Head of state: Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi Prime minister: Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi
Population
1,343,239,923
194,320
Life Expectancy
74.840 years
72.660 years
Capital City
Beijing
Largest city
Shanghai (population: 14,608,500)
Apia (population: 40,407)
Human Development Index
0.762
0.76
GDP per capita
$8,500 US
Literacy Rate
90.9%
99.7%
Corruption Perception Index
3.6
4.4
Percentage of Women in Parliament
21.3%
8.2%
Wealthiest Citizens
Liu Yongxing ($3.0bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
6.500%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
Communist state
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
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
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2% note: officially atheist (2002 est.)
Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
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)
Samoan (Polynesian), English
Exports
electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, textile, iron and steel, optical and medical equipment
External Debt
$697,200,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
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
4.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
100
0
Location
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Area
9,596,961 km sq
2,831 km sq
Coastline
14,500 km
403 km
Climate
extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
