Fast Facts about China

  • Country¡¯s Full Name: People's Republic of China
  • China in mandarin Chinese: Öйú (Zh¨­nggu¨®)
  • Capital: BeijingFig. 1
  • China¡¯s National Emblem: As shown in figure 1, t is made up of the Forbidden City Gate at Tian¡¯anmen Square which is a symbol of the great Revolutionary Traditions, the patriotic spirit of Chinese people and l of Beijing, the capital of People¡¯s Republic of China. (figure 1)
  • Demography and Language(s):
    • Population: 1.31448 billion (2006)
    • Number of Ethnic Minorities (non-Han): 55 (123.33 million people, 9.44% of total population)
    • Languages Spoken Official: Mandarin - The Chinese spoken and written language by the Han people is also the most commonly used language in China, as well as one of the most commonly used languages in the world. Chinese, also known as Hanyu or Han Chinese, comprises seven major dialect groups that are composed of over 100 sub-dialects. These dialects are major components of the splendid Chinese culture, playing a unique role in the formation and development of the Chinese nation.
  • Geography:
    • Total Area: 9,630,000 km2
    • Number of countries with whom China shares borders: 14
  • Time Zones: GMT/UTC +8 - Despite China being a vast country geographically spanning several time zones, the whole of China operates to a single Standard Time all year round. China Time Standard Time is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+8). Fig. 2
  • Country Dialing Code: +86
  • Electrical Voltage and Plugs: 220V 50Hz. Most hotels and recent buildings have multi-type sockets (figure 2)
  • Weights & Measures: Metric
    (although some places still use the traditional system, where 2 li = 1km and 2 jin = 1kg)

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