People in different parts of the world use different methods to count on their fingers. In the United States, people begin counting with their first, or index, finger, which they extend or stick out. They then extend the rest of their fingers and finally the thumb to count to five. Then they repeat this with the other hand to get to ten. In some cultures, people begin with their fingers already extended. They count by folding the fingers inward. In China, people count by using a variety of finger positions. In this way, a Chinese person can easily count to ten on only one hand, while an American uses two hand to count to ten.