China, officially known as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is the most populous country in the world, located in East Asia. It has a rich history spanning thousands of years and has been a major cultural, economic, and political force in the world.

Geography

• Location: East Asia, bordering 14 countries, including India, Russia, and Vietnam.
• Coordinates: Approximately 35.0000° N, 103.0000° E
• Area: About 9,596,961 square kilometers.
• Borders:
  • China shares its borders with 14 countries: Afghanistan (76 km), Bhutan (477 km), India (3,488 km), Kazakhstan (1,765 km), North Korea (1,352 km), Kyrgyzstan (1,063 km), Laos (475 km), Mongolia (4,630 km), Myanmar (2,129 km), Nepal (1,389 km), Pakistan (523 km), Russia (4,209 km), Tajikistan (477 km), and Vietnam (1,297 km).
• Climate:
  • Varies from tropical in the south to subarctic in the north. The majority of China experiences a monsoon climate, with wet summers and dry winters.
• Terrain:
  • Diverse, with mountains, plateaus, deserts, and plains. The Himalayas in the southwest have the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest.
• Elevation:
  • The lowest point is the Turpan Depression (-154 m), and the highest point is Mount Everest (8,848 m).
• Natural Resources:
  • Coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, hydropower potential (world’s largest), arable land.
• Land Use:
  • Arable land: about 12%, permanent crops: 1.6%, other: 86.4%.
• Population Distribution:
  • Population is densely populated in the eastern coastal regions, especially in the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Bohai Economic Rim, with sparser populations in the western regions.

Population and Society

• Population: Approximately 1.4 billion (2024 estimate).
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Han Chinese (approximately 91.5%), with 55 recognized ethnic minorities including Zhuang, Hui, Uyghur, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and others.
• Languages:
  • The official language is Mandarin (Putonghua). Numerous other Chinese dialects are spoken, including Cantonese, Shanghainese, and Hokkien. Minority languages such as Tibetan, Uyghur, and Mongolian are also spoken.
• Religions:
  • Predominantly a secular state; however, recognized religions include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism.
• Age Structure:
  • Balanced age structure with an increasing elderly population due to declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy.
• Population Growth Rate:
  • Approximately 0.03% per year.

Country

• Country Name: People’s Republic of China
• Common Name: China
• Name Reason: Derived from the Qin dynasty (秦), which unified the country in 221 BC.
• Government Type: Single-party socialist republic.
• Capital: Beijing
• Capital Name Reason: Beijing, meaning “Northern Capital,” has been the capital of China for most of the last 800 years.
• Local Time: China Standard Time (CST) (UTC+8); China does not observe daylight saving time.
• Daylight Saving Time: Not observed.
• Administrative Divisions: 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing), and 2 Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong, Macau).
• Dependent Areas: Hong Kong and Macau are Special Administrative Regions with a high degree of autonomy.
• Independence: Established as the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949.
• Citizenship Acquisition: By birth, descent, or naturalization.
• Legal System: Civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; separate legal traditions exist in Hong Kong and Macau based on English common law and Portuguese civil law, respectively.
• Executive Branch: President is the head of state, and the Premier is the head of government.
• Legislative Branch: Unicameral National People’s Congress (NPC).
• Judicial Branch: The Supreme People’s Court, the highest court in the country.
• Political Parties: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the only legal ruling party, although eight other minor parties exist under the CCP’s leadership.
• Flag Description: Red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the top left corner and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars arranged in a semicircle set off towards the right.
• Country Code: CHN

Economy

• GDP: Approximately 17.7 trillion USD.
• Agricultural and Animal Products: Rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, pork, fish, and poultry.
• Industries: Mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals; coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products (including footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment; commercial space launch vehicles and satellites.
• Budget: Balanced with occasional surpluses and deficits.
• Exports: Electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, textiles, integrated circuits.
• Imports: Electrical and other machinery, oil and mineral fuels, nuclear reactor parts, optical and medical equipment, metal ores, plastics, organic chemicals.
• Foreign Reserves: Approximately 3 trillion USD.
• External Debt: Approximately 2 trillion USD.
• Local Currency: Renminbi (RMB or CNY).

Communications

• Landlines: Approximately 200 million lines.
• Mobile Lines: Approximately 1.6 billion lines.
• Country Code: +86
• Broadcast Media: State-run China Central Television (CCTV), China National Radio, and many provincial and local stations.
• Internet Code: .cn
• Internet Users: Approximately 1 billion people.

Transportation

• National Air Transport System: Extensive network with numerous international and domestic airports.
• Airports: Over 230 airports.
• Heliports: Several, primarily in urban areas and offshore.
• Pipelines: Extensive network for oil, gas, and chemicals.
• Railways: Extensive network, over 150,000 kilometers.
• Road Network: Includes expressways and major roads totaling approximately 5 million kilometers.
• Ports: Major ports include Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, and Dalian.

Military

• Military Composition: Includes the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the PLA Navy, the PLA Air Force, the PLA Rocket Force, and the PLA Strategic Support Force.
• Military Expenditures: Approximately 250 billion USD annually.
• Military and Security Personnel: Approximately 2 million active duty members.
• Military Equipment: Includes advanced fighter jets, aircraft carriers, submarines, tanks, and missiles.
• Military Service Age: 18 years old for compulsory military service.