Manchuria

Manchuria (Manchu: Manju, {{zh-stp |s=满洲 |t=滿洲 |p=Mǎnzhōu}}) is name given to a vast territorial region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria either falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is divided between China and Russia.

Naming

Manchuria is a transliteration of the Chinese word Manzhou (滿洲). After the 1911 revolution in China, which resulted in the collapse of the Manchu "Qing" empire, the name of the region where the Manchus originated, Manzhou or "Manchuria", was replaced by "The Northeast" (Dongbei) in official documents, which is rendered as Northeast China in English.

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In 1932, Japan established a puppet state in Manchuria, known as Manchukuo. As a result, the Chinese name of "Manchuria" (??) continues to provoke a negative reaction from many inhabitants of the region, due to connotations of separatism and collaboration with invaders. The stigma applies only to the geographical term. "Manchu" (??) is considered a legitimate and neutral name for the ethnic group that originated in Manchuria.

Related Topics:
1932 - Japan - Puppet state - Manchukuo - Manchu

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An inhabitant of Northeast China is a "Northeasterner" (Dongbeiren). "The Northeast" is a term that denotes the entire region, encompassing its history, culture, traditions, dialects, cuisines, and so forth. In effect, it replaces the concept of "Manchuria". As such, other provinces in the northeastern part of China (such as Hebei) are not considered to be a part of "the Northeast". This is similar to the situation in the United States, where "The South" usually refers only to the southeastern states and their culture and history, and not to states like California.

Related Topics:
Hebei - United States - The South - California

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