Names of China

Names Of China

In China, common names for China include Zhonghua (中华/中華) and Zhongguo (中国/中國), while Han (汉/漢) and Tang (唐) are common names given for the Chinese ethnicity. Other names include Huaxia, Shenzhou and Jiuzhou. The People's Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China ("Taiwan") are official names given for the two contemporary sovereign states currently claiming sovereignty over the traditional area of China. "Mainland China" is used to refer to areas under the jurisdiction by the PRC usually excluding Hong Kong and Macau.

In other parts of the world, many names of China exist, mainly transliterations of the dynasties "Qin" or "Jin" (e.g. China, Sino), and Han or Tang. There are also names for China based on a certain ethnic group other than Han, much like the Western rendering of all Arabs as "Saracens". Examples include "Cathay" based on the Khitan and "Tabgach" based on the Tuoba.

Read more about Names Of China:  Sinitic Names, Names in Non-Chinese Records

Famous quotes containing the words names and/or china:

    I introduced her to Elena, and in that life-quickening atmosphere of a big railway station where everything is something trembling on the brink of something else, thus to be clutched and cherished, the exchange of a few words was enough to enable two totally dissimilar women to start calling each other by their pet names the very next time they met.
    Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)

    The awakening of the people of China to the possibilities under free government is the most significant, if not the most momentous, event of our generation.
    Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)