China at a glance

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(CNN) -- Following are essential facts and figures on the People's Republic of China.

Area: 9.6 million sq. km

Population: 1.3 billion

Capital: Beijing (pop. 15m)

Commercial center: Shanghai (pop. 17m)

Other major cities: Tianjin, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Qingdao, Harbin, Dalian

Language: Mandarin, various dialects

President: Hu Jintao

Prime Minister: Wen Jiabao

Gross Domestic Product: $1603 billion (2004)

Growth rate: 9.5 percent (March 2005)

Forecast growth: 7.0 to 8.0 percent (2005)

Per capita income: $1233 nominal, but $4930 in purchasing power parity

Inflation: 2.8 percent (2005)

Unemployment: 5.5 percent

Exports (goods & services): $652 billion (2004)

Imports (goods & services): $631 billion

Main trade partners: U.S., EU, Japan, East Asia

Foreign exchange reserves: $640 billion

Source: World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, April 2005

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