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Overpopulation in China Over the years, China’s population has grown and grown to the point to where it is a major nationwide crisis. The Chinese government has formed many possible solutions to try and help this country's population from growing larger and larger in population, but there has still yet to be a solution. (Yahoo News, 3) This is an extremely hard situation to overcome by just snapping one’s fingers. In the Chinese beliefs, large families are a key part of the traditional Chinese culture. Therefore, this predicament calls for more than the government just telling the Chinese citizens to only have one child. (Carnell, 2). Large families were much desired in traditional China. Because many children died before maturity, many were wanted. Some were needed to work on the land to provide old-age security for their parents, to carry on ancestral rites, and to perpetuate the family name. (Seybolt, 209) In Western Europe, as population increased, countries had changed the methods of farming, started new industries, built more factories; so therefore, citizens found new livelihoods. (Mitchison, 23) In 1998, the population growth rate was point eighty-three percent, and the life expectancy for the Chinese was averaged around 69.59 years. (Yahoo News, 2) By February 15, 1995, China’s population had reached 1.2 billion people. Averaging the past few years, the annual birth rates have averaged about 21 million births, with a net increase of 14 million. (Yahoo News, p.1) "The plans for agriculture, industry, education, health, housing, and employment are all influenced by population size and population estimates for the future." (Seybolt, 209) In the country of China, an often-said phrase is: "Too many people, not enough land." (Mitchison, 23) This saying does indeed fit this specific nation with billions of citizens.
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