Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

Temperature

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Absolute earnings for every 1$

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

 

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

Population

Population density

Emigration

Immigration

Literacy

Health

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Buddhism (share of the total population)

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

Other religions (share of the total population)

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

It has an annual budget of over US$260 billion which is around 1.8 percent of its GDP and makes China the second largest military spender in the world representing more than 18 percent of total global military spending

The Chinese military is called the People's liberation Army and consists of an Air Force, a Navy and ground forces. In terms of servicemen, it is the largest army in the world with over 2 million active servicemen.  

Military membership

It is a member of five international military organizations which makes it the 46th most militarily interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • States with nuclear weapons 
  • Conference on Disarmament 
  • Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons 
  • Nuclear Suppliers Group 
  • International Atomic Energy Agency 

Military membership

International wars

China has partaken in 46 international wars. The most famous being the second world war and the 2 opium wars. The wars in which China has participated are displayed below: 

  • Sino-Burmese War 1765-1769 
  • Burmese–Siamese War (1775–1776) 
  • Burmese–Siamese War (1785–86) 
  • Burmese–Siamese War 1787-1787 
  • Burmese–Siamese War (1791-1791 
  • Burmese–Siamese War 1797-1797 
  • Burmese–Siamese War (1803–05)" 
  • Burmese–Siamese War (1809–1811) 
  • Second Opium War 1856-1860 
  • Japanese invasion of Taiwan 1874-1874 
  • Tonkin Campaign 1883-1886 

  • Sino-French War 1884-1885 

  • First Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895 

  • Boxer Rebellion 1899-1901 

  • Russian invasion of Manchuria 1900-1900 

  • British expedition to Tibet 1903-1904 

  • Sino–Mongolian War 1913–1915 

  • World War I 1914-1918 

  • Japanese invasion of Manchuria 1931-1931 

  • January 18 Incident 1931-1931 

  • Actions in Inner Mongolia 1933-1936 

  • Soviet invasion of Xinjiang 1934-1934 

  • Islamic rebellion in Xinjiang 1937-1937 

  • Second Sino-Japanese War 1937-1945 

  • World War II 1939-1945 

  • Korean conflict 1945-present 

  • First Indochina War 1946-1954 

  • Malayan Emergency 1948-1960 

  • Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes 1949-present 

  • Korean War 1950-1953 

  • First Taiwan Strait Crisis 1954-1955 

  •  

  • Second Taiwan Strait Crisis 1958-1958 

  • Vietnam War 1955-1975 

  • Sino-Indian War 1961-1961 

  • China-India border conflicts 1967-1967 

  • Insurgency of the Communist Party of the Philippines -present 

  • Sino-Soviet border conflict 1969-1969 

  • Third Indochina War 1975-1991 

  • Angolan Civil War 1975-1001 

  • Sino-Vietnamese War 1979-1979 

  • Sino-Vietnamese conflicts 1979-1990 

  • Sino-Indian skirmish 1987-1987 

  • War in Darfur 2003-present 

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

It is a member of 16 international political organizations which makes it the 24th most politically integrated state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Member state of the United Nations 
  • United Nations Security Council 
  • International Labour Organization 
  • Asia Cooperation Dialogue 
  • Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia 
  • Group of Five 
  • Asian–African Legal Consultative Organization 
  • International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property 
  • UNIDROIT 

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

The Chinese Communist Party calls itself a socialist democracy of which the Chinese Communist Party is the central authority. On the local level, people are directly elected which in turn elect members of the state. In practice, China is seen as a one-party state with dictatorial powers. Checks and balances are insufficient which erodes the civil rights and liberties of the Chinese people. Therefore, China is ranked as the 165th most democratic state in the world. 

Democracy/Dictatorship

China’s political system is characterized by the dominance of the Chinese Communist Party, which controls all levels of government. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, power has become increasingly centralized, with limited space for opposition or political dissent. The country’s legislature, the National People’s Congress, formally enacts laws but largely follows the direction set by the Party leadership. Censorship, surveillance, and strict control over civil society are used to maintain political stability and suppress criticism. At the same time, China is actively seeking to expand its global influence, particularly through its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which strengthens economic and political ties with countries around the world.

