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Geography, agriculture and the economy
Situated in eastern Asia, the People’s Republic of China is one of the world’s largest countries, with an area of 9.6 million km2. China is also home to 1.3 billion people – almost 25 per cent of the world’s population.
But with less than 10 per cent of the world’s arable land, China struggles to support its growing population. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and yet there is an average of only 800 m2 of cultivated land per person. Its natural resources are further threatened by air pollution, soil erosion and falling water tables.
Still, agriculture remains a major economic sector in China and employs
about 50 per cent of the work force – particularly
in rural areas, where more than 75 per cent of the Chinese
live. The wide range of climates in China provides for a variety of
agricultural products including rice, wheat, potatoes, peanuts, cotton,
tea, pork and fish.
Source: IFAD
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China
capital: Beijing
GNI per capita: US$430 - 1,110
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| Statistics |
| Total population (million), 2003: |
1,288.4 |
| Population density (peole per km2), 2002: |
553.3 |
| Number of rural poor (million): |
0.4 |
| Poor as % of total rural population, 1997: |
4.6 |
| GNI per capita (US$),2003: |
1,100 |
| Population living below US$1 a day (%), 2001: |
16.6 |
| Population living below US$2 a day (%), 2001: |
46.7 |
| Population living below the national poverty line
(%), 1998: |
4.6 |
| Share of poorest 20% in national income or consumption
(%), 2001: |
4.7 |
| Source: World Bank |
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