China

221 BCE – Establishment of the Qin Dynasty and the first unified Chinese Empire under Qin Shi Huang

206 BCE – 220 CE – Han Dynasty, the establishment of the Silk Road

618–907 – Tang Dynasty, golden age of Chinese culture

960–1279 – Song Dynasty, technological innovations and economic growth

1271–1368 – Yuan Dynasty under Mongol rule, the reign of Kublai Khan

1368–1644 – Ming Dynasty, construction of the Great Wall and the Forbidden City

1644–1912 – Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China

1912 – Establishment of the Republic of China after the fall of the Qing Dynasty

1949 – Founding of the People’s Republic of China under the leadership of Mao Zedong

1978 – Economic reforms and opening up to the world under Deng Xiaoping

1989 – Tiananmen Square protests and massacre (June 4, 1989)

2001 – China joins the World Trade Organization (WTO)

2008 – Beijing hosts the Summer Olympics

2008 – Sichuan earthquake (May 12, 2008), magnitude 7.9

2010 – China becomes the world’s second-largest economy

2010 – Yushu earthquake (April 14, 2010), magnitude 6.9

2012 – Xi Jinping becomes President

2013 – Lushan earthquake (April 20, 2013), magnitude 7.0

2015 – Tianjin explosions (August 12, 2015)

2017 – Sichuan earthquake (August 8, 2017), magnitude 7.0

2022 – China successfully hosts the Winter Olympics in Beijing

2022 – Henan floods (July 2022), widespread flooding in Zhengzhou

2023 – Ongoing economic transition towards innovation and high-tech industries

2024 – 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China

2024 – Typhoon Doksuri (August 2024), devastating flooding in the southern regions

Location: East Asia
Capital: Beijing
Language: Mandarin Chinese
Currency: Renminbi (¥)
Population: ~1.43 billion (last updated: April 2025)
Time Zone: China Standard Time (CST)

Borders: Mongolia, Russia, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, and Vietnam

Landscape: Highlands in the west, fertile plains and river basins in the east

Islands: Hainan, Taiwan (contested)

Major Rivers: Yangtze River, Yellow River, Pearl River

Major Mountains: Himalayas, Tianshan Mountains, Kunlun Mountains, Qin Mountains

Deserts: Gobi Desert, Taklamakan Desert

Lakes: Poyang Lake, Dongting Lake, Qinghai Lake

Volcanoes: Mount Changbaishan, Mount Paektu (contested between China and North Korea)

Highest Point: Mount Everest (8,848.86 meters)

Lowest Point: Turpan Depression (-154 meters)

Climate: Diverse, ranging from tropical in the south to subarctic in the north

Geological Features: Earthquakes, landslides, and flooding are common. The country sits on active tectonic plates, resulting in significant seismic activity.

Ethnic Groups: Han Chinese (~92%), Minority groups including Zhuang, Hui, Manchu, Uyghur, Miao, Yi, and others

Religion: Predominantly non-religious (56%), with significant Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, and Taoist populations

Urban Population: ~60% (last updated: 2023)

Aging Population: ~18% aged 65+ (last updated: 2024)

Famous For: Ancient history, philosophy, martial arts, literature, calligraphy, silk, tea, architecture

Cuisine: Rice, noodles, dumplings, tea, tofu, and a wide variety of meats and vegetables

Arts: Traditional Chinese painting, opera (e.g., Peking Opera), classical literature (e.g., Confucianism, Daoism), martial arts

Sports: Table tennis, badminton, basketball, soccer, martial arts

Festivals: Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival

Economy Type: Socialist market economy

GDP: Approx. $18 trillion USD (last updated: 2024)

Major Industries: Manufacturing, mining, agriculture, electronics, textiles, chemicals

Key Exports: Electronics, machinery, textiles, furniture, toys, and footwear

Unemployment Rate: ~5.1% (last updated: 2024)

Economic Regions: Coastal provinces (e.g., Guangdong, Zhejiang) are industrialized, while the interior (e.g., Xinjiang, Tibet) remains less developed

Government Type: Single-party socialist republic

Head of State: President Xi Jinping (last updated: April 2025)

Head of Government: Premier Li Qiang (last updated: April 2025)

Legislature: National People’s Congress (unicameral)

Constitution: In effect since 1982

Great Wall of China

Forbidden City in Beijing

Terracotta Army in Xi’an

Potala Palace in Lhasa

Li River in Guilin

Yellow Mountains (Huangshan)

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (inspiration for Avatar’s floating mountains)

West Lake in Hangzhou

Mount Everest Base Camp (Tibet)

UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 56 (last updated: 2023)