China is a populous nation in East Asia whose vast landscape encompasses grassland, desert, mountains, lakes, rivers and more than 14,000km of coastline. Capital Beijing mixes modern architecture with historic sites such as the Forbidden City palace complex and Tiananmen Square. Shanghai is a skyscraper-studded global financial center. The iconic Great Wall of China runs east-west across the country's north.
Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects
Ethnic Groups: Han Chinese 91.59%, 55 minority groups 8.41%
Belief Systems: Chinese folk religion/unaffiliated 73.56%, Buddhism 15.87% other religious organizations, including folk sects and the Taoist Church 7.6%, Christianity 2.53%, Islam 0.45%
Demographics:
Population: 1.36 billion people (World Rank: 1st) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 379 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 86th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 0.426 %/yr (World Rank: 167th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 75.3 years (World Rank: 91st) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 34.6 years (World Rank: 57th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of China
Worldatlas.com
Country Profile for China
United Nations
China
Wikipedia.org
China - Country Profile
US Library of Congress
China - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Culture and Tourism:
Great Wall of China
One of the seven wonders of the world
Chinese New Year Festival
China's most important cultural festival
Lantern Festival
Ends China's New Year Festival
Shanxi China
Chinese province rich with history and cultural heritage
The Forbidden City
Chinese imperal palace from the Ming dysnasty to the Qing dynasty, home to the Palace Museum
Chinese Language Resources:
Learn Chinese Online
Online resource for learning Chinese
Study in China
Learn Chinese by studying in China
Government Related:
Chinese Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Chinese Government Websites
by Gunnar Anzinger
