China ( i/tan/; Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhnggu), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a sovereign state located inEast

Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of over 1.35 billion. The PRC is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party, with its seat of government in the capital city of Beijing.[14] It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, fiveautonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governingspecial administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau).[15] The PRC also claims Taiwan which is controlled by the Republic of China(ROC), a separate political entity as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War.[16] Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, China is the world's second-largest country by land area,[17] and the third or fourth-largest by total area, depending on the definition of total area.[18] China's landscape is vast and diverse, with forest steppes and the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts occupying the arid north and northwest near Mongolia and Central Asia, and subtropical forests prevalent in the wetter south near Southeast Asia. The terrain of western China is rugged and elevated, with the Himalaya, Karakoram,Pamir and Tian Shan mountain ranges separating China from South and Central Asia. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, the third- and sixth-longest in the world, have their sources in the Tibetan Plateau and continue to the densely populated eastern seaboard. China's coastline along the Pacific Ocean is 14,500 kilometres (9,000 mi) long and is bounded by the Bohai, Yellow, East and South China Seas. The ancient Chinese civilization one of the world's earliest flourished in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain. For millennia, China's political system was based on hereditary monarchies, known as dynasties, beginning with the semi-mythological Xia of the Yellow River basin (c. 2000 BCE). Since 221 BCE, when the Qin Dynasty first conquered several states to form a Chinese empire, the country has expanded,

fractured and been reformed numerous times. The Republic of China overthrew the last dynasty in 1911, and ruled the Chinese mainland until 1949. After the defeat of the Empire of Japan in World War II, the Communist Party defeated the nationalist Kuomintang in mainland China and established the People's Republic of China in Beijing on 1 October 1949, while the Kuomintang relocated the ROC government to Taipei. The ROC's jurisdiction is now limited to Taiwan and several outlying islands, including Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, and it now receives limited diplomatic recognition. Since the introduction of economic reforms in 1978, China has become the world's fastest-growing major economy. As of 2013, it is the world's secondlargest economy by both nominal total GDP and purchasing power parity (PPP), and is also the world's largest exporter and importer of goods.[19] China is a recognized nuclear weapons state and has the world's largest standing army, with thesecond-largest defense budget. The PRC has been a United Nations member since 1971, when it replaced the ROC as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. China is also a member of numerous formal and informal multilateral organizations, including theWTO, APEC, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the BCIM and the G-20. China has been characterized as a potential superpower by a number of academics,[20] military analysts,[21][22] and public policy and economics analysts.[23][24]
Contents
[hide]

1 Etymology 2 History
o o o o o

2.1 Prehistory 2.2 Early dynastic rule 2.3 Imperial China 2.4 Late dynastic rule 2.5 Republic of China (19121949)

2.6 People's Republic of China (1949present) 3.1 Political geography 3.2 Landscape and climate 3.3 Biodiversity

3 Geography
o o o

3.3.1 Fauna 3.3.2 Flora 3.3.3 Fungi

3.4 Environmental issues 4.1 Administrative divisions 4.2 Foreign relations

4 Politics
o o

4.2.1 Trade relations 4.2.2 Territorial disputes 4.2.3 Emerging superpower status

4.3 Sociopolitical issues and reform

5 Military 6 Economy 7 Science and technology

o o

7.1 Historical 7.2 Modern era 8.1 Communications 8.2 Transport 9.1 Ethnic groups 9.2 Languages 9.3 Urbanization 9.4 Education 9.5 Health 9.6 Religion

8 Infrastructure
o o

9 Demographics
o o o o o o

10 Culture

o o

10.1 Cuisine 10.2 Sports

11 See also 12 References 13 Further reading 14 External links

Etymology
Main article: Names of China
China Chinese name Simplified Chinese: Traditional Chinese: Literal meaning: [show]Transliterations People's Republic of China Alternative Chinese name Simplified Chinese: Traditional Chinese: [show]Transliterations Mongolian name Middle Kingdom[25][26]

Mongolian:

[show]Transliterations Tibetan name Tibetan:

[show]Transliterations Uyghur name Uyghur:

[show]Transliterations

Zhuang name Zhuang: Cunghvaz Yinzminz Gunghozgoz This article contains Chinesetext. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbolsinstead of Chinese characters.

