China Overview

TERRITORY – CHINA IS BIG

China is located at the east coast of the largest continent (Asia) as well as the western margin of the largest ocean (Pacific). It has a land area of about 9.6 million square km (3.71 million square miles), occupying 6.5 percent of the total land area of the world. From the confluence of the Heilong River and its tributary, the Wusuli River, westward to the Pamir Plateau, the distance is more than 5,200 km (3,231 miles). From midstream of the Heilong River north of Mohe, southward to Zengmu Shoal of the Nansha Islands near the equator, the distance is more than 5,500 km (3,418 miles). Its population of more than 1.3 billion accounts for approximately one-fifth of the world’s whole population.

China has more than 32,000 km (19,884 miles) of coastline (including the mainland shore more than 18,000 km and island shore more than 14,000 km), and a boundary line of more than 20,000 km (12,427 miles). Bordered to the north-east by DPR Korea, to the north by Russia and Mongolia, to the west and south-west by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and to the south by Burma, Laos and Viet Nam.

CLIMATE - MILD

The climate in China is generally moderate with four distinct seasons. In most areas, it’s cold and dry in winter, with great differences through the south to the north, while it’s hot and humid in summer, with little differences between the south and the north. Precipitation decreases from the southeast coast to the northwest inland gradually.

POPULATION – WELL, IT’S A LOT

China has the world's largest population. By the end of 2010, there were 1.392 billion people (not including the population in Hong Kong, Macao Special Administrative Region, and Taiwan) in China, taking up one fifth of the world's population. China is also one of the countries with relatively high population density in the world.

ETHNIC GROUPS – WE HAVE 56 SISTERS & BROTHERS

Since the beginning, China has been a united multi-ethnic country. Currently, 56 distinct ethnic groups are officially recognized; 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 provincial-level division except Tibet and Xinjiang. Ethnic minorities account for about 8.49% of the population of China, according to the 2010 census. Compared with the 2000 population census, the Han population increased by 66,537,177 persons, or 5.74%, while the population of the 55 national minorities combined increased by 7,362,627 persons, or 6.92%.