China is a cultural region, ancient civilization, and nation in East Asia. It is one of the world's oldest civilizations, consisting of states and cultures dating back more than six millennia. The stalemate of the last Chinese Civil War has resulted in two political entities using the name China: the People's Republic of China (PRC), administering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau; and the Republic of China (ROC), administering Taiwan and its surrounding islands. See Political status of Taiwan.

China is one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations. It has the world's longest continuously used written language system, and is said to be the source of some of the world's great inventions, including the 'Four Great Inventions of ancient China': paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing.

 Quick Facts

Official Country Name: People's Republic of China

Size: 9,596,960 km², slightly smaller than the US

Population: 1,321,851,900

Government: Communist State

Currency:  Yuan, currently US $1 is about 8 Yuan

Official Language: Mandarin