China Information Guide & Facts

 China

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For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences. But in the 19th and early 20th centuries, China was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established a dictatorship that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping gradually introduced market-oriented reforms and decentralized economic decision making, and output quadrupled by 2000. Political controls remain tight even while economic controls continue to be relaxed.

China had 662 cities by the end of 2000, of which 13 had populations of more than two million each in the urban area; 27, between one and two million; 54, between 500,000 and one million; 218, between 200,000 and 500,000; and 352, less than 200,000. Some of these are industrial cities that burgeoned along with the construction of key state projects, some are port cities with favorable conditions for the opening-up, and some are famous historical and cultural cities.

(Unit: 10,000 persons)
Shanghai 986.2 Beijing 760.7 Chongqing 660.9 Tianjin 532.5 Wuhan 441.1 Harbin 435.0 Shengyang 433.3 Guangzhou 436.1 Chengdu 345.9 Nanjing 309.5 Changchun 287.8 Xi’an 285.8 Dalian 275.4

Medium-sized cities with populations of less than 500,000 and small cities with populations of less than 200,000 grew rapidly from the 1980s. And the large cities with populations of over one million have developed satellite cities and towns.

China land and climate:

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Size: Area about 9.6 million square kilometers; east to west distance about 5,000 kilometers, from the Heilong Jiang (Amur River) to Pamir Mountains in Central Asia; north to south distance approximately 4,050 kilometers, from Heilongjiang Province to Hainan Island in south, and another 1,450 kilometers further south to Zengmu Shoal, territorial claim off north coast of Malaysia.

Topography:Main topographic features include Qing-Zang (Qinghai-Tibet) Plateau 4,000 meters above sea level and Kunlun, Qin Ling, and Greater Hinggan ranges. Longest of country's numerous rivers, Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) and Huang He (Yellow River), extend for some 6,300 and 5,400 kilometers, respectively.

Climate: Most of country in temperate belt. Complex climatic patterns ranging from cold-temperate north to tropical south. Precipitation varies regionally; temperatures range from minus 30°C in north in January to 28°C in south in July. Alternating wet monsoon in summer, dry monsoon in winter.

Main Cities of China ordered by size:

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Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong SAR (1995 est.), Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenyang, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Tai'an, Harbin, Chengdu, Dalian, Ningbo, Suzhou, Yantai, Zaozhuang, Wuxi, hongqing, Weifang, Xiangfan, Changchun, Xi'an, Yangzhou, Huaiyin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Zibo, Anshan, Jinan, Jilin, Taiyuan, Jinhua, Liupanshui, Pingdingshan, Xuzhou (Jiangsu Sheng), Hengyang, Xinxiang, Handan, Zhengzhou, Dongwan, Weihai, Mianyang, Guiyang, Wenzhou, Lanzhou, Kunming, Nantong, Linyi, Jiaozuo, Xiangtan, Zhuzhou, Tangshan, Tianmen, Jining (Shandong Sheng), Dongshan, Changde, Qiqihar, Fuzhou (Fujian Sheng), Siping, Dengzhou, Pinxiang, Fushun, Guikong, Shijianzhuang, Xuchang, Xiantao, Jiaxing, Jinxi, Changsha, Yulin (Hunan), Chaozhou, Neijiang, Deyang, Zhenjiang, Datong, Shaoxing, Nanchang, Suinin, Xiaocan, Botou, Huainan, Luoyang, Tonghua, Haozhou, Urumqi, Nanning, Heze, Hefei, Tieling, Langfang, Yueyang, Macheng, Zhanjiang, Tianshui, Rizhao, Huzhou, Dingzhou, Fengcheng, Jingmen, Lianyuan, Fulin, Daqing, Qinzhou, Chaoyang, Sifen, Linhai, Zigong, Qingyuan, Yongzhou, Fuyu, Hohhoit, Benxi, Ezhou, Huangyan, Shantou, Yichun (Heilongjiang Sheng), Shenzhen, Linchuan, Yangjiang, Wuwei, Guangyuan, Ankang, Liaocheng, Yichun (Jiangxi Sheng), Jixi, Qujing, Guangshui, Beidong, Jiujiang, Suihua, Xuanzhou, Weinan, Lichuan 

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Usefull Local Websites:

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General Office, National Committee, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference http://www.cppcc.gov.cn
The Supreme People’s Court http://www.court.gov.cn
The Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China http://www.spp.gov.cn

