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| CHINA 中国 |
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| China is forever
linked to its ancient civilization, friendly people,
and many of the world’s most revered treasures,
such as The Great Wall, Terra-Cotta Warriors &
Horses and the Yangtze River. Today, one can also
find spectacular architecture and towering skylines
in Shanghai and Beijing (site of the 2008 Summer
Olympics), a wealth of luxury accommodations –
and as always – exquisite cuisine. |
| Fast Fact 基本资料 |
| Geographical Location
地理 |
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| THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF
CHINA is the third largest country in the
world in terms of area. It is situated in
eastern Asia on the western shore of the
Pacific Ocean, with an area of 9.6 million
square kilometers. China's continental coastline
extends for about 18,000 kilometers, and
its vast sea surface is studded with more
than 5,000 islands, of which Taiwan and
Hainan are the largest. China has shared
borders for centuries with Korea, the formerly
Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India,
Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Burma, Laos and Vietnam. |
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| Area 面积 |
| 9,326,410 sq km |
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| Population 人口 |
| China is the most populous
country in the world, with 1.25909 billion
people at the end of 1999, about 22 percent
of the world's total. This figure does not
include many Chinese in the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region, Taiwan Province and
Macao Special Administrative Region. The
population density in China is 130 people
per sq km. This population, however, is
unevenly distributed. Along the densely
populated east coast there are more than
400 people per sq km; in the central areas,
over 200; and in the sparsely populated
plateaus in the west there are less than
10 people per sq km. The population in cities
and towns makes up 30.4 percent; and that
in rural areas, 69.6 percent. The male population
is 50.8 percent; and the female population
is 49.2 percent. People 14 years or younger
make up 25.7 percent; those from 15 to 64,
67.6 percent; and those 65 or older, 6.7
percent. |
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| Capital 首都 |
Beijing (meaning "north
capital")
北京 |
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| People 人民 |
| China is a multi-racial
country with 56 ethnic groups. In the long
course of its development, all the nationalities
have joined in the effort to create the
great culture that China represents.
Apart from the Han nationality 汉族, the
other 55 ethnic groups, with a total of
more than 96.5 million people, constitute
roughly 8.04% of the total population.
Those with more than one million people
are: Zhuang 壮族, Hui 回族, Uyghur 维吾尔族, Yi
彝族, Miao 苗族, Manchu 满族, Tibetan 藏族, Mongolian
古族, Tujia 土家族, Bouyei 布依族, Korean 朝鲜族,
Dong 侗族, Yao 瑶族, Bai 白族 and Hani 哈尼族.
The constitution guarantees all non-Han
groups certain national rights and privileges,
such as the exemption from the one-child-policy,
lower academic requirements for entering
colleges and universities, tax breaks
and government subsidies. |
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| Religion 宗教 |
| China is a multi-religious
country, where Taoism, Buddhism, Islam and
Christianity are practised. Freedom of belief
is a government policy, and normal religious
activities are protected by the constitution. |
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| Climate 气候 |
| China is characterized
by a continental climate. The latitudes
span nearly 50 degrees, its southern part
is in the tropical and subtropical zones,
and its northern part near the frigid zones.
The northern part of Heilongjiang province
has long winters but no summers; while Hainan
Island has long summers but no winters.
The Huaihe River valley is marked by distinctive
seasonal changes, but it is spring all year
round in the south of the Yunnan-Guizhou
Plateau. China's high tundra zone is situated
in Qinghai-Tibet, where the temperature
is low in all four seasons. |
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