizens who practice Christianity; however, it's primarily done in secrecy because this religion isn't covered as one of the officially sanctioned legitimate religions.

It's important to note that Confucianism isn't a religion but more of an ethical system or social conduct code that has shaped the lives of Chinese citizens for more than 2,000 years. Confucian teachings stress obedience to and respect for superiors and parents, duty to family, loyalty to friends, humility, sincerity, and courtesy, which if followed will lead to personal salvation. It's theorized that doing business with China can be cost effective because Confucian ideology is so deeply embedded in the lives of its citizens that they unconsciously function in a Confucian manner. Thus the honesty, loyalty and the utmost respect for proper social relationships that go along with Confucian tenants can be favorable when trying to develop new business relationships in China as long as the foreign organizations adhere to these same principles.

Education

Education has had a major affect on China's cultural tradition although its role of importance has changed dramatically in the last few decades. Once the People's Republic of China was founded, the education of its citizens became of extreme importance because the government understood the pivotal role it played for the future economic and social development of the country. Although the Cultural Revolution had a major negative impact on China's educational programs for approximately a decade, the barriers have since been removed.

Today access to primary and secondary education is available to everyone. Primary education in China starts at age 7 and lasts until they are 12 when secondary education begins. Secondary schooling then lasts for another 5 years after which a student may apply for higher education. The following chart illustrates the education system in China as of 2001.