China is one of the world’s largest countries, both by land mass and population. It has a rich and fascinating history and has made great contributions to society. Did you know that Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Great Wall in the third century BCE as a way to prevent invasions from barbarian nomads into the Chinese Empire? Or, that an imperial census counted approximately 60 million people in the country in the year 1 CE? Take our China population quiz to learn more!
1. In 2020 China’s population was 1.41 billion. What is China’s population projected to be in 2050?
A. 1.40 billion
B. 1.54 billion
C. 2.21 billion
D. 2.50 billion
2. True or False: Of the world’s current 10 most populous countries, China’s is the only population that is projected to decrease by 2050?
A. True
B. False
3. China is the world’s _____ largest country in terms of land area and the largest country situated entirely in Asia.
A. second
B. third
C. fourth
D. tenth
4. Where is the vast majority of China’s population found?
A. In the North
B. In the South
C. In the West
D. In the East
5. True or False: In 2020, China was the world’s most populous country.
A. True
B. False
6. Judging from the population pyramid below, which was the largest age group in China in 2022?
A. 0-14 years
B. 15-24 years
C. 25-54 years
D. 55-64 years
E. 65 years and over
7. What day is the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China?
A. July 4
B. October 1
C. October 31
D. December 24
*Bonus, in what year was the People’s Republic of China founded?
8. What percentage of China’s population lives in urban areas?
A. 61%
B. 71%
C. 81%
D. 91%
9. China surpassed the United States as the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitter in 2007. Since then China has pledged to put a peak on its growing carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2030. Which fossil fuel is largely responsible for China’s high emissions?
A. Crude oil
B. Coal
C. Natural gas
D. Uranium
10. As of _____ many couples in China are now allowed to have two children, after the country decided to lift its one-child policy.
A. 1996
B. 2002
C. 2015
D. 2016
Answers:
1. A – In 2050 China’s population is projected to be 1.40 billion.
2. B – False. While China’s population is projected to decrease by 2050, so is Russia’s (from 145.8 million in 2022 to 135.8 million in 2050).
3. B – China is the world’s third largest country in terms of land area.
4. D – An overwhelming majority of the population is found in the eastern half of the country. The west is sparsely populated due to vast mountainous and desert areas.
5. A – True, China is the world’s most populous country. However, by 2050, projections estimate that India will surpass China as the world’s most populous country with a population of 1.6 billion.
6. C – The largest age group in China is 25-54 years.
7. B – National Day or, the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, is October 1, 1949.
8. A – 61% of Chinas population lives in urban areas. Major urban areas include, Shanghai with 23.741 million inhabitants; Beijing 20.384 million; Chongqing 13.332 million; Guangdong 12.458 million; Tianjin 11.21 million; Shenzhen 10.749 million.
9. B – Coal. China has large coal reserves landing it at third in the world in terms of total coal reserves behind the United States and Russia.
10. D – As of January 2016 couples are allowed to have two children. The previous “one child policy” had been in place since 1980 and limited couples to having one child.
Updated May 2022
References
Question 1:
United Nations Population Division. (n.d.). Population, total – China. World Bank. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=CN
United Nations Population Division. (2019). World Population Prospects. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Probabilistic/Population/
Question 2:
China population 2022. China Demographics, Maps, Graphs. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/china-population
Russia population 2022. Russia Demographics, Maps, Graphs. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/russia-population
Question 3:
Largest countries in the world 2022. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/largest-countries-in-the-world
Largest countries in the world (by area). Worldometer. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.worldometers.info/geography/largest-countries-in-the-world/
Question 4:
Hu, H. (1982, July 29). An overview of the geographic distribution of the population in China. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12265440/
Question 5:
Chandrashekha, V. (2019, December 12). Why India is making progress in slowing its population growth. Yale E360. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-india-is-making-progress-in-slowing-its-population-growth
Desai, S. (2021, July 11). India’s population data and a tale of two projections. The Hindu. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/indias-population-data-and-a-tale-of-two-projections/article32329243.ece
Question 6:
International database. United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/idb/#/pop?COUNTRY_YEAR=2022&COUNTRY_YR_ANIM=2022&FIPS_SINGLE=BR&FIPS=CH&popPages=BYAGE&POP_YEARS=2022&menu=popViz&ageGroup=5Y
Question 7:
People’s Republic of China marks 72nd Anniversary. (2021, October 1). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-10-01/People-s-Republic-of-China-marks-72nd-anniversary-140Kp1vkDcc/index.html
Faison, S. (1999, October 1). A day of joy and jubilation, all very carefully staged. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/01/world/half-century-china-celebration-day-joy-jubilation-all-very-carefully-staged.html
Question 8:
United Nations Population Division. (n.d.). Urban population (% of total population) – China. World Bank. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS?locations=CN
People society. Austria Forum. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://austria-forum.org/af/Geography/Asia/China/People_Society
Question 9:
Countries with the biggest coal reserves. (2021, November 14). Mining Technology. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.mining-technology.com/analysis/feature-the-worlds-biggest-coal-reserves-by-country/
Question 10:
Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). One-child policy. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/one-child-policy