China: Fast Facts

Official Name: People's Republic of China

Total Area: 9,572,900 square kilometers

Administrative Divisions: 22 Provinces, 5 Autonomous Regions, and 4 Municipalities

Head of State: President

Head of Government: Premier

Capital: Beijing

Major Cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou,

Language: Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua), Cantonese

Religion: Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity

Currency: Renminbi (Yuan)

Population: 1.3 billion (UN Estimate, 2006)

Literacy: 86 percent

Gross National Income per capita: US$ 1,740 (World Bank estimate, 2006)

Economy: Manufacturing, Mining, Agriculture

International Dialing Code: +86

Time: GMT/UTC+8