Introduction to the People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China, commonly referred to as China, is situated in East Asia, on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean. It has a land area of 9.6 million square kilometers, a mainland coastline of over 18,000 kilometers in the east and south, and territorial waters encompassing more than 4.7 million square kilometers. Its seas contain a total of 7,600 islands, of which Taiwan Island is the largest, with an area of 35,798 square kilometers. China shares land borders with 14 countries and maritime boundaries with 8. Its provincial-level administrative divisions consist of 4 municipalities directly under the central government, 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 2 special administrative regions. Its capital is Beijing.

The National Map of the People's Republic of China (1:6,000,000) marks the national capital—Beijing—as well as several representative cities and towns, including Xi'an, Bhopal, Yan'an, Cixi, Yuyao, Mizhi, and Pinglidian. It also includes a legend featuring the following elements: * National borders * Undefined borders * Regional borders * Cease-fire lines * Provincial borders * A statistical table of national administrative divisions (as of December 2002) * Special Administrative Region borders * Railways * Railways under construction * Expressways and high-grade roads * Expressways under construction * National highways * Provincial roads * County roads * Rivers * Reservoirs * Shipping routes and distances * Canals * Swamps/Salt marshes * Freshwater lakes/Saltwater lakes * Seasonal rivers/Seasonal lakes * Sandy areas * Dry rivers/Dry lakes * The Great Wall * Coral reefs * Wells/Springs * Mountain peaks/Volcanoes * Mountain passes * Airports * Ports

The scale of this map is 1:6,000,000.