China is a geographical region in East Asia. It is home to more than a fifth of the world's population. Most of it is known today as the People's Republic of China, but the region's name refers to one of the world's oldest civilizations, dating back almost 5,000 years. Because throughout its history, China has been characterized by repeated overthrows and reinstatements of government, as well as numerous civil wars. China was ruled as an empire until 1912, when the Republic of China, or ROC, was established under Sun Yat-sen. China has been the world's technological leader for centuries, credited with the invention of paper, rockets and other things. However, in the 19th and 20th centuries, China was losing political and economic power. Japan and Western powers were gaining influence, which ultimately led to the evolution of the PRC, or People's Republic of China. China has the fastest growing economy in the world, but it is below an unstable state. This is where the largest urban-rural rich-poor divide is, meaning farmers are poor and people who have jobs in the city are rich. China is also extremely overpopulated, so as a method of population control, families can only have one child. Because of traditional honor, everyone wants male children rather than girls so they can carry on the family name. This has led to a gender imbalance in China, so the government has implemented a program to compensate families who have daughters. China is striving to reform its economy from a centralized to a market-oriented economy. A planned economy is one where decisions regarding production, consumption and allocation of goods are managed by a central government. This essentially means that the government has complete control over what is made, where it goes, how it is made, and how it is used...