2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural)

autonomous regions

Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang (Tibet)

municipalities

Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin

note

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

provinces

Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan)

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.8% (male 145,461,833/female 128,445,739) 15-64 years: 71.4% (male 482,439,115/female 455,960,489) 65 years and over: 7.7% (male 48,562,635/female 53,103,902) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish

Airports

486 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

56 2,438 to 3,047 m: 127 1,524 to 2,437 m: 138 914 to 1,523 m: 22

total

403

under 914 m

60 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 25

total

83

under 914 m

39 (2006)

Area

land

9,326,410 sq km

total

9,596,960 sq km

water

270,550 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than the US

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. Geography China

Birth rate

13.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$489.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$446.6 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

39 56 N, 116 24 E

name

Beijing

note

despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone

time difference

UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

Coastline

14,500 km

Constitution

most recent promulgation 4 December 1982

Country name

abbreviation

PRC

conventional long form

People's Republic of China

conventional short form

China

local long form

Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo

local short form

Zhongguo

Currency (code)

yuan (CNY); note - also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB)

Currency code

CNY

Current account balance

$179.1 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

6.97 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$305.6 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.

embassy

Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing

mailing address

PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002

telephone

[86] (10) 6532-3831

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador ZHOU Wenzhong

telephone

[1] (202) 328-2500

Disputes - international

in 2005, China and India began drafting principles to resolve all aspects of their extensive boundary and territorial disputes together with a security and foreign policy dialogue to consolidate discussions related to the boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most 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); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; about 90,000 ethnic Tibetan exiles reside primarily in India as well as Nepal and Bhutan; China asserts sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratlys and in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; China and Taiwan have become more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared equidistance line in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in an uncontested dispute with North Korea and a section of boundary around Mount Paektu is considered indefinite; China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of thousands of North Koreans; China and Russia prepare to demarcate the boundary agreed to in October 2004 between the long-disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri; demarcation of the China-Vietnam boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation has been delayed; environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44 (2002)

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Economy - overview

China's economy during the last quarter century has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy. Reforms started in the late 1970s with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a diversified banking system, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment. China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist or piecemeal fashion, including the sale of equity in China's largest state banks to foreign investors and refinements in foreign exchange and bond markets in 2005. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2006 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income and 130 million Chinese fall below international poverty lines. Economic development has generally been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and there are large disparities in per capita income between regions. The government has

struggled to

(a) sustain adequate job 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) contain environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. From 100 to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. One demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. 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. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with more than 100 million users at the end of 2005. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable expansion in world trade and has been an important factor in the growth of urban jobs. In July 2005, China revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. In 2006 China had the largest current account surplus - nearly $180 billion - in the world. More power generating capacity came on line in 2006 as large scale investments were completed. Thirteen years in construction at a cost of $24 billion, the immense Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River was essentially completed in 2006 and will revolutionize electrification and flood control in the area. The 11th Five-Year Program (2006-10), approved by the National People's Congress in March 2006, calls for a 20% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP by 2010 and an estimated 45% increase in GDP by 2010. The plan states that conserving resources and protecting the environment are basic goals, but it lacks details on the policies and reforms necessary to achieve these goals.

Electricity - consumption

2.494 trillion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports

11.2 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports

5 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production

2.5 trillion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

80.2%

hydro

18.5%

nuclear

1.2%

other

0.1% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Everest 8,850 m

lowest point

Turpan Pendi -154 m

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

Environment - 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

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

yuan per US dollar - 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004), 8.277 (2003), 8.277 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC)

chief of state

President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)

election results

HU Jintao elected president by the 10th National People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (four delegates voted against him, four abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong elected vice president by the 10th National People's Congress with a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190 abstained, and 38 did not vote); two seats were vacant

elections

president and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); 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

head of government

Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Executive Vice Premier HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), Vice Premiers WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)

Exports

$974 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment, plastics, optical and medical equipment, iron and steel

Exports - partners

US 21.4%, Hong Kong 16.3%, Japan 11%, South Korea 4.6%, Germany 4.3% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 328-2582

[86] (10) 6532-3178

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

consulate(s) general

Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau, Shanghai, Shenyang

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications China

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 China

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

11.9%

industry

48.1%

note

industry includes construction (2006 est.)

services

40%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$7,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

10.5% (official data) (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.512 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$10 trillion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

35 00 N, 105 00 E

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 People China

Government type

Communist state

Heliports

32 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

44,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

840,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

33.1% (2001)

lowest 10%

1.8%

IDPs

90,000 (2006)

Illicit drugs

major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for chemical precursors and methamphetamine This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$777.9 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, oil and mineral fuels, plastics, optical and medical equipment, organic chemicals, iron and steel

Imports - partners

Japan 15.2%, South Korea 11.6%, Taiwan 11.2%, US 7.4%, Germany 4.6% (2005)

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)

Industrial production growth rate

22.9% (2006 est.)

