The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

71% (male 477,182,072/female 450,664,933)

       65 years and over: 7.6% (male 47,400,282/female 51,886,182) (2005

       est.)

      Median age:

       total: 32.26 years

       male: 31.87 years

       female: 32.67 years (2005 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       0.58% (2005 est.)

      Birth rate:

       13.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Death rate:

       6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       −0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female

       total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 24.18 deaths/1,000 live births

       male: 21.21 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 72.27 years

       male: 70.65 years

       female: 74.09 years (2005 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.1% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       840,000 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       44,000 (2003 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Chinese (singular and plural)

       adjective: Chinese

      Ethnic groups:

       Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu,

       Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%

      Religions:

       Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%

       note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

      Languages:

       Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing

       dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan

       (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages

       (see Ethnic groups entry)

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 90.9%

       male: 95.1%

       female: 86.5% (2002)

      Government China

      Country name:

       conventional long form: People's Republic of China

       conventional short form: China

       local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo

       local short form: Zhong Guo

       abbreviation: PRC

      Government type:

       Communist state

      Capital:

       Beijing

      Administrative divisions:

       23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions

       (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular

       and plural)

       : provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan,

       Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin,

       Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan,

       Zhejiang

       : autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang

       (Tibet)

       : municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin

       note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries

       for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau

      Independence:

       221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912

       (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's

       Republic established)

      National holiday:

       Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1

       October (1949)

      Constitution:

       most recent promulgation 4 December 1982

      Legal system:

       a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law;

       rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal

       codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being

       made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice

       President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)

       head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Vice

       Premiers HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG

       Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)

       cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress

       (NPC)

       elections: president and vice president elected by the National

       People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held 15–17

       March 2003 (next to be held mid-March 2008); premier nominated by

       the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress

       election results: HU Jintao elected president by the Tenth National

       People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (four delegates voted

       against him, four abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong

       elected vice president by the Tenth National People's Congress with

       a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190

       abstained, and 38 did not vote); two seats were vacant

      Legislative branch:

       unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao

       Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and

       provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)

       elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held

       late 2007-February 2008)

       election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA

      Judicial branch: