Jamhuri ya Watu wa China

Uchina, rasmi inajulikana kama Jamhuri ya Watu wa China (PRC), ni nchi kubwa iliyoko Asia ya Mashariki. Ni taifa lenye idadi kubwa zaidi ya watu duniani, zaidi ya bilioni 1.4, ikishika nafasi ya pili kwa idadi ya watu. China inapakana na nchi 14: kaskazini na Mongolia na Urusi, magharibi na Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, na Pakistani, kusini na India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, na Vietnam na mashariki na Korea Kaskazini. Mji wake mkuu ni Beijing na Shanghai ikiwa kitovu cha uchumi. Ikiwa na eneo la takriban kilomita za mraba milioni 9.6, China ni nchi ya nne kwa ukubwa duniani, ikiwa na mandhari mbalimbali kama milima, nyanda za juu, na pwani. 

China inatawaliwa na Chama cha Kikomunisti cha China (CCP), ambacho kimeendeleza mfumo wa chama kimoja cha kisiasa tangu kuanzishwa kwa Jamhuri ya Watu wa China mwaka 1949. Chini ya mfumo huu, nchi imepitia mabadiliko makubwa, hasa kupitia mageuzi ya kiuchumi yaliyoanzishwa mwishoni mwa karne ya 20. Mageuzi haya yalibadilisha uchumi kutoka mfumo wa mipango ya kati kwenda kwenye mfumo unaoongozwa na soko, na kusababisha ukuaji wa haraka wa viwanda, mijini, na ongezeko kubwa la ushawishi wa kiuchumi duniani. Leo, China ni ya pili kwa ukubwa wa uchumi duniani kwa kipimo cha PLT(Pato la taifa) ya kawaida, na ya kwanza kwa kipimo cha Usawa wa nguvu ya ununuzi (PPP).

Mbali na kupanda kwake kiuchumi, China ina nafasi ya kipekee katika masuala ya kimataifa. Ni mwanachama wa kudumu wa Baraza la Usalama la Umoja wa Mataifa na inashiriki kikamilifu katika mashirika ya kimataifa kama Shirika la Biashara Duniani (WTO), kundi la BRICS, na Shirika la Ushirikiano la Shanghai (SCO). Mpango wa Ukanda na Njia (Belt and Road Initiative) ulioanzishwa mwaka 2013 unalenga kuboresha muunganiko wa kanda na ushirikiano wa kiuchumi barani Asia, Afrika, na Ulaya. Licha ya ushawishi wake unaokua, China inakabiliana na changamoto ngumu, ikiwa ni pamoja na uharibifu wa mazingira, mabadiliko ya idadi ya watu, na mvutano wa kikanda, hasa kuhusu Taiwan, Bahari ya China Kusini, na uhusiano wake na mataifa makuu duniani.

 Jiografia 
China ina eneo la kilomita za mraba milioni 9.6 hivyo ni nchi ya tatu au ya nneBaada ya Urusi na Kanada ambazo ni nchi mbili kubwa zaidi, China na Marekani ni karibu sawa; kama maeneo yanayodaiwa na China bila kukubaliwa na majirani yanahesabiwa upande wake basi China ni kubwa kidogo kuliko Marekani kwa ukubwa duniani.

Sura ya nchi inaonyesha tabia tofautitofauti. 

Upande wa kaskazini, mpakani mwa Siberia na Mongolia, kuna maeneo yabisi pamoja na jangwa la Gobi. 

Kinyume chake upande wa kusini, mpakani mwa Vietnam, Laos na Burma, hali ya hewa ni nusutropiki yenye mvua nyingi inayolisha misitu minene. 

Sehemu za magharibi zina milima mingi ambayo ni kati ya milima mirefu duniani kama Himalaya na Tian Shan.

Mashariki ya nchi huwa na tambarare zenye rutuba na hapa ndipo kanda lenye wakazi wengi. 

Upana wa China kati ya kaskazini na kusini ni kilomita 4,200 na kati ya mashariki na magharibi ni kilomita 4,200.

Pwani ina urefu wa kilomita 14,400. 

Kuna mito mikubwa; mrefu zaidi ni Yangtse (km 6,300), Hwangho au Mto Njano, Xi Jiang au mto wa Magharibi, Mekong, Mto wa Lulu, Brahmaputra na Amur. Mito hiyo yote ina vyanzo vyake katika milima mikubwa yenye usimbishaji mwingi, ikibeba maji kwenda tambarare pasipo mvua nyingi. 

Jiografia hiyo ilikuwa chanzo cha kilimo cha umwagiliaji na kukua kwa madola ya kwanza. 

Kutokana na madawa ya kilimo na maji machafu ya viwanda, mito na maziwa ya China hupambana na machafuko makali; mwaka 2007 ziwa Tai lilisafishwa kwa gharama kubwa mno kwa sababu maji hayakufaa tena kwa mahitaji ya binadamu (maji ya bomba).

 Hali ya hewa 
Kuna kanda 18 za hali ya hewa zinazoonyesha tofauti kubwa kati yake. Upande wa magharibi, kaskazini na kaskazini-mashariki huwa na majira yenye joto kali na baridi kali. Upande wa kusini ina tabia ya tropiki au nusutropiki. Tibet huwa na hali ya hewa kulingana na kimo chake juu ya mita 4,000.

Ramani ya usimbishaji inaonyesha ya kwamba kilimo kinawezekana katika nusu ya kusini na kusini-mashariki ya nchi tu. Upande wa kaskazini na magharibi mvua ni chache mno. Mstari mwekundu unaonyesha mpaka na juu yake usimbishaji ni chini ya milimita 390 kwa mwaka.

 Historia 

Historia ya China ni ya maelfu ya miaka na inachukuliwa kuwa mojawapo ya ustaarabu wa kale zaidi unaoendelea duniani. Ushahidi wa kiakiolojia wa shughuli za mwanadamu wa mwanzo katika eneo hilo unarudi zaidi ya miaka milioni moja, huku makazi ya zama za mawe mapya (Neolithic) kama yale ya tamaduni za Yangshao na Longshan yakitokea katika mabonde ya Mto Yellow kufikia mwaka 5000 KK. Dola la Xia lenye hadithi za kale, lilifuatiwa na Dola za Shang na Zhou, na lilianzisha historia ya China iliyorekodiwa, ambapo Dola la Zhou liliingiza mfumo wa kifalme na dhana yenye ushawishi mkubwa ya "Mamlaka ya Mbinguni" (Mandate of Heaven).

Muungano wa China chini ya Dola la Qin mwaka 221 KK uliweka msingi wa utawala wa kifalme. Mfalme Qin Shi Huang alikusanya mamlaka, kuweka viwango vya mizani, vipimo, na maandishi, na kuanzisha miradi mikubwa ya miundombinu kama Ukuta Mkubwa. Dola la Han (206 KK – 220 BK) lilimrithi Qin na kupanua wigo wa himaya huku likiimarisha Confucianismkama falsafa rasmi ya serikali. Baada ya karne za kugawanyika na kuibuka na kuanguka kwa falme mbalimbali, Dola za Tang na Song ziliileta China kipindi cha ustawi, uvumbuzi, na maendeleo ya tamaduni.

Dola la Yuan (1271–1368), lililoanzishwa na Wamonogoli chini ya Kublai Khan, lilifuatiwa na Dola la Ming (1368–1644) na Dola la Qing (1644–1912). Dola la Qing lilikuwa dola ya mwisho ya kifalme ya China, ambalo baadaye lililazimika kuanguka kutokana na mapinduzi ya ndani, uvamizi wa mataifa ya kigeni, na makubaliano yaliyolazimishwa na nguvu za Magharibi. Kuanguka kwa Qing mwaka 1912 kulizusha kuanzishwa kwa Jamhuri ya China. Hata hivyo, miongo kadhaa ya vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe na uvamizi wa kigeni, ikiwa ni pamoja na uvamizi wa Kijapani wakati wa Vita Vikuu vya Pili vya Dunia, vilileta ukosefu wa utulivu katika taifa hilo.

Mnamo mwaka 1949, baada ya ushindi wa Chama cha Kikomunisti cha China katika Vita vya Kiraia vya China, Jamhuri ya Watu wa China ilitangazwa chini ya Mao Zedong, wakati serikali ya kitaifa ikihamia Taiwan. Katika utawala wa Kikomunisti, China ilipitia mabadiliko makubwa ya kisiasa, kijamii, na kiuchumi, ikiwa ni pamoja na Mpango wa Kukimbilia Mbele na Mapinduzi ya Kitamaduni. Kuanzia mwishoni mwa miaka ya 1970, chini ya Deng Xiaoping na viongozi waliomfuata, China ilikubali mageuzi ya soko huru, na kuibuka kuwa mojawapo ya uchumi mkubwa duniani huku ikidumisha utawala wa chama kimoja.

 Siasa 
Serikali ya China inatawala kwa mfumo wa udikteta chini ya uongozi wa Chama cha Kikomunisti ya China. Kuna vyama vidogo pia, lakini hivi havina umuhimu wowoteː vinasimamiwa na Wakomunisti, hivyo hali halisi ni mfumo wa chama kimoja. 

