CHINA AT A GLANCE

Formal Name: People's Republic of China. Short name: China.

Term for Citizens: Chinese.

Capital: Beijing (Area: 16,800 square kilometres; Population: 12.59 million)

Date of Independence: October 1, 1949.

Area: 9,6 million square kilometres. Time: GMT+6

Topography: China has varied topography with mountains, highlands and hills accounting for about 65% of the country's total land area.

Climate: China lies mainly in the northern Temperate Zone under influence of monsoon.

Population: 1,259 billion, about 22% of total population in the world.

Language: The national language is Putonghua (the common speech) or Mandarin, which is one of the five working languages at the United Nations.

Religions: China is a multi-religious country. Buddhism, Taoism and Islam are the three major religions. Catholicism and Protestantism have smaller but substantial followers too.

Education: China's education system is composed of 4 components: basic education, occupational / polytechnic education, common higher education and adult education.

Major industries: The metallurgical, mining and energy industries, aeroplane and automobile industries, and the new industries, including petrochemicals, computers, telecommunication equipment, instruments and meters, and aeronautics. Textiles, food processing, cotton, grain, livestock, rice,

Major trading partners: Russia, USA, Europe, the CIS and Japan.

Money: Chinese Money is called Renminbi (RMB)(means "People's Currency"). The popular unit of RMB is Yuan.

Ecology: The west of China faces three big ecological problems: Coexistence of water shortage and waste, soil erosion and wind erosion and desertification.

Health: Health care is on very high level.

Culture: China, one of the four oldest civilisations in the world, has a written history of 4,000 years and boasts rich cultural relics and historical sites

Popular tourist destinations: Xian, Lanzhou, Jiauguan, Dunhuang, Hami, Urumqi, Korla, Aksu, Kashgar, Turpan, Hetian, Beijing, etc.

USEFUL CHINESE WORDS AND PHRASES