Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences but in the 19th and early 20th centuries the country was beset by civil unrest major famines military defeats and foreign occupation. After World War II the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that while ensuring China's sovereignty imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978 his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded yet political controls remain tight.

Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N 105 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 9,596,960 km²
Land: 9,326,410 km²
Water: 270,550 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than the US

Land boundaries
Total: 22,117 km
Border countries: (14) Afghanistan 76 km; , Bhutan 470 km; , Burma 2,185 km; , India 3,380 km; , Kazakhstan 1,533 km; , North Korea 1,416 km; , Kyrgyzstan 858 km; , Laos 423 km; , Mongolia 4,677 km; , Nepal 1,236 km; , Pakistan 523 km; , Russia (northeast) 3,605 km; , Russia (northwest) 40 km; , Tajikistan 414 km; , Vietnam 1,281 km
Regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km

Coastline: 14,500 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

Terrain: mostly mountains high plateaus deserts in west; plains deltas and hills in east

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Natural resources: coal iron ore petroleum natural gas mercury tin tungsten antimony manganese molybdenum vanadium magnetite aluminum lead zinc uranium hydropower potential (world's largest)

Land use
Arable land: 15.4%
Permanent crops: 1.25%
Other: 83.36% (2001)

Irrigated land: 525,800 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence

Geography
Note: world's fourth largest country (after Russia Canada and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak;

Population: 1,298,847,624 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.57% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 10% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 91.9% Zhuang Uygur Hui Yi Tibetan Miao Manchu Mongol Buyi Korean and other nationalities 8.1%

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 (see Ethnic groups entry)

Religions
Note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.3% (male 153,401,051; female 135,812,993)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 469,328,664; female 443,248,860)
65 years and over: 7.5% (male 46,308,923; female 50,747,133) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 31.8 years
Male: 31.5 years
Female: 32.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.57% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 12.98 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 6.92 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.4 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution (greenhouse gases sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.12 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.13 male/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male/female
Total population: 1.06 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 25.28 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 21.84 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 29.14 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.96 years
Male: 70.4 years
Female: 73.72 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 840,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 44,000 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 90.9%
Male: 95.1%
Female: 86.5% (2002)

Country name
Conventional long form: People's Republic of China
Conventional short form: China
Local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
Local short form: Zhong Guo
Abbreviation: PRC

Government type: Communist state

Capital: Beijing

Administrative divisions:
Note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau

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)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China 1 October (1949)

Constitution: most recent promulgation 4 December 1982

Legal system: a complex amalgam of custom and statute largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil administrative criminal and commercial law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)
Head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Vice Premiers HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)
Cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC)
Elections: president and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held 15-17 March 2003 (next to be held mid-March 2008); premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress
Election results: HU Jintao elected president by the Tenth National People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (4 delegates voted against him, 4 abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong elected vice president by the Tenth National People's Congress with a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190 abstained, and 38 did not vote); 2 seats were vacant

Legislative branch
Elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held late 2007-February 2008)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA

Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress); Local Peoples Courts (comprise higher intermediate and local courts); Special Peoples Courts (primarily military maritime and railway transport courts)

Political parties and leaders: Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao General Secretary of the Central Committee]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP

International organization participation: AfDB APEC ARF AsDB ASEAN (dialogue partner) BIS CDB FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO ITU LAIA (observer) MIGA MONUC NAM (observer) NSG OAS (observer) ONUB OPCW PCA SCO UN UN Security Council UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNITAR UNMEE UNMIL UNMOVIC UNOCI UNTSO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Jiechi
In the us chancery: 2,300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 328-2,500
In the us fax: [1] (202) 328-2,582
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.
From the us embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100,600 Beijing
From the us mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96,521-0002
From the us telephone: [86] (10) 6,532-3,831
From the us fax: [86] (10) 6,532-6,929
From the us consulates general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenyang

Flag description: red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner

Economy overview: In late 1978 the Chinese leadership began moving the economy from a sluggish inefficient Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented system. Whereas the system operates within a political framework of strict Communist control the economic influence of non-state organizations and individual citizens has been steadily increasing. The authorities switched to a system of household and village responsibility in agriculture in place of the old collectivization increased the authority of local officials and plant managers in industry permitted a wide variety of small-scale enterprises in services and light manufacturing and opened the economy to increased foreign trade and investment. The result has been a quadrupling of GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis China in 2003 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US although in per capita terms the country is still poor. Agriculture and industry have posted major gains especially in coastal areas near Hong Kong opposite Taiwan and in Shanghai where foreign investment has helped spur output of both domestic and export goods. The leadership however often has experienced - as a result of its hybrid system - the worst results of socialism (bureaucracy and lassitude) and of capitalism (growing income disparities and rising unemployment). China thus has periodically backtracked retightening central controls at intervals. The government has struggled to (a) sustain adequate jobs growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises migrants and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) keep afloat the large state-owned enterprises many of which had been shielded from competition by subsidies and had been losing the ability to pay full wages and pensions. From 80 to 120 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities many subsisting through part-time low-paying jobs. Popular resistance changes in central policy and loss of authority by rural cadres have weakened China's population control program which is essential to maintaining long-term growth in living standards. Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment notably air pollution soil erosion and the steady fall of the water table especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land: because of erosion and economic development. Beijing says it will intensify efforts to stimulate growth through spending on infrastructure - such as water supply and power grids - and poverty relief and through rural tax reform. Accession to the World Trade Organization helps strengthen its ability to maintain strong growth rates but at the same time puts additional pressure on the hybrid system of strong political controls and growing market influences. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer internet use. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable economic growth. Growing shortages of electric power and raw materials will hold back the expansion of industrial output in 2004.

