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China is the largest of all the Asian
countries and has the largest population of any country in the world.
It covers an area of 9,560,900 square kilometers (3,691,000 square
miles), which is approximately one-fifteenth of the land area of the
world. According to the recent census, China's entire population was
estimated to be 1.2 billion as of February 15, 1995. Both in area
and in population, Europe (excluding Russia) is only half of China.
China is reputed as the single oldest uninterrupted civilization in
the world. The four inventions of the ancient Chinese, namely, the
compass, the gunpowder, the papermaking and printing, greatly promoted
the development of human society. In the long history of thousands
of years, the unique Chinese culture, living styles and customs make
China a charming tourist destination. |