China

The People's Republic of China (often shortened to China) is a country in the continent of Asia.

Statistics

 * Capital city: Beijing
 * Largest city: Shanghai
 * Population: 1,395,695,000 (2012 estimate, ranked 1st)
 * Size: 9,596,961 sq km (ranked 4th)
 * Currency: Chinese renminbi (yuan)
 * Independence: 221 BC
 * Current head of state: President Xi Jinping
 * Official languages: Standard (Mandarin) Chinese

Geography
China is located in the Northern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemispheres. It currently has the largest population of any sovereign nation in the world, but due to government programs aimed at reducing population growth, it will be surpassed by India within the next century.

Cross-Strait disputes
The People's Republic of China claims the territory of the island of Taiwan, though the island's territory is currently controlled by a rival government known as Republic of China. The dispute began during the Chinese civil war of 1929-1950 when the People's Republic of China defeated the Republic of China as the de facto government of mainland China. The formerly ruling Republic of China government fled to the island of Taiwan, where they set up a government in exile.