Kikatiba chombo kikuu ni Bunge la umma la China linalomchagua rais, serikali, mahakama kuu, kamati kuu ya kijeshi na mwanasheria mkuu. Lakini hali halisi maazimio yote ya bunge ni utekelezaji tu wa maazimio ya uongozi wa chama cha Kikomunisti. 

Uongozi huo ni kundi dogo la wakubwa wa chama na jeshi. Mwanasiasa muhimu ni Xi Jinping. Kwa sasa yeye anaunganisha vyeo vya Katibu Mkuu wa Chama cha Kikomunisti, Rais wa Jamhuri ya Watu wa China na mwenyekiti wa Kamati Kuu ya Kijeshi. Kwa jumla katika mapokeo ya Kikomunisti vyeo vya chama ni muhimu kuliko vyeo vya serikali ingawa katiba na sheria inasema tofauti.

Kuna pia "maeneo yenye utawala wa pekee" ambayo ni Hongkong na Macau. Katika miji hiyo miwili, iliyokuwa makoloni ya Uingereza na Ureno, kuna uhuru wa kisiasa na wa uandishi, uchaguzi huru na upinzani kwa kiasi fulani, lakini maeneo yana tu madaraka kadhaa ya kujitawala kwa mambo ya ndani.

 Demografia 
China ikiwa na wakazi milioni 1,400 (Januari 2020) ni nchi yenye watu wengi zaidi duniani. Historia yake yote iliona tena na tena vipindi vya njaa kutokana na idadi kubwa ya watu wake. Msongamano wa watu kwa wastani ni wakazi 145 kwa kilomita ya mraba. Lakini tofauti ziko kubwa kati ya miji mikubwa ambako milioni 115 wanakaa kwenye eneo la km² 50,000 na Tibet yenye watu 2 tu kwa kilomita ya mraba.

Zaidi ya asilimia 90 za wakazi wote wanakaa katika theluthi ya kusini-mashariki ya nchi yenye mvua ya kutosha. Ndani ya theluthi hiyo ni nusu ya Wachina wote wanaosongamana kwenye asilimia 10 za China yote, maana yake katika 10% hizi kuna msongamano wa watu 740 kwa km².

Wakazi walio wengi ni Wahan au Wachina wenyewe. Wanatumia hasa lahaja mbalimbali za lugha ya Kichina. Pamoja na Wahan kuna makabila 55 yaliyotambuliwa na serikali. Kwa jumla lugha hai ni 292 ambazo zinahusika na makundi mbalimbali ya lugha (angalia orodha ya lugha za China).
 Dini 
Serikali inafuata rasmi ukanamungu, lakini inaruhusu dini kwa kiasi fulani. Pamoja na hayo, dhuluma zinaendelea dhidi ya madhehebu mbalimbali. Takwimu hazieleweki, pia kwa sababu kabla ya Ukomunisti kupinga dini, hasa wakati wa Mapinduzi ya utamaduni, watu waliweza kuchanganya mafundisho na desturi za Ukonfusio, Utao na Ubuddha. Leo wanaoendelea kufanya hivyo wanakadiriwa kuwa asilimia 30-80 za wakazi. Wabuddha ni 6-16%, Wakristo (hasa Waprotestanti, halafu Wakatoliki na kidogo Waorthodoksi) ni 2-4%, Waislamu ni 1-2%.

 Tazama pia 
 Majimbo ya China
 Orodha ya nasaba za Kichina
 Orodha ya nchi kufuatana na wakazi

Tanbihi

 Marejeo 


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Viungo vya nje

 China at a Glance from People's Daily
 BBC News – China Profile

 China, People's Republic of from UCB Libraries GovPubs

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 Interesting China facts

Serikali
 The Central People's Government of People's Republic of China
 China Internet Information Center —Authorized government portal site to China

Masomo
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Utalii
 China National Tourist Office (CNTO)

Ramani
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Dini
 Buddhist Association of China
China Confucian Philosophy
China Confucian Religion 
 China Confucian Temples 
 Chinese Taoist Association
 China Ancestral Temples Network 
 China Temples and Monasteries Network 
 Living in the Chinese Cosmos, Asia for Educators, Columbia University.

Media
 Euraxess Science Slam: Meihuaquan and Community Life in North China
 eRenlai Ricci: The boundary between religion and the state in China by Prof. Lagerwey
 GBTimes: THE DEBATE: Insight into religion in modern China (part 1)—Part 2
 Berkeley Center: Ritual Economy and Religious Revivial in Rural Southeast China
 Berkeley Center: Secularization Theory and the Study of Chinese Religions
 Berkeley Center: Understanding Contemporary Religious Pluralism in China


Jamii:Nchi za Asia
Jamii:Nchi
Jamii:Nchi za G20
Jamii:Asia ya Mashariki