China

China

China: An Amazing Country! If you were to travel west to the edge of the Pacific Ocean, you'd come to Asia. Asia is the largest continent on the planet, with more land and people than anywhere else in the world. Asia is also home to one of the biggest, most diverse countries in the world--China.

China has an incredible mix of people, landscapes, and wildlife. It is the third largest country in the world (only Russia and Canada are bigger). And it has the largest population in the world. In fact, one out of every five people in the world live in China- that's more than 1. 3 billion people!

China is also a country alive with art, music, dance, food, and celebrations. And it's known for amazing cultural sites--from temples and palaces to statues, canals, and the longest hand-built wall in the world. The Chinese also have a long, rich history of learning and inventing. They were the first people to make and use paper, ink, writing, silk cloth, printing, kites, porcelain, gunpowder, the compass, and much more.

Wild China One thing that makes China special is that it has many different kinds of natural places. There are rugged mountain peaks, rocky deserts, tropical forests, and lush valleys. And because China is such a big country with so many different habitats, it has many different kinds of living things. There are giant pandas in the bamboo forests of central China. There are tigers and monkeys in the tropical forests in the south. And there are all kinds of animals and plants that live in and near China's many rivers and streams- including the giant salamander.

Unfortunately, China's population has grown so quickly that many plants and animals are losing their habitats. For example, scientists say there are fewer than 1, 600 pandas left in the wild. The bamboo forests where pandas live are being cut down for farming and houses.