The People's Liberation Army of China is the world's largest and deadliest military force. It has over 2,250,000 personnel, ranked first in the world. There are 5 service branches; the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF), the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N), the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), Second Artillery Corps (SAC), and the People's Armed Police (PAP). The Ground Force has over 1.6 million troops. The PLA Navy has over 250,000 plus an addition 147,000 troops. The PLA Air Force is the largest Asian Air Force in the world. It is composed of over 250,000 men and over 2,300 combat aircraft. The Second Artillery Corps is the strategic missile forces of China. It controls nuclear and conventional missiles. China has some 400 to over 8,000 nuclear weapons. It has over 90,000-120,000 people. The People's Armed Police keeps law.
The PLA (once called the Red Army) has fought in many battles, including the Chinese Civil War (which the PLA won), the Second Sino-Japanese War (which the PLA also won), the Korean War (which they won most battles), the Sino-Indian War (which the PLA won), the Sino-Soviet Conflict (which both sides won), and the Sino-Vietnamese War (which the PLA once again won).
The PLA is controlled by the Communist Party of China, and the commander-in-chief of the PLA is Chinese President Hu Jintao.
China, an ancient, mysterious and beautiful land, is always appealing to adventurous foreign visitors. It is situated in eastern Asia, bounded by the Pacific in the east. As the third largest country in the world occupying an area of 9,600,000 sq km, it spans 62 degrees of longitude and 49 degrees of latitude. A wide variety of terrain and climate shape its numerous natural attractions. Abundant in a variety of resources, plants, animals, and minerals, the land has nurtured countless generations of Chinese people.
One of China's greatest treasures is her long, rich history. As early as 1.7 million years ago, the earliest humans evolved on this land. It is the inventor of compass, paper, gunpowder and printing. The first dynasty, the Xia Dynasty, dates to about the 21st century BC. For 4,000 years, feudalism was the dominant economic and cultural model. Then, in 1911, the revolution led by Sun Yat-sen brought the monarchy to an end. On October 1st, 1949, modern China was founded as the 'People's Republic of China'. Since then, China has developed independently and vigorously. Most recently, reform and opening-up policy has energized life in China.
China is proud of her many people, long history, resplendent culture and distinctive customs. Among her greatest gifts to the world are the 'four great inventions' (paper, gunpowder, printing and the compass) . Chinese arts and crafts, including painting, calligraphy, operas, embroidery and silk are distinctive and unique. Martial arts, which have only recently begun to enjoy popularity in other parts of the world have been part of Chinese culture for centuries, and Chinese literature is testifies to the country's rich heritage. And, of course, there is Chinese cuisine, which has been exported to every corner of the globe.
China is made up of 56 ethnic groups. The Han people make up 91.02 percent of the total population, and the other 55 national minorities 8.98 percent. They are Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Bouyi, Korean, Manchu, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Kazak, Dai, Li, Lisu, Wa, She, Gaoshan, Lahu, Shui, Dongxiang, Naxi, Jingpo, Kirgiz, Tu, Daur, Mulam, Qiang, Blang, Salar, Maonan, Gelo, Xibe, Achang, Pumi, Tajik, Nu, Ozbek, Russian, Ewenki, Benglong, Bonan, Yugur, Jing, Tatar, Drung, Oroqen, Hezhen, Moinba, Lhoba and Gelo. All nationalities enjoy equal status according to the Constitution. The State protects their lawful rights and interests and promotes equality, unity and mutual help among all nationalities.
China has 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities and 2 Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong and Macao).
China has 50,000 rivers that cover a catchment area of at least 100 square kilometers, and 1,500 of them cover a catchment area of more than 1,000 square kilometers. Most of the rivers flow from west to east to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The main rivers include the Yangzi (Changjiang), the Yellow River (Huanghe), Heilongjiang, the Pearl River, Liaohe, Haihe, Qiantangjiang and Lancang Rivers. At 6,300 kilometers long, the Yangzi is the longest river in China. The second longest is the Yellow River at 5,464 kilometers. The Grand Canal from Hangzhou to Beijing is a great water project in ancient China. 1,794 kilometers in length, it is the longest canal in the world.
An empty cargo vessel (pictured) hits a bridge under construction near the eastern seaport of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, March 27, 2008. Four crew members remain missing and 16 have been rescued so far.
