| Chinese Currency |
Capital City |
Beijing |
National Flag |
Five-star red flag, length and width proportion: 3:2.
|
National Anthem |
March of the Volunteers (lines: Arise,
those who do not want to be slaves! We will use our
flesh and blood to build another Great Wall. China
has reached the brink of national collapse. All the
people have been making their last outcry. Arise! Arise!
Arise! All our hearts become one. Let us face the angry
guns. March on! Let us face the angry guns. March on!
March on! March on! On!)
|
National Day |
October 1, the country was founded in
1949
|
Top Legislature |
National People's Congress (NPC) |
Location |
In East Asia, by the west Pacific Ocean |
Territory Area |
9.6 million square km, third in size
after Russia and Canada |
Largest City |
Shanghai |
Currency |
Renminbi (RMB) or yuan |
Exchange Rate |
8.3 yuan=US$1 |
Weights and Measures |
Metric System |
Gross Domestic
Product
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|
8,940.4 billion yuan (at
the end of 2000) |
| Physical
Geography |
Topography |
High in its west nd low in its east: mountain areas 33.3%,
plateaus 26%, basins 18.8%, plains 12% and hills
9.9%
|
Islands |
Among the 5,400 islands, Taiwan Island is the largest
(36,000 square km), and Hainan Island (34,000 square
km) is second largest |
Mountains |
Among the world's 19 mountains over 7,000 meters high,
seven are in China. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known
as "the roof of the world", has many tall
mountains. The Himalayas, with an average elevation
of 6,000 meters, have the world's highest peak called
Mount Qomolangma, with the peak standing at 8,848
meters above sea level.
|
Rivers |
The Yangtze River (6,300 km in length) is the third
longest river in the world after the Nile and the Amazon.
The Yellow River, is the second longest river in China,
stretching 5,464 km. |
Canyon |
The canyon on the Yalu Tsangpo River is the world's
largest (504.6 km in length and 6,009 meters in depth) |
Man-Made River |
The Grand Canal (1,801 km long) is the longest man-made
river in the world. Its cutting began in the fifth
century BC.
|
Lakes
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|
The Poyang Lake in the middle and lower reaches of the
Yangtze River is China's largest freshwater lake;
the Qinghai Lake on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is
the country's largest salt lake.
|
| Climate
and Natural Habitat |
Climate |
Most of the country in the temperate zone, although
geographically the country stretches from the tropical
and subtropical zones in the south to the frigid zone
in the north. |
Wild Animals |
China has a great variety of wildlife: over 4,400 vertebrates,
more than 100 rare species, including the giant panda,
the golden monkey, the white-lipped deer, the South
China Tiger, Crossoplilon mantchuricum, the white-flag
dolphin, the Chinese alligator, and the crowned crane.
|
Plants |
China has a great variety of plants, 32,000 species
of higher plants, including nearly all the major kinds
of vegetation found in the frigid and temperate zones
of the northern hemisphere. |
Popular Flowers
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|
Peony, azalea, primrose and felwort |
| Population
and Ethnic Groups |
Population |
China carried out its fifth national population
census on November 1, 2000. It has a population of
1,295.33 million. Of which: the total population of
the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
(excluding Jinmen and Mazu islands of Fujian Province
hereafter) and of servicemen on the mainland of China
was 1,265.83 million; the population of Hong Kong SAR
was 6.78 million; the population of Macao SAR was 440
thousand; the population of Taiwan Province and of
Jinmen, Mazu and a few other islands of Fujian Province
was 22.28 million. |
Population Growth Rate |
Compared with the population of 1,133.68 million
from the 1990 population census (with zero hour of
July 1, 1990 as the reference time), the total population
of the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
and the servicemen of the mainland of China increased
by 132.15 million persons, or 11.66 percent over the
past 10 years, 4 months. The average annual growth
was 12.79 million persons, or a growth rate of 1.07
percent. |
Average Life-Span |
71 years old at the end of 2000 |
Population Composition |
The males: 51.63%, the females: 48.37%; people aged
below 14: 22.89%; people aged 15-64: 70.15%; people
aged above 65: 6.96%; urban population: 36.09%; rural
population: 63.91%. |
Ethnic Groups
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|
China has 56 ethnic groups. Of the
people enumerated in the 31 provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities and servicemen of the mainland of
China, 1,159.40 million persons or 91.59 percent are
of Han nationality, and 106.43 million persons or 8.41
percent are of various national minorities. |
| Languages |
Languages
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|
Of the 56 ethnic groups in China, the
Hui and Manchu use the same languages as Han people,
while the rest of groups have their own spoken and
written languages. |
| Public
Holidays |
Public Holidays
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|
New Year's Day (January 1), the Spring
Festival (the New Year's Day by Chinese lunar calendar),
International Labor Day (May 1), and the National Day
(October 1). |
