But, much of China still lives in poverty. Most people in china still work as farmers or herders. Major crops include wheat and rice. Fishing is also a major industry along the coasts. China has considerable natural resources including coal, lead, zinc, copper, tungsten and gold.
China also has considerable oil reserves.
Historical Highlights Top of Page China has a long history, going back thousands of years. For over 3 thousand years, China was ruled by Emperors and their dynasties. In the early 1200's, the Mongols from Mongolia occupied China, led by Genghis Khan. Kablai Khan, his grandson, established the Yuan dynasty, becoming the first foreign people to rule China. By the mid-1300s, the Yuan dynasty gave way to the Ming dynasty.