CNY Rates Now (2023-03-21 12:53 (GMT -4:00))

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

35 00 N, 105 00 E

Asia

total: 9,596,960 sq km

land: 9,326,410 sq km

water: 270,550 sq km

country comparison to the world: 5

total: 22,457 km

border countries (14): Afghanistan 91 km, Bhutan 477 km, Burma 2,129 km, India 2,659 km, Kazakhstan 1,765 km, North Korea 1,352 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,063 km, Laos 475 km, Mongolia 4,630 km, Nepal 1,389 km, Pakistan 438 km, Russia (northeast) 4,133 km, Russia (northwest) 46 km, Tajikistan 477 km, Vietnam 1,297 km

regional border(s) (2): Hong Kong 33 km, Macau 3 km

14,500 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

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

mean elevation: 1,840 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m

highest point: Mount Everest 8,848 m (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level)

coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest), arable land

agricultural land: 54.7%

arable land 11.3%; permanent crops 1.6%; permanent pasture 41.8%

forest: 22.3%

other: 23% (2011 est.)

690,070 sq km (2012)

overwhelming majority of the population is found in the eastern half of the country; the west, with its vast mountainous and desert areas, remains sparsely populated; though ranked first in the world in total population, overall density is less than that of many other countries in Asia and Europe; high population density is found along the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys, the Xi Jiang River delta, the Sichuan Basin (around Chengdu), in and around Beijing, and the industrial area around Shenyang

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

volcanism: China contains some historically active volcanoes including Changbaishan (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu, or P'aektu-san), Hainan Dao, and Kunlun although most have been relatively inactive in recent centuries

air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; China is the world's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; coastal destruction due to land reclamation, industrial development, and aquaculture; deforestation and habitat destruction; poor land management leads to soil erosion, landslides, floods, droughts, dust storms and desertification; trade in endangered species

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, 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

world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US) and largest country situated entirely in Asia; Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak above sea level

1,379,302,771 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

noun: Chinese (singular and plural)

adjective: Chinese

Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) 7.1%

note: the Chinese Government officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups (2010 est.)

Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)

note: Zhuang is official in Guangxi Zhuang, Yue is official in Guangdong, Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, Kyrgyz is official in Xinjiang Uygur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet)

Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, folk religion 21.9%, Hindu < 0.1%, Jewish < 0.1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.2%

note: officially atheist (2010 est.)

total dependency ratio: 37.7

youth dependency ratio: 24.3

elderly dependency ratio: 13.3

potential support ratio: 7.5

data do not include Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan (2015 est.)

total: 37.4 years

male: 36.5 years

female: 38.4 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 67

0.41% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 160

12.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 161

7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 101

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 121

overwhelming majority of the population is found in the eastern half of the country; the west, with its vast mountainous and desert areas, remains sparsely populated; though ranked first in the world in total population, overall density is less than that of many other countries in Asia and Europe; high population density is found along the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys, the Xi Jiang River delta, the Sichuan Basin (around Chengdu), in and around Beijing, and the industrial area around Shenyang

urban population: 57.9% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

note: data do not include Hong Kong and Macau

Shanghai 23.741 million; BEIJING (capital) 20.384 million; Chongqing 13.332 million; Guangdong 12.458 million; Tianjin 11.21 million; Shenzhen 10.749 million (2015)

at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.17 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.14 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female

total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

27 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 119

total: 12 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

total population: 75.7 years

male: 73.6 years

female: 78 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 102

1.6 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 182

5.5% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 125

3.63 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

4.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)

improved:

urban: 97.5% of population

rural: 93% of population

total: 95.5% of population

unimproved:

urban: 2.5% of population

rural: 7% of population

total: 4.5% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 86.6% of population

rural: 63.7% of population

total: 76.5% of population

unimproved:

urban: 13.4% of population

rural: 36.3% of population

total: 23.5% of population (2015 est.)

NA

NA

NA

degree of risk: intermediate

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease: Japanese encephalitis

soil contact disease: hantaviral hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) (2016)

6.2% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 169

3.4% (2010)

country comparison to the world: 109

NA

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 96.4%

male: 98.2%

female: 94.5% (2015 est.)

total: 14 years

male: 14 years

female: 14 years (2015)

in October 2015, the Chinese Government announced that it would change its rules to allow all couples to have two children, loosening a 1979 mandate that restricted many couples to one child; the new policy was implemented on 1 January 2016 to address China’s rapidly aging population and economic needs

conventional long form: People's Republic of China

conventional short form: China

local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo

local short form: Zhongguo

abbreviation: PRC

etymology: English name derives from the Qin (Chin) rulers of the 3rd century B.C., who comprised the first imperial dynasty of ancient China; the Chinese name Zhongguo translates as "Central Nation"

communist party-led state

capital: Beijing

geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E

time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) note; despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone

