The People's Republic of China (PRC), commonly known as China, (simplified Chinese: 中华人民共和国; traditional Chinese: 中華人民共和國; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó ⓘ), is a country located mostly in East Asia, with a smaller proportion of its area located in Central Asia. Due to its large and stable population, its rapidly growing economy, its large research and development investments and military spending, and other capabilities,[1] the PRC is often considered by analysts and commentators as an emerging superpower.
At over 9.5 million km² (3.7 million sq.mi) , the PRC is the third or fourth largest country by area. China's landscape is varied with mostly desert on the north and humid and mountanious on the east and largely dry on the western part of the country. It is also the world's most populous nation, with over 1.3 billion citizens and borders the most countries in the world with 14 independent countries. The present day location of PRC was the birthplace of the Chinese civilization that dates back to at least 18th century BC. The PRC was officially founded as a state on October 1, 1949 in Beijing during the closing stages of the Chinese Civil War. (More...)