Outline of China

The flag of the People's Republic of China

The National Emblem of the People's Republic of China

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to China:

The People's Republic of China is the most extensive country in East Asia and the third most extensive country in the world.^[1]^{[note 1]} With a population of over 1,400,000,000, it is the second most populous country in the world.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has led the PRC under a one-party system since the state's establishment in 1949. The PRC is involved in a dispute over the political status of Taiwan. The CCP's rival during the Chinese Civil War, the Kuomintang (KMT), fled to Taiwan and surrounding islands after its defeat in 1949, claiming legitimacy over China, Mongolia, and Tuva while it was the ruling power of the Republic of China (ROC). The term "mainland China" is often used to denote the areas under PRC rule, but sometimes excludes its two special administrative regions: Hong Kong and Macau.

Because of its vast population, rapidly growing economy, and large research and development investments, China is considered an "emerging superpower".^[2]^[3] It has the world's second largest economy (largest in terms of purchasing power parity.) China is also a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7] Since 1978, China's market-based economic reforms have brought the poverty rate down from 53% in 1981 to 8% by 2001.^[8] However, China is now faced with a number of other socioeconomic problems, including an aging population, an increasing rural-urban income gap, and rapid environmental degradation.^[9]^[10]

China plays a major role in international trade. The country is the world's largest consumer of steel and concrete, using, respectively, a third and over a half of the world's supply of each.^[11] Counting all products, China is the largest exporter and the second largest importer in the world.^[12]^[13]

General reference

Pronunciation: /ˈtʃaɪ.nə/
Mandarin: [tʂʊŋ˥ kuɔ˧˥]
Common English country name: China
Official English country name: The People's Republic of China
Common endonym: 中国 (Zhōngguó) (The Middle Kingdom or Central Realm)
Official endonym: 中华人民共和国 (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó)
Adjectivals: China, Chinese
Demonym: Chinese
Etymology: Name of China
International rankings of the People's Republic of China
ISO country codes: CN, CHN, 156
ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:CN
Internet country code top-level domain: .cn

Geography of China

China is a megadiverse country
Location:
- Northern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere
- Eurasia
  - Asia
    - East Asia
- Time zone: China Standard Time (UTC+08)
- Extreme points of China
  - High: Mount Everest 8,848 m (29,029 ft) – highest point on Earth
  - Low: Turpan Depression −154 m (−505 ft)
- Land boundaries: 22,117 km^{[note 2]}^{[note 3]}

Mongolia 4,677 km

Russia 3,645 km

India (excluding the territorial border disputes; McMahon Line) 3,380 km

Myanmar 2,185 km

Kazakhstan 1,533 km

North Korea 1,416 km

Vietnam 1,281 km

Nepal 1,236 km

Kyrgyzstan 858 km

Pakistan 523 km

Bhutan 470 km

Laos 423 km

Tajikistan 414 km

Afghanistan 76 km

Coastline: 14,500 km

Population of China: 1,321,851,888(2007) - 1st most populous country
Area of China: 9,640,821 square kilometres (3,722,342 sq mi) - 3rd largest country
Atlas of China

Environment of China

Natural geographic features of China

Regions of China

Administrative divisions of China

Provinces of China

Cities of China

Demography of China

Government and politics of China

United front

United Front

Ruling party

Chinese Communist Party

Branches of government

Foreign relations of China

International organization membership

The People's Republic of China is a member of:^[1]

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (nonregional member)
African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID)
Arctic Council (observer)
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT)
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (dialogue partner)
Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF)
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
Central American Integration System (SICA) (observer)
East Asia Summit (EAS)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Group of 24 (G24) (observer)
Group of 77 (G77)
Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20)
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
International Development Association (IDA)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO)

International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) (observer)
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
Nonaligned Movement (NAM) (observer)
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
Organization of American States (OAS) (observer)
Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) (partner)
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) (observer)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT)
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)
United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS)
United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI)
United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
United Nations Security Council (permanent member, since 1971)
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
World Customs Organization (WCO)
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
World Trade Organization (WTO)
Zangger Committee (ZC)

Law and order in China

Military of China

Local government in China

Local government in China

History of China

Culture of China

Sports in China

Economy and infrastructure of China

Education in China

Higher education in China

List of universities in China

Notes

^ Area rank is disputed with the United States and is either ranked third or fourth. See List of countries and dependencies by area for more information.
^ China has the longest total land boundaries of any country.
^ China and Russia each border 14 countries, more than any other countries.
^ Article 93 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China places the authority to direct the armed forces of the PRC in the Central Military Commission. However, Article 80 gives the President of the People's Republic of China the power to proclaim martial law, proclaim a state of war, and issue mobilization orders. Since the mid-1990s, it has been standard practice to have the President, the CMC Chairman, and the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party be the same person although the differences in the start of terms means that there is some overlap between an occupant and his predecessor.

