China

China,}} officially the '''People's Republic of China (PRC'''),}} is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the second-most populous country after India, representing 17% of the world population. China borders fourteen countries by land across an area of , making it the third-largest country by area., and the US as fourth-largest at 9,525,067 km. # The CIA ''World Factbook'' lists China as the fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada and the United States) with a total area of 9,596,960 km, and the United States as the third-largest at 9,833,517 km.

Both sources exclude both Taiwan and coastal and territorial waters from the area of China. However, the CIA ''World Factbook'' includes the United States coastal and territorial waters, while Encyclopædia Britannica excludes them. Britannica specifies the United States' area (excluding coastal and territorial waters) as 9,525,067 km, which is less than either source's figure given for China's area. The United Nations Statistics Division's figure for the US is and China is . These closely match the CIA ''World Factbook'' figures and similarly ''include'' coastal and territorial waters for the United States, but ''exclude'' coastal and territorial waters for China.}} The country is divided into 33 province-level divisions: 22 provinces,.}} 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities, and 2 semi-autonomous special administrative regions. Beijing is the capital, while Shanghai is the most populous city by urban area and largest financial center.

China saw the first humans in the region arriving during the Paleolithic era. By the 2nd millennium BCE dynastic states had emerged in the Yellow River basin. The 8th–3rd centuries BCE saw a breakdown in the authority of the Zhou dynasty, accompanied by the emergence of administrative and military techniques, literature and philosophy. In 221 BCE, China was unified under an emperor, ushering in two millennia of imperial dynasties. With the invention of gunpowder and paper, the establishment of the Silk Road, and the Great Wall, Chinese culture flourished and has heavily influenced its neighbors and lands further afield. China began to cede parts of the country in the 19th century, to European powers by a series of unequal treaties. The 1911 Revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China (ROC) was established the following year. The country was unstable and fragmented during the Warlord Era, which ended upon the Northern Expedition conducted by the Kuomintang (KMT) to reunify the country. The Chinese Civil War began in 1927, when KMT forces purged members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), who proceeded to engage in fighting against the KMT-led Nationalist government. Following invasion by the Empire of Japan in 1937, the CCP – under the leadership of Mao Zedong – and KMT formed the Second United Front to fight the Japanese. The Second Sino-Japanese War ended in a Chinese victory; however, the CCP and the KMT resumed their civil war.

In 1949, the resurgent Communists established control, proclaiming the People's Republic of China and forcing the Nationalist government to retreat to the island of Taiwan. The country was split, with both sides claiming to be the legitimate government. Following the implementation of land reforms, attempts by the PRC to realize communism failed: the Great Leap Forward was responsible for the Great Chinese Famine which resulted in millions of deaths, and the Cultural Revolution was a period of turmoil and persecution characterized by Maoist populism. Following the Sino-Soviet split, the Shanghai Communiqué in 1972 would precipitate the normalization of relations with the United States. Economic reforms that began in 1978 moved the country away from a socialist planned economy towards a market-based economy, spurring significant economic growth. A movement for increased democracy and liberalization stalled after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.

China is a unitary communist state led by the CCP that self-designates as a socialist state. It is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. It is a founding member of multilateral and regional organizations such as the AIIB, the Silk Road Fund, the New Development Bank, and the RCEP. It is a member of BRICS, the G20, APEC, the SCO, and the East Asia Summit. Making up around one-fifth of the world economy, the Chinese economy is the world's largest by PPP-adjusted GDP. China is the second-wealthiest country, albeit ranking poorly in measures of democracy and human rights. The country has been one of the fastest-growing economies and is the world's largest manufacturer and exporter, as well as the second-largest importer. China is a nuclear-weapon state with the world's largest standing army and the second-largest defense budget. It is described as either a potential or established superpower, due to its influence in the fields of geopolitics, technology, manufacturing, economics and culture. China is known for its cuisine and culture. It is a megadiverse country, and has 60 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Provided by Wikipedia