A Brief Description Much like the ancient Roman and Egyptian empires, China led much of the world in the arts and sciences for hundreds of years. Then, in the 19th Century, China experienced debilitating civil unrest, significant food shortages, military defeats, and foreign occupation. With the end of World War II, the upstart Communists under the leadership of MAO Zedong established a dictatorship 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 gradually introduced market-oriented reforms and decentralized economic decision-making. Those efforts were successful as GDP output quadrupled by the year 2000. Today, political controls still remain tight, but more and more economic controls continue to be relaxed. China's economy is booming and its influence is growing worldwide. Tourism, always popular in China, is a growth industry, as the country presents (quite possibly), the most fascinating destination on the planet. Read more about the history of China here Facts and Figures Name China (long form) People's Republic of China Population 1,306,313,800 Population & Density (all countries) here Capital City Beijing metro (14.2 million) Currency Yuan (CNY) Currency Converter here Languages Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua,) Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan, Xiang, Gan and Hakka dialects Flag here National Day October 1 Religions Officially atheist, with small groups of Daoist, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian Travel the World through Poster Art! Geographic Coordinates Latitude/Longitude (capital city) 39º 55' N, 116º 20' E Relative Location China is located in both the eastern and northern hemispheres. It occupies a huge part of eastern Asia and is bordered by the Yellow Sea, South China Sea, Pacific Ocean and by (14 countries), including North Korea, Russian Federation, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Laos and Vietnam. Land Statistics Coastline 9,010 miles (14,500 km) Land Areas (land) 3,600,945 sq miles (9,326,410 sq km) (water) 104,460 sq miles (270,550 sq km) (TOTAL) 3,705,405 sq miles (9,596,960 sq km) Land Area (all countries) here Landforms In the vast western reaches of China - mountains, high plateaus and deserts dominate the landscape, while central and east the land slopes into broad plains and deltas. The Himalayas, the world's most elevated mountain range, forms its southwestern borders with India, Nepal and Bhutan. In the far northeast, high mountains ring its border with the Russian Federation. The Gobi Desert runs west to east along its border with Mongolia. Here the topography varies from sand desert, into the low mountain foothills and plateaus that stretch into Mongolia. From the higher elevations in the west literally thousands of rivers drain the country; the most significant include the Yangtze (third longest river on the planet), and the Heilong (Amur), Mekong, Pearl and Yellow. Highest Point Mt. Everest - 29,025 ft. (8.850 m) Lowest Point Turpan Pendi (-154 m) Land Divisions 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities: provinces include Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Zhejiang. Note that China views the island of Taiwan as its 23rd province. autonomous regions include: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang (Tibet). municipalities include: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Tianjin. special regions: Hong Kong and Macau are special administrative regions of China. Fishing in Yangshou, China

Maps China (large color) Map here China Outline Map here China CIA version here China Maps at UT here Hong Kong Map here here Macau Map here here Taiwan Map here here - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Asia Continent (printable) here Asia Outline Map here Asia (Southeast) Outline Map here Asia (Name the Country) Map Test here - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Indian Subcontinent Map here Indochina Map here Middle East Landforms here Middle East Map here Middle East Outline Map here Middle East Rivers here Tsunami Map (December 2004) here - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - World Outline Maps (printable) here World Time Zone Map here Recommended Links China (Complete) info on the (GDP) economy, imports and exports, natural resources, government, population, military, transportation, and more here! Inside China (news) here China the Beautiful here China Photos at TrekEarth.com here China Tour here Made-In-China here Travel China here The Beijing Guide here Time and Weather Time Zone (UTC +8) Note that UTC is also known as GMT, or Greenwich Mean Time. Conversion details and additional info here Climate A broad range of weather is common in the large country of China. There's mostly tropical weather in the south and southeast, much cooler (and colder) temperatures in the far north, and subarctic conditions in the far southwest in the Himalaya Mountain system. Rainfall is heavy along the southern coastal areas, lighter in the western regions, while north (in the Gobi Desert areas) participation is generally sparse. For timely travel weather forecasts for China, use the weather stations shown below for specific information. Traveler Info Attractions China, the third largest country in the world, offers an endless variety of fulfilling and interesting attractions, including hundreds of ancinet relic sites; countless museums; beautiful and interesting caves, gardens, grottos, lakes, mountains, rivers and waterfalls, as well as timeless monasteries, temples and villages. Most visitor itineraries must/should include Beijing, and its over 100 cultural and scenic spots, and its Forbidden City; sparkling Shanghai, the largest city; the Terra Cotta Warriors in Shaanxi province; a Yangtze River boat tour, and of course, the Great Wall of China. When visiting the country note that the Chinese are now aggressively enjoying personal travel and tourism to the highest levels in their history, and many of the major attractions can be crowded, with long lines. The Forbidden City is one example and hours may be spent just waiting to get in. Regardless, in China, as an old saying goes, "Patience is a Virtue," and those that follow that logic here will certainly be rewarded. Beijing Hotels, Tours and Travel Information Country Dialing Code 86 Electricity China uses 220 volts AC (50 Hz) Electrical adapters, products and tips here Travel Warnings here Visa Information here

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Banknote reference numbers obtained from the Standard Catalogs of World Paper Money published by Krause Publications

Patrick Kennedy's World Currency Homepage
This page created by: Patrick Kennedy
Creation date: March 2007
Last update: 18 November 2009
URL: http://www.patricksworldcurrency.com/countries/china.html