Transcript China and Its Neighbors

China and Its
Neighbors
Chapter 17
Beijing Celebrates Being Able
to Host the 2008 Olympics
I. China’s Population
• Peoples Republic of China –
Official name of China
• Largest populated country on
earth with over 1.3 billion people
• Almost 5 times the population of
the United States
Welcome to China
A. Huge Population
• Mao Zedong – Believed that a country’s
power was related to its population
• Believed that China would never have a
population problem because every “person
has one mouth to feed but two hands to
work”
• Overcrowding and hunger were a part of
everyday life for many Chinese people
B. Population Control
• 1960s – Mao called for no families to have
more than two children
• One-Child Policies – Couples are only
allowed to have one child or they lose
certain government benefits
• “Little Emperors” – China’s new population
of pampered and spoiled children
• Most Chinese families favor having male
children over female children
C. Short Chinese History
• Until the 1900s China was ruled by
emperors or empresses
• Dynasty – Line of rulers from the
same family who hold power until
they are overthrown
• 1911 – China’s last dynasty is
overthrown
D. Rise of Communism
• Mao Zedong – Takes control of
China in 1949 and makes it a
communist state
• Based on the ideas of Karl Marx
• China is still a communist country,
but is moving away from traditional
communist beliefs
E. Great Leap
• Communist took land away from the
wealth and gave it to the peasants
• Created huge farms that destroyed
China’s economy
• Over 20 million Chinese starved to
death because of this program
between 1958-1960
F. Cultural Revolution
• Cultural Revolution – Mao wanted to
remove any opposition to his rule and the
communist party
• Red Army – Radical police group that
tried to force Chinese people to give up
their traditions
• People who disagreed with Mao were
beaten or put in jail