Located in East Asia, on the western shore of the
Pacific Ocean, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has a
land area of about 9.6 million sq km, and is the
third-largest country in the world, next only to Russia and
Canada.
From north to south, the territory of
China measures some 5,500 km, stretching from the center of
the Heilongjiang River north of the town of Mohe (latitude
53° 30’ N) to the Zengmu Reef at the southernmost
tip of the Nansha Islands (latitude 4° N). When north
China is still covered with snow, people in south China are
busy with spring plowing. From west to east, the nation
extends about 5,200 km from the Pamirs (longitude 73°
40’E) to the confluence of the Heilongjiang and Wusuli
rivers (longitude 135° 05’ E), with a time
difference of over four hours. When the Pamirs are cloaked
in night, the morning sun is shining brightly over east
China. China has land borders 22,800 km long, with 15
contiguous countries: Korea to the east; the People’s
Republic of Mongolia to the north; Russia to the northeast;
Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan and Tajikistan to the northwest;
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan to
the west and southwest; and Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar to the
south. Across the seas to the east and southeast are the
Republic of Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia
and Indonesia.
The Chinese
mainland is flanked to the east and south by the Bohai,
Yellow, East China and South China seas, with a total
maritime area of 4.73 million sq km. The Bohai Sea is
China’s continental sea, while the Yellow, East China
and South China seas are marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean.
A total of 5,400 islands dot China’s vast territorial
waters. The largest of these, with an area of about 36,000
sq km, is Taiwan, followed by Hainan with an area of 34,000
sq km. Diaoyu and Chiwei islands, located to the northeast
of Taiwan Island, are China’s easternmost islands. The
many islands, islets, reefs and shoals on the South China
Sea, known collectively as the South China Sea Islands, are
subdivided into the Dongsha, Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha
island groups.
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