China, officially the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is located in East Asia and has a population exceeding 1.4 billion, making it the second-most populous country after India. It spans nearly 9.6 million square kilometers, ranking as the third-largest country by land area. China has 33 province-level divisions, with Beijing as its capital and Shanghai as its most populous city.
One of the world’s cradles of civilization, China saw the emergence of dynastic states in the Yellow River basin around the late 2nd millennium BCE. It was unified under an emperor in 221 BCE, leading to over two millennia of imperial rule, including dynasties like Qin, Han, and Ming. Key inventions such as gunpowder and paper emerged during this time, along with cultural developments.
The Qing dynasty faced decline, leading to the 1911 Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). Instability marked the Beiyang government and the Warlord Era, while the Chinese Civil War began in 1927 between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After Japan’s invasion in 1937 and the subsequent Second Sino-Japanese War, the CCP emerged victorious in 1949, proclaiming the PRC.
China is a one-party socialist republic led by the CCP, with significant economic reforms beginning in 1978 that shifted toward a capitalist market economy. It ranks as the world’s largest economy by PPP-adjusted GDP and is a major global player, holding a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Known for its rich culture and cuisine, China boasts 59 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Image Credit | By Addicted04 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17078293