  • Interpol 

  • Permanent Court of Arbitration 

  • BRICS 

  • Partners in Population and Development 

  • South Centre (organization) 

  • World Organization for Animal Health 

The GDP is an estimate of the value that a state adds through its production of goods and servicesThe GDP is an estimate of the value that a state adds through its production of goods and services
The GDP per capita is the GDP of a state divided by its populationThe GDP per capita is the GDP of a state divided by its population

China

Microstates (les than 1000km2) are excluded from the mapsMicrostates (les than 1000km2) are excluded from the maps
The currency of Afghanistan is the "Afghan afghani" (؋ )The currency of Afghanistan is the "Afghan afghani" (؋ )

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China

With its name derived from the Qin dynasty, the People's Republic of China is known for its historical sites such as the Great Wall of China, the terra-cotta Army and its forbidden city. From 200 A.D. until around 1900 BC, the territory of China was ruled by several dynasties and has shown periods of expansion, contraction and the surrender to foreign powers. From 1912 until the start of second world war, China has changed its political structure and first became the Republic of China and later, in 1928, came under rule by the nationalistic Kuomintang. During the second world war, China was occupied by the Imperial Japanese forces. During this period, the Kuomintang fought with fierce resistance towards the Japanese occupiers. After the defeat of the Japanese, the Kuomintang regained their power. Severely weakened, the communist movement gained power over mainland China and forced the Kuomintang into exile to the island of Taiwan. This made the Chinese communist party the de facto ruler over mainland China at the end of 1949. After gaining control, the Chinese Communist Party had supported the North Koreans during the Korean War, the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam war and has expanded its territory with the incorporation of Tibet. China has made great strides in recent decades, its methods of obtaining this is deemed questionable by other states as well as its own population. .

 Due to its size, the landscape of China has a large variation. To its southwest it borders Mount Everest with its Tibetan plateau, to its north and northwest it has an arid deserts climate and towards its east it has fertile and forested land. Due to its size, it borders 14 other states with Kazakhstan Russia and Mongolia to its north, North Korea to its east, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and India to its south and Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to its west. 

It has a total surface area of 9,645,000 square kilometers or 3,724,000 square miles which makes it the third largest state in the world being slightly larger than the United States of America and slightly smaller than Canada. 

It is also the fifth state with the largest amount of water within its territory. Its total water surface area is estimated to be around 272,000 square kilometer or 105,000 square miles. 

 

Below, a graph is shown which displays the absolute amount of water of each state in square kilometers and square miles.

Most of its water is derived from rivers of that originates from the melting snow in the Tibetan plateau that flows downstream to the sea. Even though there is enough water to provide for its people, its water provision is unevenly spread out. This means that areas with a high population density have a higher need for water, but are not sufficiently supplied. 

The climate in China is heavily influenced by its dry and wet seasons as well as its latitude. During the winter in the northern hemisphere, the northern part of China experiences an Arctic climate which is provided by freezing temperatures from Siberia. The southern part of China experiences a tropical climate which has hot and moist summers and mild winters. The average temperature in China is around 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit which makes it the 156th warmest state in the world. 

During summer, the average temperature in China is around 16.4 degrees Celsius or 61.5 degrees Fahrenheit. 

During the winter the average temperature drops down to 6.1 degrees Celsius or 43 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The wet and dry seasons in China increase the seasonal effects. The wet season also has a very high effect on the landscape. In recent years, tropical monsoons have destroyed several towns and have been putting increasing pressure on China's largest hydroelectric dam. The average rainfall in China is 97.7 centimetres or 38.5 inches per year. 

The capital of China, Beijing is home to 9 million people which is around the same population size as Israel. The capital that is closest located to Beijing is Pyongyang North Korea with a distance of 778 kilometers or 484 miles. The capital that is furthest removed from Beijing is Buenos Aires Argentina with a distance of 19,267 kilometers or 11,972 miles. 

Due to a communist rule for more than 70 years, the Chinese economy is largely centrally planned. However, since the 1970s, the Chinese economy has started to open up. At the turn of the 21th century, China transformed itself into a socialist export-oriented economy and became the world’s largest exporter in 2010. Since then, China has faced many economic limitations, such as corruption and the fast depletion of its own natural resources. Its main import partners are Japan, South Korea and the United States of America which combined represent more than twenty percent of Chinese imports. The goods that China mostly exports are electronics, clothing and weaponry. These are mostly exported to the United States which is responsible for nearly 20 percent of China's total exports. 

China is a member of 19 international economic organizations. This makes China the 27th most economically integrated state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

The GDP of China is estimated to be around 14 trillion dollars. China's GDP is the second largest GDP in the world and represents around 16.7 percent of total global GDP. 

Its GDP per square kilometer is estimated to be around US$1.4 billion, or around US$3.8 billion per square mile which makes China the 119th highest in terms of surface GDP. 

Its GDP per capita is the 91st highest in the world with an annual income of US$9700 per capita. 

The absolute earnings (GDP per capita) reflect the average yearly income. The figure below shows how much, on average, an inhabitant of another state earns for every $1 earned by a citizen of this state.

