Eastern Asia > China > People, Geography and History

This information is current as of Monday, January 5, 2009 - 11:15:03 China July 03, 2008 This Travel Alert updates U.S. citizens on the effects of the earthquake that struck China’s Sichuan province on May 12. U.S. citizens should continue to avoid the areas of Sichuan province most severely affected by the earthquake and be prepared for travel delays in other parts of the province. Areas outside of Sichuan province are not experiencing earthquake-related damage or delays. This supersedes the Travel ... Read this Article

Global Cost of Living Rank

Location: Beijing
Rank: 93 of 1082 monitored. Click for Detail

CIA Background Information

For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

U.S. State Department Description

Country Description: The People’s Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949, with Beijing as its capital city. With well over 1.3 billion citizens, China is the world's most populous country and the third largest country in the world in terms of territory. China is undergoing rapid, profound economic and social change and development. Political power remains centralized in the Chinese Communist Party. Modern tourist facilities are available in major cities, but many facilities in smaller provincial cities and rural areas are frequently below international standards. Read the Department of State Background Notes on China ... Read this Article

About the People

People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Chinese (singular and plural). Population (July 2007 est.): 1,321,851,888. Population growth rate (2007 est.): 0.606%. Health (2007 est.): Infant mortality rate--22.12/1,000. Life expectancy--72.88 years (overall); 71.13 years for males, 74.82 years for females. Ethnic groups: Han Chinese--91.9%; Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uygur, Yi, Mongolian, Tibetan, Buyi, Korean, and other--8.1%. Religions: Officially atheist; Taoism, ... Read this Article

Statistics at a Glance

Location: China is Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam See Map

Capital: name: Beijing
geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone

Currency (Code): Renminbi (RMB); note - also referred to by the unit yuan (CNY) ...More

Area: total: 9,596,960 sq km , land: 9,326,410 sq km , water: 270,550 sq km ( 1 sq km is approximately 0.4 sq miles or 250 acres)

Area Comparison: slightly smaller than the US

Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m , highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1 meter = 3.28 feet)

Population: 1,330,044,544 (July 2008 est.)

Unemployment: 4% unemployment in urban areas; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas (2007 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Han Chinese 91.5%, Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uyghur, Tujia, Yi, Mongol, Tibetan, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Korean, and other nationalities 8.5% (2000 census)

Religion: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)

More Statistics

History

History Dynastic Period China is the oldest continuous major world civilization, with records dating back about 3,500 years. Successive dynasties developed a system of bureaucratic control that gave the agrarian-based Chinese an advantage over neighboring nomadic and hill cultures. Chinese civilization was further strengthened by the development of a Confucian state ... Read this Article

Geographic Info for China :

Geography Total area: 9,596,960 sq. km. (about 3.7 million sq. mi.). Cities: Capital--Beijing. Other major cities--Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Harbin, Chengdu. Terrain: Plains, deltas, and hills in east; mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west. Climate: Tropical in south to subarctic in north. People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Chinese (singular and plural). ... Read this Article

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