China
People’s Republic of China
Local name: 中国
- Capital
- Beijing
- Population
- 1.4 billion
- 2nd in the world (2025)
- Area
- 9,706,961 km²
- 3rd in the world
- Density
- 145 people/km²
- 63rd in the world
In brief
China is a country in East Asia. Its capital is Beijing. With 1.4 billion inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 2nd in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 9,706,961 km². It shares land borders with Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam.
GDP per capita stands at $13,862 (2025), 73rd in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 78 years (2024). 66% of the population lives in cities.
History of China
China is one of the oldest continuous civilisations in the world: Chinese writing is attested more than 3,000 years ago. The First Emperor unified the country in 221 BC. For two millennia the imperial dynasties, from the Han to the Qing, saw the invention of paper, the compass, gunpowder and printing. Weakened by the Opium Wars in the 19th century, China became a republic in 1912. After the Japanese invasion and the civil war, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s Republic on 1 October 1949. The reforms launched by Deng Xiaoping from 1978 made it the world’s second-largest economy.
Geography of China
Covering about 9.6 million km², China runs from the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas, where Everest (8,849 m) marks the border with Nepal, to the densely populated eastern plains. The Yangtze, Asia’s longest river, and the Yellow River cross it; the Gobi Desert lies in the north.
Map of China
Flag of China
The flag of China is red. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).
- Red98%
- Yellow2%
Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.
What the flag stands for
Red, with five yellow stars. The large star represents the Communist Party, the four small ones the social classes united around it according to Mao; red stands for the revolution.
Sources: Wikipedia, articles “China” and “Flag of China”.
See also: flags with a star.
Fact file
| Official name | People’s Republic of China |
|---|---|
| Capital | Beijing |
| Official language | Chinese |
| Currency | Chinese yuan (CNY, ¥) |
| Demonym | Chinese |
| Continent | Asia, East Asia |
| Access to the sea | Yes |
| Area | 9,706,961 km² |
| Calling code | +86 |
| Internet domain | .cn, .中国, .中國, .公司, .网络 |
| UN status | Member state |
Economy and society
GDP per capita
$13,862
73rd in the world (2025)
Life expectancy
78 years
at birth (2024)
Urban population
66%
Sources: World Bank (2025) for population and economy, Natural Earth for the map, mledoze/countries and Wikidata for reference data. Method.