Chinese civilization: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:21, 7 December 2004

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China is the world's oldest continuous civilization, with a history characterized by repeated divisions and reunifications amid alternating periods of peace and war, and violent [[Chinese dynasty|dynastic]] change. Power was generally concentrated in the hands of the [[Chinese emperor|emperor]], but sometimes shifted to powerful officials or regional warlords. The country's territorial extent varied according to its shifting fortunes. For many centuries, most notably from the [[7th century|7th]] through the [[14th century|14th centuries]], China stood as the world's most advanced civilization and as East Asia's dominant cultural influence. During the 19th and early 20th centuries the country was too weak to repel European [[colonialism]] and [[Japan]]ese invasion, while at the same time suffering internal conflicts which led to its continuing division. A [[Communist Party of China|Communist]] victory in the [[Chinese Civil War]] established the People's Republic of China in the mainland while the [[Kuomintang|Nationalists]] held out in Taiwan.

The country's [[population]] of over one billion people makes up a fifth of the world's population and is overwhelmingly of the [[Han Chinese]] ethnicity. Their language, [[Chinese language|Chinese]], is divided into many [[Chinese spoken language|spoken variations]]. TheirThese languagespoken islanguages spoken andare used today in modern society and in many countriesparts acrossof Europe and America.

==Terminology==