SIZE: China is about the same size as the continental United States. As a result, there is as much variety of climate and geography as you would find in the USA. China has deserts, beaches and mountains.

POPULATION: China is the most populous nation on Earth with 1.3 billion people. That’s more than four times the population of the USA! Aggressive population control over the past generation has reduced the growth rate, but China is still getting more crowded. The “one child” policy has produced a society of children without siblings. Since there is a traditional preference for boys, there are now more males in China than females. The government is trying to combat this imbalance by banning ultrasound devices and sex selective abortion.

PEOPLE: Despite what many people believe, Chinese are not just Chinese. China contains hundreds of distinct ethnic groups with their own languages and cultures. The majority Han Chinese are very different from Tibetans in the southwest who are vastly different from Mongolians and Manchurians in the north. China has a far more varied population than the United States.

GOVERNMENT: Communist. China has made great strides in recent years both economically and socially. Still, it remains under tight government control and is often criticized for its human rights record.  The suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 is still a fresh memory. The protests over Chinese government involvement in Tibet keeps China’s human rights record in the news. China is working hard to improve its image with the 2008 Olympic games. All indications are that China will continue to open up to the rest of the world.

CURRENCY: Yuan. It is pegged to the value of the dollar but allowed to float by 0.5%.

LANGUAGE: There are about 236 different languages spoken in China. People who speak different dialects of Chinese often can’t understand each other. Mandarin Chinese is the most common with about 850 million speakers (70%+ of the population), and used in official government matters. Cantonese is also widely spoken (by about 80 million people) in the south around Hong Kong.

ECONOMY: Back in 1978, the Chinese government started transforming the old Soviet style centrally planned economy to a mixed economy relying more on market forces. It’s been an amazing success. Chinese economic development is among the fastest in the world. The GDP grew an average of 9.4% per year for the past quarter century. As a result, the middle class is exploding. China’s poverty rate fell from 53% in 1981 to 8% by 2001. China plays a major role in international trade. It has overtaken the United States as the primary trading partner of many smaller nations. As a result China, not the United States, is poised to have an increasing influence in world affairs in the future.

China is jam packed with must see sights. Of course there’s the Great Wall, the terra cotta warriors of Xian, and the Yangtze River. Also amazing are the bizarre landscape of Guangxi Province, the desert landscapes of Xinjiang, and the Silk Road. Cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau are loaded with treasures.

VISA: Tourist visa cost $130 for single, double or multiple entry.  Passport must be valid for at least 6 months and have at least one blank page.  Proof of return air ticket and hotel required.

GETTING THERE: Direct flights from the United States are provided by United Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airlines.