China is a united and multi-national country, which is also one of the most populous ones in the world. At present, there are 1.3 billion people from 56 nationalities in China.
China has one of the world's oldest civilizations and has the oldest continuous civilization. It has archaeological evidence dating back over 5,000 years. China was one of the largest and most advanced civilizations for most of the last two millennia; until the 1850s when it missed the industrial revolution.
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| The nationalities in China include: Han, Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Bouyei, Korean, Manchu, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Kazakh, Dai, Li, Lisu, Va, She, Gaoshan, Lahu, Shui, Dongxiang, Naxi, Jingpo, Kirgiz, Tu, Dahur, Mulao, Qiang, Bulang, Sala, Maonan, Gelo, Sibo, Achang, Pumi, Tajik, Nu, Ozbek, Russian, Owenke, Deang, Baoan, Yugu, Jing, Tartar, Dulong, Oroqen, Hezhe, Monba, Luoba, Jinuo. In addition, there are a few people from unidentified nationalities in China. |
| In China, Han people accounts for about 92 percent of the whole population and the rest of the people from other nationalities over 8 percent. The 55 nationalities except Han are usually called minority nationalities because of their relatively smaller population size compared with Han people, and most of them live in the northwest, southwest and northeast of China. |
During the long process of historical development, many people from various minority nationalities gradually get used to living in compact communities in areas mainly populated by Han people. Except Hui and Manchu people who commonly speak Chinese, the rest of the minority nationalities use their own languages or Chinese. Over the years, people from the 56 nationalities labor and multiply in the vast area of 9.6 million square kilometers and all of them have made their own contribution to China’s splendid civilization in the long period of history.
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