China

China

Where Is It? The People's Republic of China is one of the biggest countries in the world. Along with Russia, it makes up a big part of Asia. Many other countries share a border with China.

Beijing is the capital of China. The city is more than three thousand years old. More than fifteen million people live there.

People More than one billion people live in China. More people live in China than in any other country in the world. Seven out of ten Chinese people speak Mandarin. People also speak many other languages, including English. Chinese writing does not use the letters of the English alphabet. Instead, it uses thousands of characters that stand for words or parts of words.

Some people live and work in the tall buildings in China's big cities. Others live on small farms and grow food. More people live in towns and villages than in other places.

Celebrations The Chinese New Year is one of the biggest celebrations in China. It takes place in late January or early February. Many cities hold parades. People dress up in colorful costumes. Some people dress up as lions or dragons. Many Chinese people believe lions and dragons bring good luck. People often shoot off fireworks, too.