China

Capital:	Beijing, including surrounding areas: approximately 17 million inhabitants
Location:	Eastern Asia, the People’s Republic of China borders 14 states, no other country has more immediate neighbours: Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and North Korea.
Population:	official figures: 1300 million (beginning of 2005)
Languages:	Standard High Chinese (“Putonghua”), Chinese dialects; various minority languages (Mongolian, Tibetan, Uighurian, Turkic languages, Korean)

The Great Wall:

Individual sections are assumed to originate from as long ago as the 5th century BC. In 214 BC the first Chinese emperor Qín Shǐhuángdì began to have fortifications built to protect against attacks from nomadic peoples from the north. Since then they have been building the Wall. In its current form it dates back to the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The Great Wall is the largest fortification in the world and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It is considered a national symbol and also a symbol of China’s segregation since the 15th century.

As a consequence of the reform policy introduced in the 1990s, China has been experiencing the most far-reaching opening-up of its country in its history.