The civilization of China is one of the oldest in the whole world, and over the centuries (largely due to Confucianism), a large number of children in families have been encouraged in the country. Ethical and philosophical doctrine had a great influence on how the Chinese propagated.
Until the middle of the 20th century, the birth rate was kept at a high level - 5.6 (with a norm of 2.1). Such intensive breeding of the Chinese led to a population explosion.
Population growth in the 20th century
In 1949, the country's population was about 540 million people. In the life of citizens, stability has been established, many industries have developed. But there was no understanding of demographic control in the country. The population growth since the mid-20th century has accelerated rapidly as the Chinese multiplied.
In 1969, the country's population was already 800 million people. And already in these years, the government began to decide on fertility planning in order to control the growth in the number of inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom.
State policy “One family - one child”
For three decades, the Chinese government has controlled how the Chinese reproduced: they have followed the most intimate details and decisions in people's lives. It issued and collected child permits, monitored the menstrual cycles of women, and ordered abortions. And only in 2015 the government of the country cancels its strict birth control policy.
It all started in 1953. It was then that the government began talking about the need to control population growth. But new difficulties arose in the country - conflicts in politics and famine from 1959 to 1961. Ideas to reduce population growth have been put off.
In 1972, the government voiced the principle of "Later, Longer, Less." This meant late weddings, a long time interval between conceiving children and their minimum number. But this was only the beginning, a kind of training for the population. In 1979, the policy “One family - one child” was introduced, which entailed a rapid decrease in the birth rate. Instead of 6-8 children, one family has only one child. The exception included rural residents and national minorities who were allowed to have no more than two children. There are hardly any examples in history of such birth control and a reduction in the number of citizens. This explains why the Chinese bred so slowly in the last years of the 20th century.
After 10 years, the birth rate was recorded somewhere at 1.5. This already demonstrates that the reproduction of the Chinese people has slowed down. For comparison: the usual reproduction of the population fluctuates at around 2.1.
Did it help?
Government policy in China limited families to one child, although many exceptions were made. According to modern estimates by the Chinese government, family policies have prevented about 400 million births since they began to control how the Chinese breed.
Chinese history
Unfortunately, there are no obvious answers to the question why the Chinese breed so fast. Maybe because of Confucianism, maybe for some other reasons, but fate “gave” the country overpopulation and strict birth control.
Chinese civilization began along the Yellow River (Yellow River) in much the same way as the civilization of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
The history of the Middle Kingdom is usually divided into the following main periods: Pre-Imperial, Imperial and New. Pre-imperial China includes the Xia, Shang-Yin and Zhou dynasties. Little information has been preserved about the ruler of the Xia dynasty. In the second half of the 17th century BC she is overthrown, and the ruler of the Shang dynasty comes in her place. But soon she was defeated, the Zhou tribes attacked her.
From 221 BC the imperial period begins, marked by the rule of Emperor Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty, which lasted only one decade, but during this time many important reforms were carried out. At that time, the ancient walls that served as protection were united into the Great Wall of China.
The beginning of a new stage in the history of the country dates back to 1911. It was at that time that the first government of the country was organized, the head of which was Sun Yatsenbysh.
The country will become a constitutional republic in one year. In 1949, Mao Zedong announces the creation of the People's Republic of China.
Resettlement and migration
The population of China is unevenly distributed. In the east of the Middle Kingdom, 90% of the total number of people lives. In the west, where the territory is much larger, only the remaining 10% live.
For centuries, areas of China have been greatly divided. In addition, since the main types of food and durable goods were issued on cards, the population was not very mobile in the country. But this problem has gone away after economic reforms.
The main flows of internal migration pass from the countryside to large cities. People are attracted by large salaries and good living conditions. But several types of temporary migration are also popular:
- Pendulum migration - suburban residents daily go to work in large cities.
- Shuttle migration - rural residents go to work far from home for several months.
External migrations were especially popular in the middle and end of the 19th century. The second wave of migration was shortly before the First World War. The development of industry created a demand for Chinese labor, which was distinguished by its low cost and endurance. In the foreign market, China is an exporter of working people. The number of emigrants from the PRC is approximately 45 million people. Most of them are located in Southeast Asia.
