CHINA  Much like the ancient Roman and Egyptian empires, China led much of the world in the arts and sciences for hundreds of years. Then, in the 19th Century, China experienced debilitating civil unrest, significant food shortages, military defeats, and foreign occupation. With the end of World War II, the upstart Communists under the leadership of MAO Zedong established a dictatorship 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 gradually introduced market-oriented reforms and decentralized economic decision-making. Those efforts were successful as GDP output quadrupled by the year 2000. Today, political controls still remain tight, but more and more economic controls continue to be relaxed. China's economy is booming and its influence is growing worldwide. Tourism, always popular in China, is a growth industry, as the country presents (quite possibly), the most fascinating destination on the planet.   Simple Facts Name: China --- (long form) People's Republic of China Population: 1,306,313,800 Capital City: Beijing metro (14.2 million) Currency: Yuan (CNY): US$1.00 apx 7.90 CNY (the exchange rate may change daily) Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua). Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan, Xiang, Gan and Hakka dialects Religions: Officially atheist, with small groups of Daoist, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian                   Source: World Atlas