China

Country in East Asia

China, a communist nation in East Asia, is the world’s most populous country. Its vast landscape encompasses grassland, desert, mountain ranges, lakes, rivers and 14,500km of coastline. Beijing, the ancient capital, mixes modern architecture with historic sites including sprawling Tiananmen Square. Its largest city, Shanghai, is a skyscraper-studded global financial center. The iconic Great Wall of China fortification runs east-west across the country's north.

Capital: Beijing

Dialing code: +86

Currency: Renminbi

Population: 1.357 billion (2013) World Bank

President: Xi Jinping

Gross domestic product: 9.24 trillion USD (2013) World Bank

China Facts for Kids
 

• China is officially known as the People's Republic of China.
• China has the largest population in the world, with over 1.3 billion people (1,343,239,923) as of July 2012.
• China is the 3rd largest country by area at 9,706,961 sq km (3,747,879 sq miles).
• China belongs to the continent of Asia. Bordering countries include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam.
• The summit of Mt Everest marks the border between China and Nepal.
• There are many different languages spoken in China, including Mandarin, Yue, Wu, Minbei, Minnan, Xiang, Gan and Hakka.
• The capital city is Beijing, while the most populated city is Shanghai. Other major cities include Chongqing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
• 47% of the population live in urban areas.
• China experiences typhoons every year and also suffers from floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and droughts.
• China has the fourth longest river in the world, the Yangtze River, which reaches 5,797km (3,602 miles) in length. It also has the sixth longest, the Yellow River, stretching 4,667km (2,900 miles).
• China is the second largest economy in the world, after the United States of America.
• In 2003, China became the third country to successfully send a person to space.
• The Great Wall of China is the largest man made structure in the world, stretching an incredible 8,850 kilometres (5,500 miles).
• The famous Giant Panda is found near the Yangtze River in China.
• China hosted the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
• For more information, check out maps of China or take a closer look at the Chinese flag.