Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the
world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the
country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign
occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an
autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed
strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of
people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on
market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much
of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for
personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South
China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Population: 1,306,313,812 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.4% (male 148,134,928/female 131,045,415)
15-64
years: 71% (male 477,182,072/female 450,664,933)
65 years and
over: 7.6% (male 47,400,282/female 51,886,182) (2005 est.)
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Female Profiles 
Male Profiles
