History of China

China, officially the people's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. The PRC is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of Chine with its seat of government in the capital city of Beijing. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shanghai, and Chongqing, and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). The PRC also claims Taiwan which is controlled by the Re-public of Chine (ROC), Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometers, China is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third or fourth largest by total area, depending on the definition of total area.
Since the introduction of economic reforms in 1978, China has become the world's fastest-growing major economy. As of 2012, it is the world's second-largest economy, after the United States, by both nominal total GDP and purchasing power parity (PPP),and is also the world's second-largest importer of goods. China is a recognized nuclear weapons state and has the world's largest standing army, with the second-largest defense budget. The PRC has been a United Nations member since 1972, when it replaced the ROC as permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.