The 12-year cycle is an approximation to the 11.86-year orbital period of Jupiter, the largest planet of the Solar System.It and its variations remain popular in many Asian countries including China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, and Thailand.
The Chinese zodiac is called 生肖 or Shēngxiào in Mandarin. Identifying this scheme using the generic term "zodiac" reflects several superficial similarities to the Western zodiac: both have time cycles divided into 12 parts, each labels at least the majority of those parts with names of animals, and each is widely associated with a culture of ascribing a persons personality or events in his or her life to the supposed influence of the persons particular relationship to the cycle.
Nevertheless, there are major differences which render the term inaccurate: the animals of the Chinese zodiac are not associated with constellations spanned by the ecliptic plane. The Chinese 12-part cycle corresponds to years, rather than months.
The Chinese zodiac is represented by 12 animals, whereas some of the signs in the Western zodiac are not animals, despite the implication of the Greek etymology of the zodiac.
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