Chinaofficially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a sovereign state

located in East Asia.

GeographyChina stretches some 5,026 km across the East Asian landmass. China is bordered by

seas and waters eastward, with the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, Taiwan Strait, and South China Sea, and bordered by landmasses on its 3 other sides, from North Korea to Vietnam. China has been officially and conveniently divided into 5 homogeneous physical macro-regions: Eastern China, Xinjiang-Mongolia, and the Tibetan-highlands. Its physical features are multiples. The eastern and southern half of the country, its seacoast fringed with offshore islands, is a region of fertile lowlands and foothills with most of the agricultural output and human population. The western and northern half of China is a region of sunken basins (Gobi, Taklamakan), rolling plateaus, and towering massifs, including a portion of the highest tableland on earth (Tibetan Plateau) with lower agricultural possibilities and thus, far less populated.

PeopleChina officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, the largest of which are the Han Chinese, who constitute about 91.51% of the total population. The Han Chinese – the world's largest single ethnic group – outnumber other ethnic groups in every province, municipality and autonomous region except Tibet and Xinjiang, and are descended from ancient Huaxia tribes living along the Yellow River.

Language

The languages of China are collectively known as Zhongyu (simplified Chinese: 中语 ; traditional Chinese: 中語 ; pinyin: Zhōngyǔ), and their study is considered a distinct academic discipline in China. The languages most studied and supported by the state include Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uyghur and Zhuang. China has 292 living languages and 1 extinct language (Jurchen) according to Ethnologue.

Standard Chinese (known in China as Putonghua) is the official national spoken language for the mainland. Several other autonomous regions have additional official languages

National SymbolAnimal: Giant Panda

Bird: Red-crowned Crane

Dress: changshan (men) cheongsam (women)

Flag

Fruit: Kiwifruit

Mythical Symbol

Sport: Table Tennis

Anthem

Emblem

Tree: Gingko Tree

Natural Resources

• Coal• iron ore• Petroleum• natural gas• Mercury• tin• tungsten• antimony• manganese

• molybdenum• vanadium• magnetite• aluminum,• lead, zinc• rare earth elements,• Uranium• hydropower potential

(world's largest)

Religion

Buddhism

Buddhism was introduced to China around the first century A.D. Since the fourth century A.D, it was widely spread and gradually became the most influential religion in China. Buddhism in China is divided into three branches according to varied language families, namely, Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and Pali Buddhism and there are about 200 thousand Buddhist monks and nuns under these three branches. At present, there are more than 13 thousand Buddhist temples that are open to the public, 33 Buddhist colleges and nearly 50 types of Buddhist publications in China.

Taoism

Taoism is a typically traditional religion in China with a history of more than 18 hundred years since the second century A.D. It advocates the worship of natural objects and ancestors as was practiced since time immemorial and had various factions in the history; later, it evolved into two major factions, namely, Quanzhen and Zhengyi Taoism, and was fairly influential among Han people.

Islam

Islam was introduced to China in the seventh century A.D with nearly 18 million believers from Hui, Uygur, Tartar, Kirgiz, Kazakh, Ozbek, Dongxiang, Sala and Baoan nationalities. Most of the Muslims in China live in compact communities in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Gansu, Qinghai and Yunnan Provinces; besides, some Muslims in small groups live in other provinces or cities in China. At present, there are more than 30 thousand mosques in China with over 40 thousand imams or ahungs.

Catholicism

Catholicism was first introduced to China in the seventh century and widely spread across the country after the Opium War in 1840. At present, Chinese Catholic Church boasts one hundred parishes, some five million believers, nearly five thousand cathedrals and places for religious activities and twelve theological seminaries.

Christianity

Christianity was introduced to China in early 19th century and widely spread after 1840s. In 1950, the church called on its believers to shake off the vestige of foreign imperialist influence and uphold patriotism in order to achieve self-administration, self-supporting and self-propagation, which are the cardinal principle of Chinese Christianity. At present, there are about ten million Christian believers, 18 thousand priests and 12 churches or religious sites in China.

Culture and Arts

Dance

Dragon Dance

Dunhuang Dance

Lion Dance

Food

Jiaozi (filled dumplings, guotie)

Noodles

Kung Pao chicken

Dim sum

Martial Arts

Government

All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among several bodies:

• the political branch, the Communist Party of China• the executive branch, the State Council• the legislative branch, the National People's Congress.• the judicial branch, the Supreme People's Court• the military branch, People's Liberation Army (PLA) via the

Central Military Commission

President of China: Xi Jinping Vice President: Li Yuanchao

Educational System

Education in the People's Republic of China is a state-run system of public education run by the Ministry of Education. All citizens must attend school for at least nine years. The government provides primary education for six to nine years, starting at age six or seven, followed by six years of secondary education for ages 12 to 18. Some provinces may have five years of primary school but four years for middle school. There are three years of middle school and three years of high school. The Ministry of Education reported a 99 percent attendance rate for primary school and an 80 percent rate for both primary and middle schools. In 1985, the government abolished tax-funded higher education, requiring university applicants to compete for scholarships based on academic ability. In the early 1980s the government allowed the establishment of the first private schools.

Technology

Economy

The Socialist market economy of People's Republic of China (PRC) is the world's second largest economy by nominal GDP and by purchasing power parity after the United States. It is the world's fastest-growing major economy, with growth rates averaging 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods in the world.

Currency: Renminbi ; Unit: YuanFiscal Year: (1 January to 31 December)

Tourist Spots

Great Wall of China

Terracotta Warriors

Yangtze River

Forbidden City

Potala Palace

Li River

Summer Palace

Bund Of Shanghai

Leshan Giant Buddha

Mount Huang

Temple Of Heaven

Beijing National Stadium

Jiuzhaigou Valley