China is a vast country in East Asia with Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometers (3.7 million mi2). Map of China is the world’s third or fourth-largest country by area. It is also the world’s most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion. China shares its borders with 14 countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam.
The country is officially is divided into 22 administrative provinces (sheng), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu), 4 municipalities (shi), and 2 special administrative regions. Located in North China, is Beijing – the capital of China. Beijing is the world’s most populous capital city with over 21 million residents. It is also one of the world’s as well as China’s leading cultural, administrative, educational, and economic centers.
Key Facts About China
- Official Name: People’s Republic of China (Zh?nghu Rnmn Gnghgu)
- Land area: 3,600,927 sq mi (9,326,411 sq km)
- Water Area: 270,550.00 km2
- Total area: 3,705,407 sq mi (9,596,960 sq km)1
- Population: 1,384,688,986 (July 2018 est.)
- Capital: Beijing, 15.594 million
- Other large cities: Shanghai 20.208 million; Guangzhou 10.849 million; Shenzhen 10.63 million; Chongqing 9.977 million; Wuhan 9.158 million (2011)
- Currency: Yuan/Renminbi
- GDP: $14.34 Trillion
- GDP Per Capita: $10,261.68
- Major Rivers: The major rivers in China are the Yangtse River, the Yellow River, and the Pearl River.
- Mountain Ranges: The highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas, borders China. Other Major mountain ranges in China are the Ch’ang-Pai Mountains, the Tsinling Mountains, and the Nan range.
- Highest Point: The highest point in China is Mount Everest (8,850 m tall), in the Himalayas.
- Lowest Point: The lowest point in China is Turpan Pendi (the Turpan Depression), 154 meters (505 feet) below sea level. It is located in northwestern China.
Physical Map of China
As observed on the Physical Map of China, the country has a highly varied topography including plains, mountains, plateaus, deserts, etc. Its principal mountains ranges are the Tien Shan, the Kunlun chain, and the Trans-Himalaya. In the southwest is Tibet, which China annexed in 1950. The Himalayas lie to the South & West and are home to some of the highest mountains in the country and the world, including Mt. Everest (also called Zhumulangma or Qomolangma), Mt. K2 (also called Chogo Ri), Namjagbarwa Peak, Minya Konka, Meili Snow Mountains, Mt. Kailash, the Daocheng-Sanshin Mountain group, Mt. Emei, Mt. Huashan, and Mt. Huangshan.
The Gobi Desert lies to the north. China proper consists of three great river systems: the Yellow River (Huang He), 2,109 mi (5,464 km) long; the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), the third-longest river in the world at 2,432 mi (6,300 km); and the Pearl River (Zhu Jiang), 848 mi (2,197 km) long. It has an extensive coastline on the Pacific Ocean.
Borders of China
China shares its borders with 14 countries. In order of shared border length, these are: Mongolia (4,630km), Russia (Northeast – 4,133km) and (Northwest – 46km), India (2,659km), Myanmar (2,129km), Kazakhstan (1,352km), Nepal (1,389km), North Korea (1,352km), Vietnam (1,297km), Kyrgyzstan (1,063km), Tajikistan (477km), Bhutan (477km), Laos (475km), Pakistan (438km), and Afghanistan (91km).
The country shares maritime borders with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Due to China’s claims in the South China Sea, the state also maintains maritime borders that overlap with those of Brunei and Malaysia.
Economy of China
China is now the world’s first or second-largest economy depending on which metrics are being used. Since 2010, China had the world’s second-largest economy in terms of nominal GDP, totaling approximately US$13.5 trillion (90 trillion Yuan) as of 2018. In terms of purchasing power parity (PPP GDP), China’s economy has been the largest in the world since 2014, according to the World Bank. China has also made massive strides in developing and employing renewable clean energy sources.
Overview
GDP/PPP: $23.21 trillion (2017 est.)
Growth Rate: 6.9% (2017 est.)
Inflation: 1.6% (2017 est.)
Government Revenues: 21.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
Public Debt: 47% of GDP (2017 est.)
Total Exports: $2.216 trillion (2017 est.)
Total Imports: $1.74 trillion (2017 est.)
Major Cities of China
Beijing (Peking), Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Fuzhou, Golmud, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hailar, Hami, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Hohhot, Hotan, Hunchun, Jinan, Kaohsiung, Karamay, Kashi, Korla, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lhasa, Lianyungang, Nanchang, Nanjing, Nanning, Ningbo, Qiemo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Taichung, Taipei, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Urumqi, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xi’an, Xining, Yinchuan, Yumen, Zhanjiang, and Zhengzhou.