China
Infomation
Country name conventional long form: People's Republic of China
Government type Communist state
Capital Beijing
Administrative divisions 23 provinces (sheng, singular and
plural), 5 autonomous regions* (zizhiqu,
singular and plural), and 4 municipalities**
(shi, singular and plural); Anhui, Beijing**,
Chongqing**, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi*,
Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan,
Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning,
Nei Mongol*, Ningxia*, Qinghai, Shaanxi,
Shandong, Shanghai**, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin**,
Xinjiang*, Xizang* (Tibet), Yunnan, Zhejiang
note:China considers Taiwan its 23rd province;
see separate entries for the special administrative
regions of Hong Kong and Macau
National holiday National Day, 1 October (1949)
Area total:9,596,960 sq km land:9,326,410 sq km water:270,550 sq km
Population 1,261,832,482 (July 2000 est.)
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)
GDP purchasing power parity - $4.8 trillion
(1999 est.)
Exchange rates yuan per US$1 - 8.2793 (January 2000)