Travel Guide China - Country Information

Coordinates: 35 00 N, 105 00 E
Population: 1,313,973,713 (July 2006 est.)
Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)
Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Elevation: lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m / highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m
Hazards: frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence
Background China: 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.

Summary of recommendations:All travelers should visit either their personal physician or a travel health clinic 4-8 weeks before departure.
Malaria: Prophylaxis is recommended only for rural areas below 1500 meters in the following provinces: Hainan, Yunnan, Fuijan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet (Xizang) (in the Zangbo River valley only), Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, and Shanghai. In provinces with risk, transmission occurs only during warm weather: north of latitude 33° N, July-November; between latitude 25° N and 33° N, May-December; south of latitude 25° N, transmission occurs year-round. For the provinces of Hainan and Yunnan, prophylaxis with Lariam, Malarone, or doxycycline is recommended. For all other risk areas, chloroquine is the drug of choice.
Vaccinations:
Hepatitis A	Recommended for all travelers
Typhoid	For travelers who may eat or drink outside major restaurants and hotels
Yellow fever	Required for all travelers arriving from a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa or the Americas. Not recommended otherwise.
Japanese encephalitis	For long-term (>1 month) travelers to rural areas or travelers who may engage in extensive unprotected outdoor activities in rural areas, especially after dusk
Hepatitis B	For travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents, especially if visiting for more than 6 months
Rabies	For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)	Two doses recommended for all travelers born after 1956, if not previously given
Tetanus-diphtheria	Revaccination recommended every 10 years