Real gdp growth rate: 9.1% (official data) (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 14.8%
Industry and construction: 52.9%
Services: 32.3% (2003)

Agriculture products: rice wheat potatoes sorghum peanuts tea millet barley cotton oilseed pork fish

Industries: iron and steel coal machine building armaments textiles and apparel petroleum cement chemical fertilizers footwear toys food processing automobiles consumer electronics telecommunications

Industrial production growth rate: 30.4% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 778.1 million (2003 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry: 22%
By occupation services: 28% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10.1% urban unemployment roughly 10%; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: 10% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.4%
Highest 10: 30.4% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index: 40 (2001)

Budget
Revenues: $265.8 billion
Expenditures: $300.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003)

Public debt: 30.1% of GDP (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.2% (2003 est.)

Current account balance: $31.17 billion (2003)

Exports: $436.1 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment textiles and clothing footwear toys and sporting goods mineral fuels
Partners: US 21.1% Hong Kong 17.4% Japan 13.6% South Korea 4.6% Germany 4% (2003)

Imports: $397.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment mineral fuels plastics iron and steel chemicals
Partners: Japan 18% Taiwan 11.9% South Korea 10.4% US 8.2% Germany 5.9% (2003)

Debt external: $197.8 billion (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: yuan per US dollar - 8.277 (2003) 8.277 (2002) 8.2771 (2001) 8.2785 (2000) 8.2783 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 1.42 trillion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 1.312 trillion kWh (2001)
Exports: 10.3 billion kWh (2001)
Imports: 1.8 billion kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 30.3 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 27.4 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.29 trillion m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 263 million (2003)
Mobile cellular: 269 million (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns
Domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place
International: country code - 86; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany (2000)

Internet
Country code: .cn
Hosts: 160,421 (2003)
Users: 94 million (2004)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $60 billion (2003 est.)
Percent of gdp: 3.5-5.0% (FY03 est.)

Airports: 507 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 332
With paved runways over 3047 m: 49
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 97
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 129
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 22
With paved runways under 914 m: 35 (2003 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 175
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 23
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 10
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 36
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 40
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 66 (2003 est.)

Heliports: 15 (2003 est.)

Pipelines: gas 15,890 km; oil 14,478 km; refined products 3,280 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 70,058 km
Standard gauge: 68,000 km 1.435-m gauge (18,668 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 3,600 km 1.000-m and 0.750-m gauge local industrial lines
Dual gauge: 22,640 km (not included in total) (2003)

Waterways: 121,557 km (2002)

Merchant marine
Total: 1,850 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,724,653 GRT/27,749,784 DWT
By type: barge carrier 2, bulk 355, cargo 822, chemical tanker 28, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 165, liquefied gas 28, multi-functional large load carrier 8, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 46, petroleum tanker 272, rail car carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off 25, short-sea/passenger 39, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 4
Foreign owned: Cambodia 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 12, Japan 1, South Korea 2, Liberia 1, Malaysia 1, Panama 1, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1
Registered in other countries: 790 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: involved in complex dispute with Malaysia Philippines Taiwan Vietnam and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; the 2002 'Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea' has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding 'code of conduct' desired by several of the disputants; most of the rugged militarized boundary with India is in dispute but the two sides are committed to begin resolution with discussions on the least disputed Middle Sector; Kashmir remains the world's largest and highly militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin) India (Jammu and Kashmir) and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas) but recent discussion and confidence-building measures among parties are beginning to defuse tensions India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding lands to China in a 1964 boundary agreement; China and Taiwan continue to assert their claims to the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) with increased media coverage and protest actions; certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers are in an uncontested dispute with North Korea and a section of boundary around Mount Paektu is indefinite - China has been attempting to manage illegal migration of North Koreans into northern China; China and Russia in 2004 resolved their last border dispute over islands in the Amur and Argun Rivers but details on demarcation have not yet been worked-out; boundary delimitation agreements signed in 2002 with Tajikistan cedes 1000 km² of Pamir Mountain range to China in return for China's relinquishing claims to 28,000 km² but demarcation has not commenced; agreements with Vietnam demarcating maritime boundaries and fisheries cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin were ratified in June and demarcation of the land boundary continues; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; in response to groups in Burma and Thailand expressing concern over China's plans to construct 13 hydroelectric dams on the Nu River in Yunnan Province (Salween River in Burma) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao suspended the project to conduct an environmental impact assessment a smaller scale version of only 4 dams is now scheduled to move forward

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 299,287 (Vietnam) (2004)

Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for chemical precursors and methamphetamine