Ministries and Commissions Directly under the State Council
Ministry of Foreign Affairs http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng
State Development Planning Commission http://www.sdpc.gov.cn
State Economic & Trade Commission http://www.setc.gov.cn
Ministry of Education http://www.moe.edu.cn
Ministry of Science and Technology http://www.most.gov.cn
Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense http://www.costind.gov.cn
State Ethnic Affairs Commission http://www.seac.gov.cn
Ministry of Public Security http://www.mps.gov.cn
Ministry of Supervision http://www.zjw.gov.cn
Ministry of Civil Affairs http://www.mca.gov.cn
Ministry of Justice http://www.legalinfo.gov.cn
Ministry of Finance http://www.mof.gov.cn
Ministry of Personnel http://www.mop.gov.cn
Ministry of Labour and Social Security http://www.molss.gov.cn
Ministry of Land and Resources http://www.mlr.gov.cn
Ministry of Construction http://www.cin.gov.cn
Ministry of Railways http://www.chinamor.cn.net
Ministry of Communications http://www.moc.gov.cn
Ministry of Information Industry http://www.mii.gov.cn
Ministry of Water Resources http://www.mwr.gov.cn
Ministry of Agriculture http://www.agri.gov.cn
Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation http://www.moftec.gov.cn
Ministry of Culture http://www.ccnt.gov.cn
Ministry of Public Health http://www.moh.gov.cn
State Family Planning Commission http://www.sfpc.gov.cn
People’s Bank of China http://www.pbc.gov.cn
National Audit Office http://www.audit.gov.cn

Departments Directly under the State Council
General Administration of Customs http://www.customs.gov.cn
State Administration of Taxation http://www.chinatax.gov.cn
State Environmental Protection Administration http://www.nepa.unep.net
General Administration of Civil Aviation http://www.caac.cn.net
State Administration of Radio, Film and Television http://www.sarft.gov.cn
State General Administration of Sports http://www.sport.gov.cn
National Bureau of Statistics http://www.stats.gov.cn
State Administration For Industry & Commerce http://www.saic.gov.cn
National Copyright Administration http://www.ncac.gov.cn
State Forestry Administration http://www.forestry.gov.cn
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China http://www.ciq.gov.cn
State Drug Administration http://www.sda.gov.cn
State Intellectual Property Office http://www.cpo.cn.net
National Tourism Administration http://www.cnta.com

Offices under that State Council
Information Office of the State Council http://www.china.org.cn
Office of the Leading Group for Western Region Development of the State Council http://www.chinawest.gov.cn
Special Economic Zone Office of the State Council http://www.sezo.gov.cn

Institutions Directly under the State Council
Xinhua News Agency http://www.xinhua.org
Chinese Academy of Sciences http://www.cashq.ac.cn
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences http://www.cass.net.cn
Chinese Academy of Engineering http://www.cae.ac.cn
Development Research Center of the State Council http://www.drc.gov.cn
China Meteorological Administration http://www.cma.gov.cn
China Seismological Bureau http://ww.csi.ac.cn
China Securities Regulatory Commission http://www.csrc.gov.cn
China Insurance Regulatory Commission http://www.circ.gov.cn

State Bureaux Administration by Ministration or Commission
State Bureau of Internal Trade http://www.gjgnmyj.gov.cn
State Bureau of Coal Industry http://www.chinacoal.gov.cn
State Bureau of Machine Building Industry http://www.mei.net.cn
State Bureau of Metallurgical Industry http://www.mmi.gov.cn
State Bureau of Petroleum and Chemical Industry http://www.cncic.gov.cn
State Bureau of Light Industry http://www.clii.com.cn
State Bureau of Textile Industry http://www.ctei.gov.cn
State Bureau of Building Materials Industry http://www.bm.cei.gov.cn
State Tobacco Monopoly Bureau http://www.tobacco.gov.cn
State Bureau of Nonferrous Metal Industry http://www.atk.com.cn
State Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs http://www.safea.gov.cn
State Bureau of Oceanic Administration http://www.soa.gov.cn  
State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping http://www2.sbsm.gov.cn
State Post Bureau http://www.chinapost.gov.cn
State Cultural Relics Bureau http://www.sach.gov.cn
State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine http://www.satcm.gov.cn
State Administration of Foreign Exchange http://www.safe.gov.cn