China
Facts
Area:
Total: 3,705,392 sq miles
Land: 3,600,932 sq miles
Water: 104,459 sq miles
Climate:
Extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Elevation Extremes:
Lowest point: Turpan Depression -505 feet
Highest point: Mount Everest 29,028 feet
Population:
1,313,973,713
Ethnic Groups:
Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%
Religions:
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2% note: officially atheist
Languages:
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
Country name
Conventional long form: People's Republic of China
Conventional short form: China
Local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
Local short form: Zhongguo
Abbreviation: PRC
Government type:
Communist state
Capital:
Beijing
Independence:
221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's Republic established)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,800 (2005 est.)
Currency:
yuan (CNY); note - also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB)
Time Zone:
CCT: GMT +8
Country Dialing Code:
+86
Electricity:
220V 50HzHz