The term “Middle Kingdom” is thought to have originated in ancient China, possibly as early as the 11th century BCE. Its first known use dates back to the 8th century BCE, when the Chinese philosopher Confucius referred to China as the “Central Kingdom”. The phrase continued to be used throughout the Zhou dynasty (1045-256 BC) and became a commonly accepted name for the region. It was also used in the writings of the Confucian scholar Mencius (372-289 BC) who referred to the country as the “Middle Land”, and by the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD), which officially declared China the “Central State”. The term “Middle Kingdom” eventually became synonymous with China and is still used today to refer to the country.