The word "China" is derived from Persian Cin (), which is from Sanskrit Cna ( ).[27] It is first recorded in 1516 in the journal of Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa.[28] It appears in English in a translation published in 1555.[29] It is commonly thought that it is derived from the "Qin" () Dynasty.[30] In China, common names for the present country

include Zhnggu (Chinese: ; literally "the Middle State(s)") and Zhnghu (Chinese: ), although the country's official name has been changed numerous times by successive dynasties and modern governments. The term Zhongguo appeared in various ancient texts, such as the Classic of Historyof the 6th century BCE,[31] and in pre-imperial times it was often used as a cultural concept to distinguish the Huaxia tribes from perceived "barbarians". The term, which can be either singular or plural, referred to the group of states or provinces in the central plain but was not used as a name for the country as a whole until the nineteenth century. The Chinese were not unique in regarding their country as "central", since other civilizations had the same view of themselves.[32]

History
Main articles: History of China and Timeline of Chinese history

Prehistory
Main article: Chinese prehistory Archaeological evidence suggests that early hominids inhabited China between 250,000 and 2.24 million years ago.[33] A cave inZhoukoudian (near present-day Beijing) exhibits fossils dated at between 300,000 and 780,000 BCE.[34][35][36] The fossils are ofPeking Man, an example of Homo erectus who used fire.[37] The Peking Man site has also yielded remains of Homo sapiensdating back to 18,00011,000 BCE.[38]

Early dynastic rule

See also: Dynasties in Chinese history

Jade deer ornament dating from theShang Dynasty (16th-11th centuries BCE).

Chinese tradition names the first imperial dynasty Xia, but it was considered mythical until scientific excavations found earlyBronze Age sites at Erlitou in Henan Province in 1959.[39] Archaeologists have since uncovered urban sites, bronze implements, and tombs in locations cited as Xia's in ancient historical texts, but it is impossible to verify that these remains are of the Xia without written records from the period.

Some of the thousands of life-sizeTerracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty, ca. 210 BCE.

The first Chinese dynasty that left historical records, the loosely feudal Shang (Yin), settled along the Yellow River in eastern China from the 17th to the 11th century BCE. The oracle bone script of the Shang Dynasty represents the oldest form of Chinese writing yet found, and the direct ancestor of the modern Chinese characters used throughout East Asia. The Shang were invaded from the west by the Zhou, who ruled between the 12th and 5th centuries BCE, until their centralized authority was slowly eroded by feudal warlords. Many independent states eventually emerged out of the weakened Zhou state, and continually waged war with each other in the 300year-long Spring and Autumn Period, only occasionally deferring to the Zhou king. By the time of theWarring States period of the 5th3rd centuries BCE, there were seven powerful sovereign states in what is now China, each with its own king, ministry and army.[40]

The Great Wall of China was built by several dynasties over two thousand years to protect the sedentary agricultural regions of the Chinese interior from incursions by nomadic pastoralists of the northern steppes.

Imperial China
The first unified Chinese state was established by Qin Shi Huang of the Qin state in 221 BCE. Qin Shi Huang proclaimed himself the "First Emperor" (), and imposed many reforms throughout China, notably the forced standardization of the Chinese language, measurements, length of cart axles, and currency. The Qin Dynasty lasted only fifteen years, falling soon after Qin Shi Huang's death, as its harsh legalist and authoritarian policies led to widespread rebellion.[41][42] The subsequent Han Dynasty ruled China between 206 BCE and 220 CE, and created a lasting Han cultural identity among its populace that has endured to the present day.[41][42] The Han Dynasty expanded the empire's territory considerably with military campaigns reaching Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia and Central Asia, and also helped establish the Silk Road in Central Asia. Han China gradually became the largest economy of the ancient world.[43] After the collapse of Han, another period of disunion followed, including the highly chivalric period of the Three Kingdoms.[44] Independent Chinese states of this period such as Wuopened diplomatic relations with Japan,[45] introducing the Chinese writing system there. In 580 CE, China was reunited under the Sui.[46] However, the Sui Dynasty declined following its defeat in the GoguryeoSui War (598 614).[47][48]

Under the succeeding Tang and Song dynasties, Chinese technology and culture entered a golden age.[49] The Tang Empire was at its height of power until the middle of the 8th century, when the An Shi Rebellion destroyed the prosperity of the empire.[50] The Song Dynasty was the first government in world history to issue paper money and the first Chinese polity to establish a permanent standing navy.[51] Between the 10th and 11th centuries, the population of China doubled in size to around 100 million people, mostly due to the expansion of rice cultivation in central and southern China, and the production of abundant food surpluses. The Song Dynasty also saw a flourishing of philosophy and the arts, as landscape art and portrait painting were brought to new levels of maturity and complexity, and social elites gathered to view art, share their own and trade precious artworks. Philosophers such as Cheng Yi andChu Hsi reinvigorated Confucianism with new commentary, infused Buddhist ideals, and emphasized a new organization of classic texts that brought about the core doctrine of NeoConfucianism.

Detail from Along the River During the Qingming Festival, a 12th-century painting showing everyday life in the Song Dynasty's capital city, Bianjing (today's Kaifeng).

