Transcript CHINA - TeacherWeb

1,321,851,888 Billion
PEOPLE
301,139,947 Million
PEOPLE
CHINA : highest point --- Mount Everest 8,850 m
USA : highest point --- Mount McKinley 6,198 m
China's national flag was adopted in September, 1949. This flag was first flown in
Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949 - the day of the founding of the People's
Republic of China.
The rectangular flag has a red field with five golden-yellow stars
(each with five points) in the upper left corner.
The star on the left is larger than the other four.
The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution.
The large star symbolizes the Communist Party (which rules China) and the smaller
stars represent the people of China.
The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China.
In Chinese the wall is called "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng" which means 10,000-Li Long Wall After
Armies were stationed along the wall as a first line of defense against the invading nomadic Hsiung Nu tribes north of
China (the Huns). Signal fires from the Wall provided early warning of an attack.
The Great Wall is one of the largest building construction projects ever completed.
It stretches across the mountains of northern China, winding north and northwest of Beijing.
It is constructed of masonry, rocks and packed-earth.
The Great Wall can be seen from Earth orbit, but, contrary to legend, is not visible from the moon, according to
astronauts Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, and Jim Irwin.
Ancient China was one of the earliest centers of human civilization. Chinese civilization was also
one of the few to invent writing independently, the others being Mesopotamia, Indus Valley
Civilization, Maya Civilization, Ancient Greece (Minoan Civilization), and Ancient Egypt.
A corner tower of the Forbidden City at
night; the palace served as the
residence for the imperial family since
the reign of the Yongle Emperor of the
Ming Dynasty in the 15th century, up
until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in
1912.
Expansion of China
China is the second largest country in Asia by area after Russia, and is considered
the third or fourth largest in the world in respect to land-and-sea area.
EAST --
DENSLY POPULATED plains along the shore w/ DELTA regions and rivers
NORTH – Flat, Plains region with large grasslands
WEST –
Major mountain regions – The HIMALAYAS and plateau regions
SOUTH- HILL COUNTRY and small mountain ranges
GOBI DESERT
The Gobi desert is a cold desert, and it is not
uncommon to see frost and occasionally snow on its
dunes.
It is the source of many important fossil finds, including
the first dinosaur eggs.
There are lots of goats/livestock in the area due to
nomadic herders.
DESERTIFICATION is growing at an alarming rate.
Communist control
Karl Marx
Communism is a socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of a
classless, stateless society based on common ownership of the means of production
The Communist Party of China, led by Mao Zedong, gained control of most
of the Mainland China. On October 1, 1949, they established the People's
Republic of China, laying claim as the successor state of the ROC.
China's economy during the last 25 years has changed from a
centrally planned system that was largely closed to
international trade to a more market-oriented economy that
has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in
the global economy.
LARGER DEMAND FOR :
 OIL,
STEEL,
FABRIC,
FOOD,
NATURAL RESOURCES,
WATER
High levels of LEAD found in Children’s toys
imported from CHINA …
Why is lead paint — or lead, for that
matter — turning up in so many
recalls involving Chinese-made
goods?
The simplest answer, experts and toy
companies in China say, is price.
Paint with higher levels of lead often
sells for a third of the cost of paint
with low levels.
So Chinese factory owners, trying to
eke out profits in an intensely
competitive and poorly regulated
market, sometimes cut corners and
use the cheaper leaded paint.
Child Labor in China
China’s child labor is a huge problem, and there is clear evidence that child labor is
increasing in China.
Although there is no official figure on the number of children working in China, it is
estimated by many that of the 10 million children out of school, over 5 million are
working in factories.
Also, in the last few years, the rate of children kidnapped has increased rapidly. It is
believed that the children kidnapped are sold off to factories to work.
For example, in 1994, about 48 Chinese brick-shop-workers kidnapped over 100 children.
The children were forced to work 10 hours a day, but with no wage whatsoever.
Which products are made in sweatshops?
Shoes
Many types of shoes are made in sweatshops. However, the biggest problem is found with
sneakers and athletic shoes.
Most athletic shoes are made in sweatshops in Asian countries.
Child labor is also very common in the shoe industry.
Clothing
Clothing is very often made in sweatshops and with the use of child labor.
In the U.S. the majority of garment workers are immigrant women that work 60-80 hours a
week, usually without minimum wage or overtime pay. Overseas, garment workers routinely
make less than a living wage, working under extremely oppressive conditions.
Rugs
A lot of child labor is used in the rug industry. Nearly one million children are illegally
employed making hand-knotted rugs worldwide.
Approximately 75% of Pakistan's carpet weavers are girls under 14.
Toys
A lot of toys are made in sweatshops and by child labor. Especially toys made in countries
like China, Malaysia, Thailand or Vietnam. The average North American toy maker earns
$11 an hour. In China, toy workers earn an average of 30 cents an hour.
China Blue takes us inside a blue-jeans factory,
where children are trying to survive a harsh working
environment.
When the factory owner agrees to a deal with his
Western client that forces his teenage workers to
work around the clock, a confrontation becomes
inevitable.
To avoid getting fined for falling asleep, Jasmine (17)
and Liping (14) use clothespins that keep their eyes
open.
Shot clandestinely in China, under difficult
conditions.
China and the international retail companies
don’t want us to see – how the clothes we
buy are actually made.
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