Re: Why are there so many Chinese people? Why is the population so high there?

Well, when a Chinese woman and a Chinese man love each other 
very much......
      Seriously though, this question could be the basis of a rather 
voluminous book.  I'm afraid I have no definitive answers, yet I can 
point to some possible causes:
      Chinese civilization, at more than 8000 years old, is one of the 
oldest in the world.  They settled their lands earlier, produced 
agriculture, vast food stores and became advanced in technology and 
medicine long before most civilizations, so have had a much longer 
time than most other cultures to become populous.  
      Another reason is that, before its many population booms, much 
of China was (and still is, though not compared with the population) a 
very fertile and resource rich area.   The more resources there are, 
the more people a land can support, at least in the short term. 
     Chinese cultural practices throughout its history also play a part.  
Traditionally, women were married young, which increases the 
possible number of children she can produce.  Polygyny was also 
practiced (particularly by Nobles) in the form of concubines and 
additional wives, which, no doubt, added to the number of children 
that were produced.  
For a much more in-depth synopsis of Chinese history and culture, 
check out this site:  http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/other.html
     Today, China has highly controversial government policies that 
limit every Chinese family to one child, and then only if family 
planning programs deem them fit to reproduce.  Despite these 
measures, China still grows at an estimated rate of 15 million people 
per year.  To find out more about these Chinese population policies, 
check this website out:  http://www.oneworld.org/news/partner_news/china_factsheet3.html
Other countries are poised to overtake the Chinese in numbers, most 
notably India, which recently hit the billion-person mark, and is 
expected to overtake China in 2045.  For more information on 
population issues in general, check out this website:  http://www.zeropopulationgrowth.com/ 
It probably wouldn't hurt to study a little Malthus either:  http://www.trmalthus.com/essay.htm
    Good luck in your quest to answer this formidable question.
			-Paul Barrett
			 Lead Science Demonstrator
			 Pacific Science Center