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)
24 May 1822 (from Spain)
Religions
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2% note: officially atheist (2002 est.)
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Languages
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)
Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)
Exports
electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, textile, iron and steel, optical and medical equipment
petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp, cacao, coffee, hemp, wood, fish
External Debt
$697,200,000,000 $
$10,050,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar - 6.9385 (2008 est.), 7.61 (2007), 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004)
the US dollar is used; the sucre was eliminated in 2000
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
4.300%
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
100
1
Location
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
Area
9,596,961 km sq
283,561 km sq
Coastline
14,500 km
2,237 km
Climate
extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
