China is the most populous country in the world and has one of the longest histories. It’s important to note that “most populous” doesn’t necessarily mean “biggest.” To be precise, China might be both due to its large population and significant land area (which is the 3rd largest). However, China is not the largest country by any measure. It ranks #2 in terms of total area (after Russia) and #3 in land area.

China is inhabited by more than 1.3 billion people, about 19% of the world’s total population. There are four main ethnic groups: Han Chinese, Zhuang, Manchu, and Hui. Zhuang is the largest minority ethnic group, with about 16 million, residing mostly in south-western China.

The territory that now makes up mainland China has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Many dynasties emerged throughout Chinese history (i.e., Shang, Qin, Han). In 1912, the Republic of China was established and ruled until 1949. After a civil war between Communist forces led by Mao Zedong and anti-Communist forces led by Chiang Kai-shek, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded on 1 October 1949. Since then, China has been under an authoritarian form of government.

On 1 July 1997, Hong Kong was handed back to the People’s Republic of China as a Special Administrative Region. This marked the end of British rule in Hong Kong, which had begun with the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842.

The Republic of China maintains control over Taiwan (officially known as the Republic of China), a small archipelago off the coast of southeastern mainland China. The People’s Republic of China claims Taiwan as a province, but this is recognized by only a few countries worldwide.

China is a leading member of the UN and participates in most international forums. International trade has been proliferating, as have political contacts between China and other countries. In 2008, Chinese companies invested a total of US$51 billion in developing countries, while China’s investment in developed countries reached US$57 billion. That same year, trade with Europe increased by 16.8%, with the Americas by 20.1%, and with Asia by 32.4%.