North China | |
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Northern People's Republic of China region |
|
Area | |
• Total | 2,185,105 km2 (843,674 sq mi) |
Population | |
• Total | 164,823,136 |
• Density | 75/km2 (200/sq mi) |
Northern China or North China (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Huáběi; literally "China's north") is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain, or the Yellow River Plain. North China is usually restricted to the northern part of China proper (inner China and excludes Xinjiang and often Manchuria and the Northeast China.
The vast region in China from the Yellow River Valley south to the Yangtze River was the centre of Chinese empires and home to Confucian civilization. In prehistory and early history, the plain (Henan in particular) is considered the origin of Chinese civilization in official Chinese history. The region cultivated wheat, and most speak Northern Chinese (Mandarin), which includes Beijing dialect, which is largely the basis of Standard Chinese (Mandarin), the official language of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Jin Chinese and Mongolian are also widely spoken. The region remains the political, military, and cultural center of the PRC.
In prehistory, the region was home to the Yangshao and Longshan cultures. Peking man was found near modern day Beijing (Peking).