China in Brief

As one of the biggest countries in the world, China has an area of about 9.6 million square kilometers, comprising about 6.5 per cent of the world total land area. It has the largest population in the world. It also has one of the world’s oldest civilizations, consisting of states and cultures dating back more than six millenniums.

China is situated in the eastern part of Asia on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean. After Canada and Russia, it is the third largest country in the world. The distance from east to west measures over 5,200 kilometers and from north to south, over 5,500 kilometers.

China has a land border of 22,143.34 kilometers long and is bordered by twelve countries: Korea in the east; Russia in the northeast and the northwest; Mongolia in the north; India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Nepal in part of the west and southwest; Burma, Laos and Vietnam in the south.

Beside a vast land area, there are also extensive neighboring seas and numerous islands. The coastline extends more than 14,500 kilometers. Across the East China Sea to the east and South China Sea to the southeast are Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.