全国

The Chinese word 全国 (quánguó) is composed of two characters: 全 (quán), meaning "all" or "complete," and 国 (guó), meaning "country" or "nation." Together, they form the compound word 全国, which means "the whole country" or "nationwide."The character 全 (quán) is derived from the oracle bone script, which is the earliest known form of Chinese writing. In the oracle bone script, the character 全 is depicted as a person standing with their arms outstretched, representing the idea of completeness or wholeness.The character 国 (guó) is also derived from the oracle bone script. In the oracle bone script, the character 国 is depicted as a walled city, representing the idea of a country or nation.The compound word 全国 (quánguó) first appeared in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 24 CE). It was used to refer to the entire territory of China, which was then known as the Han Empire.Today, the word 全国 is still used to refer to the entire territory of China, which is now known as the People's Republic of China. It is also used to refer to other countries or nations, such as the United States or Japan.