References

^ ^a ^b "China". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 8, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
^ Gordon, Peter. "Review of "China: The Balance Sheet -- What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower"". The Asia Review of Books. Archived from the original on 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
^ Miller, Lyman. "China an Emerging Superpower?". Stanford Journal of International Relations. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
^ China Passes U.S. In Trade With Japan
^ Trade Policy Outlook for Second-term Bush Administration
^ "China - Taiwan Economic Ties". Archived from the original on 2019-05-11. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
^ "Beijing's Growing Politico-Economic Leverage Over Ulaanbaatar". Archived from the original on 2008-10-19. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
^ Fighting Poverty: Findings and Lessons from China's Success Archived 2013-09-22 at the Wayback Machine (World Bank). Retrieved August 10, 2006.
^ Yardley, Jim (December 29, 2007). "Beijing's Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
^ "China fails environment targets". BBC News. January 10, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
^ Center for International Trade in Forest Products Archived 2008-06-24 at the Wayback Machine China's Building Boom. Retrieved December 2, 2006,
^ The World Factbook, Rank Order - Imports.
^ "WTO: China overtakes US as second biggest exporter". Geneva: China Daily. 2007-04-12. Retrieved 2016-09-16.

External links

Wikimedia Atlas of China

China.org.cn China news, weather, business, travel, language courses, archives
U.S. Department of State, Background Note on China
Interactive China map with province and city guides.
China Digital Times Online China news portal, run by the Graduate School of Journalism of University of California at Berkeley.
China Worker
China Map
China Flights
NY Inquirer: China's 21st Century
The Chinese Superpower-Historical Background, Dr Rivka Shpak-Lissak
China Map Quest
The 200 best books on China

[2] Area rank is disputed with the United States and is either ranked third or fourth. See List of countries and dependencies by area for more information.

[15] China has the longest total land boundaries of any country.

[16] China and Russia each border 14 countries, more than any other countries.

[17] Article 93 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China places the authority to direct the armed forces of the PRC in the Central Military Commission. However, Article 80 gives the President of the People's Republic of China the power to proclaim martial law, proclaim a state of war, and issue mobilization orders. Since the mid-1990s, it has been standard practice to have the President, the CMC Chairman, and the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party be the same person although the differences in the start of terms means that there is some overlap between an occupant and his predecessor.

[CIA_World_Factbook-1] "China". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 8, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.

[3] Gordon, Peter. "Review of "China: The Balance Sheet -- What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower"". The Asia Review of Books. Archived from the original on 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2007-12-24.

[Miller-4] Miller, Lyman. "China an Emerging Superpower?". Stanford Journal of International Relations. Retrieved 2007-12-24.

[5] China Passes U.S. In Trade With Japan

[6] Trade Policy Outlook for Second-term Bush Administration

[7] "China - Taiwan Economic Ties". Archived from the original on 2019-05-11. Retrieved 2008-07-02.

[8] "Beijing's Growing Politico-Economic Leverage Over Ulaanbaatar". Archived from the original on 2008-10-19. Retrieved 2008-07-02.

[9] Fighting Poverty: Findings and Lessons from China's Success Archived 2013-09-22 at the Wayback Machine (World Bank). Retrieved August 10, 2006.

[10] Yardley, Jim (December 29, 2007). "Beijing's Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2010.

[11] "China fails environment targets". BBC News. January 10, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2010.

[12] Center for International Trade in Forest Products Archived 2008-06-24 at the Wayback Machine China's Building Boom. Retrieved December 2, 2006,

[13] The World Factbook, Rank Order - Imports.

[14] "WTO: China overtakes US as second biggest exporter". Geneva: China Daily. 2007-04-12. Retrieved 2016-09-16.

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