Information on China:
Basic numbers
At 1.4 billion inhabitants China remains the most populous country worldwide.
The People's Republic of China (simplified 中华人民共和国, traditional 中華人民共和國, Pinyin romanisation Zhonghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó) is the largest state in East Asia. The Special Administrative Regions Hong Kong and Macao situated at the coast have been part of the state territory since 1997 and 1999, respectively.
Area:
9,571,302 sqkm (no. 4. worldwide); inhabitants: 1.4 bn (2019) (no. 1 worldwide)
Capital:
Peking (Beijing) 北京;
Official language:
Putonghua, also called Mandarin (Cantonese in combination with Putonghua in the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions
Form of government:
People's Republic; Head of State: President Xi Jinping; Head of Government: Prime Minister Li Keqiang
Population density:
148 inhabitants per sqkm, GDP / inhabitant (PPP): $16.709
Ethnic minorities:
China is populated by 56 different ethnic groups. Since the Han Chinese represent the predominant group (91,5% of the entire population) the remaining 55 are called ethnic minorities 少数民族.
Currency:
The currency of the People's Republic of China is called Renminbi, abbreviated to RMB. The currency units are Yuan = 10 Jiao = 100 Fen.
Time zones:
China does not switch to daylight saving time and uses one single time zone (Beijing Standard Time). The time difference to Central European Time (CET) is + 7 hours in winter and +6 hours during summer.
Chinas provinces:
China is constituted of
22 provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang. Taiwan is also officially regarded as a province.
5 autonomous regions: Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet, Xinjiang
4 direct-administered municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin
2 special administrative regions: Hong Kong, Macao
The largest cities:
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Harbin, Nanjing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shenzhen.
Holidays:
1.1.: New Year
between 21.1. und 20.2.: Spring Festival/Chinese New Year. (the date changes annually)
Two weeks after Spring Festival (15. day of the 1. month of the Lunar Calendar): Lantern Festival
8.3.: International Women's Day
April/May (12. day of the 3. month of the Lunar Calendar): Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)
1.5.: Labour Day
4.5.: Youth Day commemorating the May Fourth Movement of 1919
1.6.: Childrens' Day
June (5. day of the 5. month of the Lunar Calendar): Dragon Boat Festival
1.7.: Foundation Anniversary of the CCP
1.8.: Foundation Anniversary of the People's Liberation Army
September (15. day of the 8. month of the Lunar Calendar): Moon Festival
1.10.: National Holiday commemorating the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949