Mon, 15:33 11 May 2009 GMT17

 
China earthquake 2008

Last reviewed: 11-05-2009

China
 
Capital: Beijing
Area size (Land only): 9327420 sq. km Slightly smaller than Canada
Time zone: GMT +8
Currency: Yuan
Area code: (+) 86
Driving: Right
Climate description: Hot, dry summers and bitterly cold in the northeast; hot summers and cold winters in the north and central regions; substantial rainfall with semi-tropical summers and cool winters in the southeast
 

People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
Chinese (official) is a modernised version of Mandarin; regional variants, such as Cantonese, are also spoken, along with the languages of minority ethnic groups.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population
2009 1345.8 million U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2009)
2007 1337.0 million U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006 1324.3 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2005 1313.0 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2004 1305.0 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2003 1296.8 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2002 1288.4 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2001 1279.5 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2000 1270.0 million U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
1417.0 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2009)

Ethnic groups
There are 56 officially recognised nationalities of which Han is the largest, comprising more than 91 percent of the population. Among the largest of the 55 ethnic minorities are the Chuang, Uighur, Tibetans and Mongols.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
The main belief systems are Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. There are also smaller Muslim (2 percent) and Christian minorities.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population
2007 42.2 percent U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006 41.3 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2005 40.4 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2004 39.5 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2003 38.6 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2002 37.6 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2001 36.7 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2000 35.8 percent U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1949
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available

Percentage of population under 15
2005 21.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 22.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 22.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 23.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 24.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 24.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002


Average life expectancy
2005 72.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 71.9 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 71.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 71 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 70.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 70.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - male
2005 71.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 70.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 69.9 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 68.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 68.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 68.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - female
2005 74.3 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 73.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 73.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 73.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 72.9 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 72.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Infant mortality
2007 19 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006 20 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 23 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 26 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 30 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 31 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 31 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 32 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
2007 22 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006 24 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 27 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 31 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 37 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 39 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 39 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 40 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Births attended by skilled personnel
1997-2005 97 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1996-2004 96 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1995-2003 97 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 76 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001 89 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000 89 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Maternal mortality
2005 45 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2000 56 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)
2005 81 UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 81 UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 85 UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 94 UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 104 UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 96 UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
2000-2007 7 percent U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2000-2006 7 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
1996-2005 8 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
1996-2004 8 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
1995-2003 10 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 11 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001 10 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000 9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of undernourished population
2003-2005 9 percent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2008
2002-2004average 12 percent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average 12 percent FAO 2006

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.

Population with access to improved water
2006 88 percent UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004 77 percent UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002 77 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 75 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Population with access to improved sanitation
2006 65 percent UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004 44 percent UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002 44 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 40 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Literacy - average
2004 90.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 90.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 90.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 85.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 84.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - male
2004 95.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 95.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 95.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 92.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 91.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - female
2004 86.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 86.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 86.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 78.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 76.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Landlines telephones
2007 275 per 1,000 people International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2008
2006 278 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 266 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 238 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 202 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 166 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 141 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 114 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Cellular telephone subscribers
2007 412 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2006 348 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 299 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 256 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 208 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 160 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 113 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 67 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Internet users
2007 158 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2006 104 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2005 84 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2004 72 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2003 61 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2002 46 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2001 26 per 1,000 people ITU 2008
2000 18 per 1,000 people ITU 2008

Transparency International corruption ranking (Scale: 1 = least corrupt, >175 = most corrupt)
2008 72 (joint) Transparency International 2008
2007 72 (joint) Transparency International 2007
2006 70 (joint) Transparency International
2005 78 (joint) Transparency International
2004 71 (joint) Transparency International
2003 66 (joint) Transparency International
2002 59 (joint) Transparency International
2001 57 (joint) Transparency International
2000 63 (joint) Transparency International

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
1990-2005 9.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004 16.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003 16.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1990-2002 16.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2001 16.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

GNI per capita, Atlas method
2006 2000 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 1740 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 1500 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 1270 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 1100 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 1000 current US$ WorldBankDataProfileTables2008
2000 930 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country's exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP
2006 2644.7 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 2243.9 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 1931.6 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 1641.0 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 1453.8 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 1324.8 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 1198.5 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual GDP growth
2006 10.7 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 10.4 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 10.1 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 10.0 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 9.1 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 8.3 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 8.4 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual inflation
2006 3.6 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 4.2 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 6.9 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 2.6 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 0.6 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 2.1 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 2.1 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
1.6 (latest available year)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
34.9 (latest available year)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008

Physicians
2000-2004 106 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004 106 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003 164 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2002 167 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
2007 0.1 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2006 0.1 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2005 0.1 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2004 0.1 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2003 0.1 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008

Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum occurs in Hainan and Yunnan. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported. Risk of P.vivax in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Sichuan, Xizang (only along the valley of the Zangbo river in the extreme southeast) and Yunnan. Very low P.vivax only risk in Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Shandong, in remote rural communities below 1500m. There is no risk in urban areas or densely populated plain areas. Tourists do not need to take prophylaxis unless staying in remote rural areas listed above.
Source: WHO

TB cases
2006 99 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2005 100 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2004 101 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2003 102 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2002 103 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2001 104 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2000 105 per 100,000 people WHO 2008

Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

Number of refugees originating here
2007 149095 UNHCR
2006 140598 Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005 124021 UNHCR
2004 134724 UNHCR
2003 132406 UNHCR
2002 132115 UNHCR
2001 117409 UNHCR
2000 110975 UNHCR

Number of refugees residing here
2007 301078 UNHCR
2006 301027 UNHCR
2005 301041 UNHCR
2004 299375 UNHCR
2003 299354 UNHCR
2002 297277 UNHCR
2001 295325 UNHCR
2000 294110 UNHCR

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
No data available

Landmine casualties per year
2004 4 Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003 2 Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
No
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
2005 2.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 2.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 2.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 2.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 2.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 2.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of GDP spent on education
2002-2005 No data available percent
2002-2004 No data available percent
1998-2000 2.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage of GDP spent on health
2004 No data available percent
2003-2004 2.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002 2.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2001 2.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2000 1.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003


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A screen broadcasts a Chinese mainland man surnamed Bao, the first confirmed case of the new H1N1 strain of flu in China, receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan ...


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