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

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)

autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, 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

1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China)

National Day (anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949)

history: several previous; latest promulgated 4 December 1982

amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress or supported by more than one-fifth of the National People’s Congress membership; passage requires more than two-thirds majority vote of the Congress membership; amended several times, last in 2018 (2018)

civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; note - in early 2017, the National People's Congress took the first step in adopting a new civil code by passing the General Provisions of the Civil Law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: least one parent must be a citizen of China

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: while naturalization is theoretically possible, in practical terms it is extremely difficult; residency is required but not specified

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President WANG Quishan (since 17 March 2018)

head of government: Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premiers HAN Zheng (since 19 March 2018), SUN Chunlan (since 19 March 2018), LIU He (since 19 March 2018), HU Chunhua (since 19 March 2018)

cabinet: State Council appointed by National People's Congress

elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (unlimited terms); election last held on 17 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2023); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress

election results: XI Jinping reelected president; National People's Congress vote - 2,970 (unanimously); WANG Quishan elected vice president with 2,969 votes

description: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (maximum of 3,000 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses, and the People's Liberation Army; members serve 5-year terms); note - in practice, only members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), its 8 allied parties, and CCP-approved independent candidates are elected

elections: last held in December 2012-February 2013 (next to be held in late 2017 to early 2018)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - NA

highest court(s): Supreme People's Court (consists of over 340 judges including the chief justice, 13 grand justices organized into a civil committee and tribunals for civil, economic, administrative, complaint and appeal, and communication and transportation cases); note - in late December 2016, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth circuit courts of the Supreme People's Court began operation

judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the People's National Congress (NPC); limited to 2 consecutive 5-year-terms; other justices and judges nominated by the chief justice and appointed by the Standing Committee of the NPC; term of other justices and judges determined by the NPC

subordinate courts: Higher People's Courts; Intermediate People's Courts; District and County People's Courts; Autonomous Region People's Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues

note: in late 2014, China unveiled planned judicial reforms

Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping]

note: China has 8 nominally independent small parties controlled by the CCP

no substantial political opposition groups exist

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador CUI Tiankai (since 3 April 2013)

chancery: 3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 495-2266

FAX: [1] (202) 495-2138

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

chief of mission: Ambassador Terry BRANSTAD (since 12 July 2017)

embassy: 55 An Jia Lou Lu, 100600 Beijing

mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002

telephone: [86] (10) 8531-3000

FAX: [86] (10) 8531-3300

consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan

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; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes - the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) - united under the Communist Party of China

dragon, giant panda; national colors: red, yellow

name: "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers)

lyrics/music: TIAN Han/NIE Er

note: adopted 1949; the anthem, though banned during the Cultural Revolution, is more commonly known as "Zhongguo Guoge" (Chinese National Song); it was originally the theme song to the 1935 Chinese movie, "Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm"

population without electricity: 1,200,000

electrification - total population: 99.9%

electrification - urban areas: 100%

electrification - rural areas: 99.8% (2016)

6.142 trillion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

5.92 trillion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

18.91 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

6.185 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 34

1.646 billion kW (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

64% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 117

2% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

20.2% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 88

13.7% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 53

3.981 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

32,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 47

6.167 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

25.62 billion bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 13

10.85 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

11.75 million bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

709,900 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

971,900 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

138.4 billion cu m (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

210.3 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

3.243 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

75.1 billion cu m (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

5.194 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

9.135 billion Mt (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

total subscriptions: 206.624 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

total: 1,364.934 million

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 99 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

general assessment: domestic and international services are available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure; China in the summer of 2008 began a major restructuring of its telecommunications industry, resulting in the consolidation of its six telecom service operators to three, China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom, each providing both fixed-line and mobile services (2016)

domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of Internet users now over 55% of the population; a domestic satellite system with several earth stations is in place (2018)

international: country code - 86; a number of submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat - Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2012)

all broadcast media are owned by, or affiliated with, the Communist Party of China or a government agency; no privately owned TV or radio stations; state-run Chinese Central TV, provincial, and municipal stations offer more than 2,000 channels; the Central Propaganda Department sends directives to all domestic media outlets to guide

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total: 730,723,960

percent of population: 53.2% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

number of registered air carriers: 56

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2,890

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 436,183,969

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 19.806 billion mt-km (2015)

