South East Asia - governments

South East Asia - governments

China

• China spans much of east Asia.

• It is the world's most populous country.

• It is also one of the largest countries in terms of area.

• China has a population of more than 1.3 billion people.

• Most Chinese speak Mandarin (or North Chinese), which is the official language. 

China - Religions

• Traditionally, the Chinese people have practiced Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

• There are also small Christian and Muslim groups, although religion has been officially banned since the communist takeover in 1949. 

China - Info.

The capital of the country is Beijing, located in northeast China. Because of its great size, China is made up of two distinct climatic zones. The north and west are semidesert or desert; this means that these areas are subject to extreme temperature variations. The south and southeast are warmer and more humid and receive rainfall all year. Monsoons in summer bring rain to most of the country. Extreme weather such as droughts and floods are common.

Multiple Choice

What is the official language in China?

• Chinese

• Japanese

• Mandarin

• English

Multiple Choice

What is China's population?

• Around 1.3 million

• Around 1.3 billion

• Around 3.1 million

• Around 3.1 billion

Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong founded communist China in 1949, and ruled the country until his death in 1976. After Mao's death, the country began a process of economic reform and modernization that has continued until the present. As a result of these reforms, the country has emerged to become one of the world's dominant economies.

China -

Despite China's transition to a capitalist-style, free-market economy, the government is still authoritarian. This means that one ruling party (the Chinese Communist Party) maintains total control of all aspects of government and society. For example, from 1979 until 2015, the government restricted families from having more than one child as part of its controversial "one-child" policy. The policy was put in place to limit the growth of the population. Those that violated the policy were punished with fines, forced abortions, and other measures.

China - Government

• Today, the Chinese government has been widely criticized by the international community for its censorship of the media and crackdown on those who speak out against the government.

Multiple Choice

What type of government does China have?

• Democratic

• Parliamentary Democracy

• Authoritarian/Communist

• Presidential Democracy

Japan - Background

According to legend, Japan was founded in 600 BCE by the Emperor Jimmu. Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. The emperor serves as a ceremonial symbol of state. The head of government is the prime minister, who leads the cabinet and must hold a parliamentary majority. The current emperor is Emperor Naruhito. The prime minister is Yoshihide Suga.

Multiple Choice

What type of government does Japan have?

• Presidential democracy

• Parliamentary Democracy

• Autocracy

Constitution - Japan

The 1947 Constitution renounces war and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces for use outside the country, although Japan has since created its own Self-Defense Forces and recently approved the limited use of Japanese troops in foreign operations. In addition, the constitution provides for numerous civil rights, including freedom of thought and conscience, free and equal education, and freedom of the press. The document declares that Japan is a constitutional monarchy and reflects the fact that the emperor is no longer perceived as a divine being, stating instead that his power derives from the people. Amendments to the constitution require a two-thirds majority in the Diet (legislature).

Japan - Emperor

The emperor is the ceremonial head of state. Executive powers are vested exclusively in the cabinet, which consists of a prime minister and the ministers he or she appoints. The prime minister, who is the majority party leader, is appointed by the emperor upon nomination by the Diet. The prime minister appoints the other members of the cabinet, all of whom must be members of the legislature. The cabinet is responsible to the Diet and must resign if the House of Representatives (the lower house) passes a vote of no-confidence.

Multiple Choice

What is the emperor of Japan's official title?

• President

• Dictator

• Head of State

• Head of Parliament

India - Background

India gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947. The Republic of India is a federal republic with a democratic parliamentary system of government. The central government holds more power than the states. The president is the constitutional chief of state and the premier is the head of government. The current president is Ram Nath Kovind and Narendra Modi is the prime minister.

India - Constitution

Promulgated on January 26, 1950, the present Indian Constitution establishes a federal system with parliamentary forms of government patterned largely on the British model at both state and national levels. The Constitution bans the caste system, as well as the premise of "untouchability'' (in which a certain hereditary group was considered "unclean'' and therefore not allowed to come into contact with higher castes), although some of these social traditions are still practiced. The Constitution may be amended by a law passed by both houses of the federal Parliament and ratified by a majority of the 25 state legislatures.

India - Executive

The Constitution vests executive authority in the president (head of state), although his or her powers may be exercised only with the advice of the prime minister (head of government) and the Council of Ministers (cabinet). The president is elected to a five-year term by an electoral college made up of elected members of the federal Parliament and state legislatures.

Multiple Choice

What type of government does India have?

• Parliamentary Democracy

• Presidential Democracy

• Autocracy

• Monarchy