---
title: "China — capital, area, population and currency"
description: "China: capital Beijing, area 9,596,960 km², population 1,406,585,000 (2025), currency Chinese yuan. Languages, time zones and calling code."
url: https://atoneplace.net/country/china/
site: "At One Place"
---

# China

**China: Capital Beijing**

9,596,960 km² · 1,406,585,000 people (2025) · Chinese yuan

The largest country in the world using a single time zone, so the sun rises in the far west around three hours later by the clock than in Beijing. China has a land border with fourteen countries — more than any other state except Russia, which also has fourteen. Its terrain runs from Mount Everest on the Nepalese border to the Turpan Depression at 154 m below sea level.

## The facts

- **Capital:** Beijing
- **Largest city:** Shanghai
- **Area:** 9,596,960 km² — 3,705,405 sq mi
- **Population:** 1,406,585,000 (2025)
- **Density:** 146.6 people per km²
- **Currency:** Chinese yuan (CNY, ¥)
- **Official language:** Standard Chinese
- **Time zone:** UTC+08:00
- **Calling code:** +86
- **Drives on the:** right
- **ISO codes:** CN · CHN
- **Continent:** Asia

## How it compares

- **By area:** 4 of 200
- **By population:** 2 of 200

> Population is the only figure on this page that dates — it is a 2025 estimate and will drift. Area, capital, currency, languages, calling code and driving side change rarely or never.

## Countries of a similar size

| Country | Area (km²) | Population |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Canada | 9,984,670 | 41,651,653 |
| United States | 9,833,517 | 341,784,857 |
| China ← | 9,596,960 | 1,406,585,000 |
| Brazil | 8,515,770 | 212,812,405 |
| Australia | 7,741,220 | 27,614,411 |

## Common questions

### What is the capital of China?

Beijing

### What currency does China use?

The Chinese yuan (CNY).

### How big is China?

9,596,960 km², or 3,705,405 square miles — 4 of 200 by area.

### Which side of the road does China drive on?

The right.

## Related pages

- [Canada](https://atoneplace.net/country/canada/)
- [United States](https://atoneplace.net/country/united-states/)
- [Brazil](https://atoneplace.net/country/brazil/)
- [Australia](https://atoneplace.net/country/australia/)
- [India](https://atoneplace.net/country/india/)
- [Indonesia](https://atoneplace.net/country/indonesia/)
- [Pakistan](https://atoneplace.net/country/pakistan/)
- [Bangladesh](https://atoneplace.net/country/bangladesh/)
- [Japan](https://atoneplace.net/country/japan/)
- [Philippines](https://atoneplace.net/country/philippines/)
- [Vietnam](https://atoneplace.net/country/vietnam/)
- [Iran](https://atoneplace.net/country/iran/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]
- World Bank Open Data — The World Bank (https://data.worldbank.org/) [CC BY 4.0]