Eastern Asia, bordering the East China
Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North
Korea and Vietnam
total: 9,596,960 sq km
land: 9,326,410 sq km
water: 270,550 sq km
1,298,847,624 (July 2004 est.)
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua,
based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese),
Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka
dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
iron and steel, coal, machine
building, armaments, textiles and apparel, petroleum, cement,
chemical fertilizers, footwear, toys, food processing,
automobiles, consumer electronics, telecommunications
machinery and equipment, textiles and
clothing, footwear, toys and sporting goods, mineral fuels
machinery and equipment, mineral
fuels, plastics, iron and steel, chemicals