In 1271, the Mongol leader Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty; the Yuan conquered the last remnant of the Song Dynasty in 1279. Before the Mongol invasion, Song China reportedly had approximately 120 million citizens; the 1300 census which followed the invasion reported roughly 60 million people.[52]

Late dynastic rule

A peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan Dynasty in 1368 and founded the Ming Dynasty.[53] Under the Ming Dynasty, China enjoyed another golden age, developing one of the strongest navies in the world and a rich and prosperous economy amid a flourishing of art and culture. It was during this period that Zheng He led explorations throughout the world, reaching as far as Africa.[54] In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, China's capital was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. During the Ming Dynasty, thinkers such as Wang Yangming further critiqued and expanded Neo-Confucianism with concepts of individualism and innate morality that would have tremendous impact on later Japanese thought. Chosun Korea also became a nominal vassal state of Ming China, and adopted much of its Neo-Confucian bureaucratic structure. In 1644, Beijing was sacked by a coalition of rebel forces led by Li Zicheng, a minor Ming official who led the peasant revolt. The last Ming Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide when the city fell. The Manchu Qing Dynasty then allied with Ming Dynasty general Wu Sangui and overthrew Li's short-lived Shun Dynasty, and subsequently seized control of Beijing, which became the new capital of the Qing Dynasty. In total, theManchu conquest of China cost as many as 25 million lives.[55] The Qing Dynasty, which lasted until 1912, was the last imperial dynasty of China. In the 19th century, the Qing Dynasty adopted a defensive posture towards Europeanimperialism, even though it engaged in an imperialistic expansion of its own into Central Asia. At this time, China awoke to the significance of the rest of the world, the West in particular. As China opened up to foreign trade and missionary activity, opium produced by British India was forced onto Qing China. Two Opium Wars with Britain weakened the Emperor's control. Western imperialism proved to be disastrous for the Qing Dynasty: "The end of the Opium War marked the beginning of Western imperialism in China. Unequal treaties, imposed at the end of the war, forced China to relinquish Hong Kong, open new "Treaty Ports" to foreign trade, pay indemnities to her vanquishers, and allow foreigners to live and work on

Chinese soil free of the jurisdiction of Chinese law (extraterritoriality). Over the years new wars with Western powers would expand these impositions on China's national sovereignty, culminating in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which ended the Sino-Japanese War of 189495."[56]

A 19th-century painting depicting the Taiping Rebellionof 18501864.

The weakening of the Qing regime led to increasing domestic disorder. In late 1850, southern China erupted in the Taiping Rebellion, a violent civil war which lasted until 1864. The rebellion was led by Hong Xiuquan, who was partly influenced by an idiosyncratic interpretation of Christianity. Hong believed himself to be the son of God and the younger brother of Jesus. Although the Qing forces were eventually victorious, the civil war was one of the bloodiest in human history, costing at least 20 million lives (more than the total number of fatalities in World War I), with some estimates of up to 40 million. Other costly rebellions followed the Taiping Rebellion, such as thePunti-Hakka Clan Wars (185567), Nien Rebellion (18511868), Miao Rebellion (185473), Panthay Rebellion (18561873) and the Dungan revolt (18621877).[57][58] These rebellions each resulted in an estimated loss of several million lives, and had a devastating impact on the fragile economy.[59][60][61] In the 19th century, the age of colonialism was at its height and the great Chinese Diaspora began; today, over 40 million Chinese live abroad.[62] Emigration rates were strengthened by domestic catastrophes such as the Northern Chinese Famine of 18761879, which claimed between 9 and 13 million lives in northern China.[63] From 108 BCE to 1911 CE, China experienced 1,828 known famines,[64] or nearly one per year, somewhere in the empire.[65]

In the First Sino-Japanese War of 189495, which was fought over influence in Korea, Japanese troops defeated Qing forces.

While China was wracked by continuous war, Meiji Japan succeeded in rapidly modernizing its military, and set its sights on the conquest of Korea and Manchuria. At the request of the Korean emperor, the Qing government sent troops to aid in suppressing theTonghak Rebellion in 1894. However, Japan also sent troops to Korea, leading to the First Sino-Japanese War, which resulted in Qing China's loss of influence in the Korean Peninsula as well as the cession of Taiwan (including the Pescadores) to Japan in 1895.[66] Following this series of defeats, a reform plan for the empire to become a modern Meiji-style constitutional monarchy was drafted by the Guangxu Emperor in 1898, but was opposed and stopped by the Empress Dowager Cixi, who placed Emperor Guangxu under house arrest in a coup d'tat. The ill-fated Boxer Rebellion of 18981901, in which westerners and Chinese Christians in Beijing were targeted en masse, resulted in as many as 115,000 deaths.[67] Slavery was formally abolished in 1906.[68] By the early 20th century, mass civil disorder had begun, and calls for reform and revolution were heard across the country. The 38-year-old Guangxu Emperor died under house arrest on 14 November 1908, suspiciously just a day before Cixi's own death. With the throne empty, Guangxu was succeeded by Cixi's handpicked heir, Guangxu's two-year-old nephew Puyi, who became the Xuantong Emperor. Guangxu's consort became theEmpress Dowager Longyu. In another coup d'tat in 1912, Yuan Shikai overthrew Puyi, and forced Longyu to sign the abdication decree as regent, ending over two thousand years of imperial rule in China.[69] Longyu died, childless, in 1913.[69]

Republic of China (19121949)