China

China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most populous state, with a population of over 1.381 billion. The PRC is governed by the Communist Party, with its seat of government in the capital city of Beijing. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau), and claims sovereignty over the Republic of China (island of Taiwan) off the southeast coast of the mainland.