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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