China, an Introduction to the Nation

China is one of the largest countries, both in population and surface. Since it is such a huge country it has everything from fertile river valleys and coastal areas in the south east, the east's and inland's highlands and deserts and steppe lands in the northwest. This variety of natural conditions has led to a very differing demography in the various parts of China. In some areas it is very densely populated, like in Beijing and Shanghai, while other areas are uninhabited, still claimed by vast wilderness. That might change though, since the Chinese population is expanding fast. In just half a century the inhabitants of China has more than doubled and today the country's citizens count to 1,3 billion people. About one fifth of the earths population are Chinese. The population boom has led to the one-child policy. China's leader instituted this policy in the beginning of the 1980s. The one-child policy means that you start to loose societal privileges if you have more then one child. But it has not had the desired dramatic effect. The growth does not seem to plane out until 2030 according to some scientists. The population would then have increased to 1,5 billion people. There are also scientist who believe that it will not plane out until 2050 and they estimate that the inhabitants of China will then have grown to 1,6 billion people.

Another big problem in China today is the large number of migrants within the country's own boarders. Most of these people are from rural areas and they migrate from the economically less developed countryside to the cities. Because a lot of people are doing this there is a surplus of workers in relation to the number of employments. Since so many are desperate for a job the workers become expandable in the employers eyes. When the workers know that there are only so many jobs out there and that a lot of people are looking for one, they can put up with almost anything to keep their job for as long as they need it. This makes them vulnerable to exploitation.

There are large economical gaps in the Chinese society. Poverty in rural areas are widespread while some people in the cities have a much higher living standards. The politicians and the authority does not make things better for those living in the countryside. Illegal taxes, corrupt high-seated-party members, rising prices and the local politicians selling of the land that the farmers lease from the state. This makes the situation, mainly in the rural areas but also in the cities, very unstable and insecure. Adding to the insecurity is the Hukou system, a system for household registration. If you are registered in a rural area and move to the city, you lose rights such as education and healthcare.

In conclusion, China is a country which has had a lot of injustices. The nation still have some way to go before it is a well-functioning democracy, but they are moving in the right direction, even though if it is with baby steps.