Its purchasing power, however, is nearly twice as high and is estimated to be around US$16,800 which ranks the Chinese purchasing power as the 90th highest in the world. 

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of this state with that of the rest of the world. The graph on the left shows how much purchasing power of 1$ compared to the purchasing power of other states

China has the largest population size in the world and is estimated to be around 1.4 billion people. The largest ethnic population within China are the Han that make up the majority in almost every province of China. The main language spoken in China is Mandarin followed by Cantonese. Other languages are largely spoken within their specific regions such as Uigur in the Xinjiang province Mongolian in Inner Mongolia and Tibetan in the Tibetan part of China. 

China has the 59th highest population density in the world with a population density of 148 people per square kilometer or 383 people per square mile. 

It is estimated that around 0.6 percent of Chinese, roughly 8 million people have emigrated to other states. This represents around 3.2 percent of the total global emigration and ranks China as the fifth state with the highest number of emigrants. The most popular emigration destinations are the United States and Canada, followed by South Korea Japan Australia and western Europe. 

The number of people that immigrated to China is around 550,000 people which represents around 0.04 percent of the total Chinese population. This number is estimated to be much higher due to illegal migrants that fled North Korea. 

Due to high amounts of funding in its educational system, China has increased the literacy rate in recent decades from 82 percent to 96.2 percent. This has placed the Chinese population as the 79th most literate state in the world. 

With its economic growth, healthcare in China has improved greatly. At present, China faces the same healthcare risks as other developed states which are mainly lifestyle related diseases. Another area of improvement is the poor access to its healthcare system. Because the majority lives in the eastern part of China, some more remote locations with low population density have trouble accessing the same quality of health care that is provided in the eastern part of China. At present, China is the 106th state with the highest life expectancy in the world with 77.5 years. Women reach an average of 79.7 years while men reach an average of 75.4 years. 

Even though the Chinese Communist Party is in line with State atheism, it provides freedom of religion towards the five largest religions within China. These are Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, Taoism and Protestantism. However, this freedom of religion is not as free as in other states. Many of these religions have seen government interference as well as government censorship that limited the practice of religion. One of the most prevalent examples of repression by the Chinese government are the re-education camps of Islamic Uighurs. Aside from these restrictions, religion in China is fairly evenly divided which makes China the eighth most multi religious state in the world.   

Around 4.8 percent of Chinese adhere to the Christian faith. Around three quarters of Christians in China adhere to the Catholic faith and one quarter to Protestantism. The number of Christians has grown significantly after China opened its economy in 1970. However, at present, the Chinese citizens are limited in their expression of faith due to governmental interference. Christians in China are only allowed to join state approved churches which preach in line with the goals of the Chinese communist party. 

Around 1.8 percent of the Chinese population adheres to Islam. These Chinese Muslims are mainly located in the province of Xinjiang. In recent years, reports have been surfacing that Muslim Uighurs have been the detained in facilities spread throughout the province. The Chinese governments is accused of imprisoning nearly 1 million Muslims and allegations of torture, forced labour and sterilization have become widespread. The story of the Chinese Communist Party is that there were several violent outbursts by the Uighurs towards state official. This has led to a lack in trust between the Muslim population and the Chinese state which in turn attempts to re-educate and rehabilitate its Uighur people. 

Buddhism is practiced by 18.22 percent of the Chinese population. During the Han Dynasty, it was first introduced and has been present in China for more than 2000 years. During this period is, many denominations throughout Asia has spread to China. At present, China is home to more than seven different Buddhist denominations. 

It is estimated that a small minority of around 0.04 percent of the population of China adheres to Hinduism. Because it isnt an officially recognized religion, it is hard to estimate the census. However, a large part of west China, that borders India, is known to have many Hindu practices that has been present in the region for more than 1000 years. 

As a result of the economic growth of China, many Jews have moved to China in order to do business there. Before the economic growth, there were a few Jewish settlers that over time divergent away from traditional Jewish practices. In recent decades there has been a revival of these Jewish practices with the help of international Jewish organizations. However, due to suspicion of the Chinese state, there have been several crackdowns in order to prevent foreign influences. At present, it is estimated that around 0.003 percent of the population adheres to the Jewish faith. 

20.5 percent of the population adheres to other religions. These religions mainly in originate from historical foreign influences. Zoroastrianism is said to have a large influence in China. Other religions such as Shinto were established by the Japanese during the second world war. Many other religions have followed a similar path. 

Irreligion in China has the largest following. It is estimated that around 47.4 percent of the population do not adhere to any faith. This is in line with the official state atheism of the Chinese Communist Party.