Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Population: 1,321,851,888 (July 2007 est.)
Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%
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)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)
Currency (code): Renminbi (RMB); note - also referred to by the unit yuan (CNY)
Exchange rates: yuan per US dollar - 7.61 (2007), 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004), 8.277 (2003)
