中国是一个文化、语言、风俗和经济水平都很多样化的地方。 经济格局尤其多样化。大城市如北京，广州和上海是现代的，相对 富裕的。然而，约50%的中国人仍然生活在农村地区，尽管中国只 有10%的土地是可耕地。数百万农村居民仍然依靠体 力劳动或役畜耕作。两三百万农民迁到城镇寻找工作。 一般来说，南部和东部沿海地区比内陆地区更富有，西部和北部， 以及西南部是非常不发达的地区。
China is a very diverse place with large variations in cul?ture, language, customs and economic levels. The economic landscape is particularly diverse. The major cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai are modem and comparatively wealthy. However, about 50% of Chinese still live in rural areas even though only 10% of Chinas land is arable. Hundreds of millions of rural residents still farm with manual labour or draft animals. Some 200 to 300 million former peasants have23?migrated to townships and cities in search of work. Generally the southern and eastern coastal regions are wealthier while inland areas, the far west and north, and the southwest are much less developed.