China is a country with the largest population in the world. At the end of 1994, the population (excluding those in Taiwan Province and Hong Kong and Macao Regions) numbered 1,198.5 million. China's population is however unevenly distributed within the country, with more densely populated areas in the east and less in the west. There are also many overseas Chinese residing in other parts of the world.

Nationalities

China is a unified state of as many as 56 nationalities. The Han people take the largest number, of about 94 % of the total population, mainly living in the east part of the China. Each nationality has its own long history. The 56 nationalities are the Han, Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Bouyei, Korean, Manchu, Dong, Yao, Bai Tujia, Hani, Kazak, Dai, Li, Lisu, Va, She, Gaoshan, Lahu, Shui, Dongxiang, Naxi, Jingpo, Kirgiz, Tu, Daur, Mulam, Qiang, Blang, Salar, Maonan, Gelo, Xibe, Achang, Pumi, Tajik, Nu, Ozbek, Russian, Ewenki, Benglong, Bonan, Yugur, Jing, Drung, Oroqen, Hezhen, Moinba, Lhoba and Gelo.

Want to see the breakdown of the Nationalities' dispersions, languages and population statisitics? Go to the Brief Tables of Chinese Minor Nationalitites

How about visit our gallery of the 56 Nationalities....