Facts about China

Where is China?
The People's Republic of China is located in eastern Asia. China is bordered by Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam.

China is located in the southeastern section of the Eurasian continent, with the Pacific Ocean along its east coast. The bodies of water around China include the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam. China is the third largest country in the world, and covers an area of 3,747,879 square miles (9,706,961 square kilometers) and has an estimated population of 1,353,821,000 (2012 estimate).

What is the capital of China?
Beijing is the capital of China and is among the most populous cities in the world. Beijing is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Also known as Peking, Beijing is among the most developed Chinese cities, and is the country's political, educational, cultural and military center. Beijing means "northern capital," as it is situated at the northern tip of the North China Plain. The population of the city is about 20 million, and its land covers an area of 16,801 square miles (6,487 square miles).

What is the currency of China?
The renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China (ISO 4217 code: CNY). The renminbi's primary unit is the Yuan, which is subdivided into 10 jiao, which is further divided into 10 fen. Renminbi are issued by the People's Bank of China. Hong Kong and Macau have their own currencies: the Hong Kong dollar and Macanese pataca.

What is the largest city in China?
Shanghai is the largest city proper by population in China. Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River in eastern China, Shanghai is a global city with a powerful influence over the finance, commerce, fashion, technology, and culture of the country. Shanghai's territory covers an area of 6,340 square kilometers (2,448.1 square miles), and it has a population of around 23,000,000. As a center of Chinese commerce and economics, Shanghai hosts the main stock exchange of China and boasts a fairly wealthy population.

What is the official language of China?
Mandarin Chinese is spoken as a native language by 70% of the population, and Standard Mandarin is the official national language of China. Other commonly spoken languages in China, like Wu, Cantonese, Min, Xiang, Gan and Hakka belong to the Sino-Tibetan language family.

What is the religion of China?
The ruling party of China, the Chinese Communist Party, is an officially atheist organization, but freedom of religion is a legal right according to China's constitution. Despite this, religious freedom is not universal, and citizens can only practice one of the five official recognized religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism.

Buddhism and Taoism are two of the traditional religions of China, and are also the nation's main religious organizations. Taoism is an indigenous religion of China, with origins tracing back to the composition of Laozi's Tao Te Ching. In its unorganized form, Taoism can be considered a folk religion of China. Buddhism was introduced from central Asia during the Han Dynasty. Islam was introduced in 651 AD, when Muslims arrived in China during the Song Dynasty to establish trade. Judaism in the China dates to around the seventh or eighth century AD, while Christianity arrived during the 7th century AD, during the Tang Dynasty and spread via missionaries.

What is the literacy rate of China?
The literacy rate in China is 92.2%.

Who are the political leaders of China?
China is a single-party socialist republic. The Chinese constitution declares the leadership of the Communist Party. The President of China is Hu Jintao, who assumed office on November 15, 2002. The Chinese Premier is Wen Jiabao, and Xi Jinping is the current General Secretary of China.

When is China's national day?
The national day of China is celebrated on October 1, commemorating the day the People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. In mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, the national day is celebrated with a variety of government-organized festivities over three days.

How big is China's economy?
China is ranked as the world's second largest economy by GDP, and is the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods in the world. China imports oil, mineral fuels, optical and medical equipment, metal ores and plastics, while it exports apparel, textiles, iron, steel, and electrical and other machinery. China's primary trading partners are the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, South Korea, and Taiwan. China's GDP is estimated at around $7 trillion (2012). The coastal regions of China are more industrialized, while inland regions are less developed.

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Last Updated On : January 11, 2013