China

National name: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo

Government:
Communist state.

Geography
The greater part of the country is mountainous. Its principal ranges are the Tien Shan, the Kunlun chain, and the Trans-Himalaya. In the southwest is Tibet, which China annexed in 1950. The Gobi Desert lies to the north. China proper consists of three great river systems: the Yellow River (Huang He), 5,464 km long; the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), the third-longest river in the world at 6,300 km; and the Pearl River (Zhu Jiang), 2,197 km long.

Historical Background
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system, imposed strict controls over everyday life. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. The 2008 Summer Olympic Games kicked off on Aug. 8, 2008, with a spectacular opening ceremony that many observers called unparalleled. In the lead-up to the games, however, China was dogged by its abysmal human-rights record, crackdown on the Buddhist monks, nearly intolerable air quality, attempts to censor some journalists reporting on the Games, and continued ties to the Sudanese government.

Language

Most languages in China belong to the Sino-Tibetan language

Religion

Buddhism and Christianity.