China,one of the world's oldest civilizations

Official name: People's Republic of China

Size: 3,705,386 square miles (9,596,960 square kilometers); slightly smaller than the United States

Population: 1,321,851,888 as of July 2007

Capital: Beijing

Official Language: Mandarin, Yue (Cantonese), Wu and several others

Currency: Yuan

Climate: Diverse, from tropical in the south to subarctic in the north

Products: Rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, iron, steel, aluminum, electronics, shoes, textiles, toys, petroleum, cement, chemicals and vehicles