China Country Information
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.
| Capital |
Beijing |
| Largest City |
Shanghai |
| Official languages |
Chinese |
| Government |
Communist one-party state |
| Area... |
|
|
Total |
9,596,960 km² (4th) (Est.) |
| Population... |
|
| 2006 Est. |
1,313,973,713 (1st) |
| GDP (PPP)... |
|
| Total (2005 Est) |
$8.859 trillion (2nd) |
| Per Capita (2005 Est) |
$6,800 (97th) |
| Currency |
Renminbi (RMB¥) (CNY) |
| Population below poverty line |
10% (2001 Est.) |
| Time Zone... |
(UTC+8) |
| Summer (DST) |
(UTC+8, does not observe) |
| Industries |
Mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminium, and other metals; coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles and satellites |
| Calling code |
+86 | |
