China is located in Asia, covering an area of almost 3.5 million square miles, and it ranks third in size among the nations of the world. It has contrasting landscapes which include mountainous areas, deserts, and farmland.
   Over a billion people, almost 25% of the entire population of the world, live in China. The Han people make up about 94% of the population, but there are over fifty minority groups, such as the Mongolians and Tibetans, each with its own language, culture and customs.
   The Chinese long thought of China as the world's center and as the birthplace of other cultures such as Japanese and Korean.