B (2016)

507 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 14

total: 463

over 3,047 m: 71

2,438 to 3,047 m: 158

1,524 to 2,437 m: 123

914 to 1,523 m: 25

under 914 m: 86 (2017)

total: 44

over 3,047 m: 4

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7

1,524 to 2,437 m: 6

914 to 1,523 m: 9

under 914 m: 18 (2013)

47 (2013)

gas 70,000 km; crude oil 22,900 km; refined petroleum products 25,500 km; water 710,206 km (2015)

total: 124,000 km

standard gauge: 124,000 km 1.435-m gauge (80,000 km electrified); 102,000 traditional, 22,000 high-speed (2017)

country comparison to the world: 2

total: 4,577,300 km

paved: 4,046,300 km (includes 123,500 km of expressways)

unpaved: 531,000 km (2015)

country comparison to the world: 3

110,000 km (navigable waterways) (2011)

country comparison to the world: 1

total: 4,287

by type: bulk carrier 1,069, container ship 198, general cargo 697, oil tanker 480, other 1,843 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 4

major seaport(s): Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin

river port(s): Guangzhou (Pearl)

container port(s) (TEUs): Dalian (9,591,000), Guangzhou (17,097,000), Ningbo (20,636,000), Qingdao (17,323,000), Shanghai (36,516,000), Shenzhen (24,142,000), Tianjin (13,881,000)(2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Tangshan, Zhejiang

seven of the world’s ten largest container ports are in China

1.9% of GDP (2016)

1.95% of GDP (2015)

1.9% of GDP (2014)

1.85% of GDP (2013)

1.84% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 50

People's Liberation Army (PLA): Army, Navy (PLAN, includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun Kongjun, PLAAF, includes airborne forces), Rocket Force (strategic missile force), and Strategic Support Force (space and cyber forces); People's Armed Police (Renmin Wuzhuang Jingcha Budui, PAP); PLA Reserve Force (2016)

18-22 years of age for selective compulsory military service, with a 2-year service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for women high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military jobs; a recent military decision allows women in combat roles; the first class of women warship commanders was in 2011 (2012)

continuing talks and confidence-building measures work toward reducing tensions over Kashmir that nonetheless remains militarized 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; China and India continue their security and foreign policy dialogue started in 2005 related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; China claims most of India's Arunachal Pradesh to the base of the Himalayas; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the most contentious of which lie in Bhutan's west along China's Chumbi salient; Burmese forces attempting to dig in to the largely autonomous Shan State to rout local militias tied to the drug trade, prompts local residents to periodically flee into neighboring Yunnan Province in China; Chinese maps show an international boundary symbol off the coasts of the littoral states of the South China Seas, where China has interrupted Vietnamese hydrocarbon exploration; China asserts sovereignty over Scarborough Reef along with the Philippines and Taiwan, and over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei; the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea 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;

refugees (country of origin): 317,098 (Vietnam); undetermined (North Korea) (2016)

IDPs: undetermined (2014)

current situation: China is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Chinese adults and children are forced into prostitution and various forms of forced labor, including begging and working in brick kilns, coal mines, and factories; women and children are recruited from rural areas and taken to urban centers for sexual exploitation, often lured by criminal syndicates or gangs with fraudulent job offers; state-sponsored forced labor, where detainees work for up to four years often with no remuneration, continues to be a serious concern; Chinese men, women, and children also may be subjected to conditions of sex trafficking and forced labor worldwide, particularly in overseas Chinese communities; women and children are trafficked to China from neighboring countries, as well as Africa and the Americas, for forced labor and prostitution

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - China does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; official data for 2014 states that 194 alleged traffickers were arrested and at least 35 were convicted, but the government’s conflation of human trafficking with other crimes makes it difficult to assess law enforcement efforts to investigate and to prosecute trafficking offenses according to international law; despite reports of complicity, no government officials were investigated, prosecuted, or convicted for their roles in trafficking offenses; authorities did not adequately protect victims and did not provide the data needed to ascertain the number of victims identified or assisted or the services provided; the National People’s Congress ratified a decision to abolish “reform through labor” in 2013, but some continued to operate as state-sponsored drug detention or “custody and education” centers that force inmates to perform manual labor; some North Korean refugees continued to be forcibly repatriated as illegal economic migrants, despite reports that some were trafficking victims (2015)

major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic consumption of synthetic drugs, and heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia; source country for methamphetamine and heroin chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry; more people believed to be convicted and executed for drug offences than anywhere else in the world, according to NGOs