China isn't a country - it's a
different world. Unless you have a couple of years and unlimited
patience, it's best to follow a loose itinerary here, such as
following the Silk Road, sailing down the Yangzi River, or exploring
the Dr Seuss landscape of Guangxi Province.
From shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the epic grasslands of Inner
Mongolia, China is a land of cultural and geographic schisms. It's
not that it has completely done away with its Maoist past - it's
more that the yin of revolutionary zeal is being balanced by the
yang of economic pragmatism.
China is a country of great contrasts, with picturesque rural
landscapes and congested cityscapes, and natural beauty that ranges
from the untamed to the idyllic - from the windswept plains of the
Gobi Desert and Mt Everest's notorious northern face to Yangshuo's
gorgeous karst scenery. China is huge and wild enough to satisfy
your explorer instinct, and is a great rollercoaster ride for anyone
with a little time and an instinct for travel.
Full country name: People's Republic of
China
Area: 9.59 million sq km
Population: 1.28 billion
Capital City: Beijing (pop 13.8 million)
People: Han Chinese (93%), plus 55 ethnic minorities
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
Religion: Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism (no stats available); Islam
(14 million), Christianity (7 million)
Government: Communist republic
Head of State: President Hu Jintao
GDP: US$6.4 trillion
GDP per capita: US$5,000
Inflation: 1.2%
Major Industries: Iron, steel, coal, machinery, automobiles,
petrolium, chemicals, telecommunications, textiles
Major Trading Partners: USA, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan |
Western
China