Industries

mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, 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, satellites

Infant mortality rate

female

25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

20.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

23.12 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BCIE, BIS, CDB, EAS, FAO, G-24 (observer), G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Internet country code

.cn

Internet hosts

232,780 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2000)

Internet users

123 million (2006) Transportation China

Investment (gross fixed)

44.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

545,960 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

798 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

45%

industry

24%

services

31% (2005 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

22,117 km

Land use

arable land

14.86%

other

83.87% (2005)

permanent crops

1.27%

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)

Legal system

based on civil law system; derived from Soviet and continental civil code legal principles; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - NA

elections

last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held late 2007-February 2008)

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.46 years (2006 est.)

male

70.89 years

total population

72.58 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

86.5% (2002) Government China

male

95.1%

total population

90.9%

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

324,701,244 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

342,956,265

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

269,025,517 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

281,240,272

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

12,298,149 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

13,186,433

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

33.2 years (2006 est.)

male

32.3 years

total

32.7 years

Merchant marine

by type

barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 387, cargo 695, chemical tanker 45, combination ore/oil 1, container 152, liquefied gas 31, passenger 8, passenger/cargo 83, petroleum tanker 261, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 14

foreign-owned

13 (Hong Kong 7, Japan 3, South Korea 2, Norway 1)

registered in other countries

1,191 (Bahamas 3, Bangladesh 1, Belize 103, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 128, Cyprus 11, Georgia 2, Honduras 3, Hong Kong 274, India 2, North Korea 1, Liberia 35, Malaysia 1, Malta 14, Mongolia 4, Norway 3, Panama 420, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 103, Sierra Leone 2, Singapore 23, Thailand 1, Tuvalu 23, unknown 33) (2006)

total

1,723 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,405,633 GRT/32,411,260 DWT

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$81.48 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4.3% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues China

Military service age and obligation

18-22 years of age for compulsory military service, with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-22 years of age for women who meet requirements for specific military jobs (2006)

National holiday

Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)

Nationality

adjective

Chinese

noun

Chinese (singular and plural)

Natural gas - consumption

47.91 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - exports

2.79 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - production

52.88 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.35 trillion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural hazards

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

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)

Net migration rate

-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

6.534 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - exports

443,300 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

3.181 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

3.631 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves

16.1 billion bbl (2006 est.)

People's Liberation Army (PLA)

Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (includes airborne forces), and Second Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed Police (PAP); Reserve and Militia Forces (2006)

Pipelines

gas 22,664 km; oil 15,256 km; refined products 6,106 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP

Political pressure groups and leaders

no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the China Democracy Party as subversive groups

Population

1,313,973,713 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

10% (2004 est.)

Population growth rate

0.59% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Dalian, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai Military China

Public debt

22.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)

Radios

417 million (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

74,408 km 1.435-m gauge (19,303 km electrified) (2004)

total

74,408 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

300,897 (Vietnam) estimated 30,000-50,000 (North Korea)

Religions

Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%

note

officially atheist (2002 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.034 trillion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

1,515,797 km (with at least 34,288 km of expressways)

total

1,870,661 km

unpaved

354,864 km (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.12 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.13 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place

general assessment

domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure, and is partnering with foreign providers to expand its global reach; three of China's six major telecommunications operators are part of an international consortium which, in December 2006, signed an agreement with Verizon Business to build the first next-generation optical cable system directly linking the US mainland and China

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

350.433 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

437.48 million (2006)

Television broadcast stations

3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations, and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)

Televisions

400 million (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

China is a source, transit, and destination country for women, men, and children trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; the majority of trafficking in China is internal, but there is also international trafficking of Chinese citizens; women are lured through false promises of legitimate employment into commercial sexual exploitation in Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan; Chinese men and women are smuggled to countries throughout the world at enormous personal expense and then forced into commercial sexual exploitation or exploitative labor to repay debts to traffickers; women and children are trafficked into China from Mongolia, Burma, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam for forced labor, marriage, and sexual slavery; most North Koreans enter northeastern China voluntarily, but others reportedly are trafficked into China from North Korea; domestic trafficking remains the most significant problem in China, with an estimated minimum of 10,000-20,000 victims trafficked each year; the actual number of victims could be much greater; some experts believe that the serious and prolonged imbalance in the male-female birth ratio may now be contributing to Chinese and foreign girls and women being trafficked as potential brides

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - China failed to show evidence of increasing efforts to address transnational trafficking; while the government provides reasonable protection to internal victims of trafficking, protection for Chinese and foreign victims of transnational trafficking remain inadequate

Unemployment rate

4.2% official registered unemployment in urban areas in 2005; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas

Waterways

123,964 km (2003)