Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general. Prime minister : Freundel Stuart
Head of State: President Hu Jintau
Population
287,733
1,343,239,923
Life Expectancy
74.520 years
74.840 years
Capital City
Bridgetown
Beijing
Largest city
Bridgetown (population: 98,511)
Shanghai (population: 14,608,500)
Human Development Index
0.889
0.762
GDP per capita
$23,700 US
$8,500 US
Literacy Rate
99.7%
90.9%
Corruption Perception Index
7
3.6
Percentage of Women in Parliament
13.7%
21.3%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Liu Yongxing ($3.0bn US)
Unemployment Rate
12.000%
6.500%
Death Penalty
Legal
Legal
Political System
parliamentary democracy
Communist state
Independence date
30 November 1966 (from UK)
221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing or Ch'ing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China); 1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established)
Religions
Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2% note: officially atheist (2002 est.)
Languages
English
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
Exports
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, textile, iron and steel, optical and medical equipment
External Debt
$668,000,000 $
$697,200,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)
Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar - 6.9385 (2008 est.), 7.61 (2007), 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.800%
4.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
100
Location
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Area
430 km sq
9,596,961 km sq
Coastline
97 km
14,500 km
Climate
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
