CHINA

About the Country- 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, MAO’s 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. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.

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

Area- China is considered to be the 4th Largest Country in the world, with an area of 9,596,960 square kilometers.

Climate & Weather- The southern provinces are warmer. In fact it can be very hot and humid during summer. In contrast, northern provinces are colder. Temperatures during winter time may vary between -20 and 5 degrees Celsius.

Language- Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) based on Beijing dialect, plus local dialects, Yue (Cantonese), Wu ( Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry).

Currency-  Renminbi / Yuan is the currency of China

Population- 1,378,341,314 (Official Estimate – 2016)

Major Cities- BEIJING (capital), Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Wuhan are the major cities of China.

Government- The politics of the People's Republic of China takes places in a framework of a socialist republic run by a single party, the Communist Party of China. The leadership of the Communist Party is stated in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China.

Transportation- The transport system in China is well developed in Urban, Semi Urban & Rural areas.Public buses, taxis, bicycles are the most common vehicles for you to take. In some modern and developed Chinese cities, subway, light rail and even Maglev trains can all be considered as good ways for you to get around the city. In China, almost all major cities are equipped with a developed bus transport system.

International dialling code and Internet country code- Dial +86 when making a phone call to China and Internet country code is “.cn”.