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The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is filled with a collection of terra-cotta sculptures known as the Terracotta Army. This form of art was buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE to protect him in the afterlife.

China at a Glance

Total Land Area

3,590,750 square miles

Climate

Very diverse, ranging from tropical in the south to temperate in the center and tundra to the far north

Natural Resources

Coal, iron, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, aluminum, gold, rare earths, uranium

Land Use

Agricultural land: 55 percent (11 percent arable land, 1.6 percent permanent crops, 41 percent pasture); forest: 22 percent; other: 23 percent

Urban Population

59 percent of total population

Major Urban Areas

Shanghai (25 million); Beijing (20 million); Chongqing (14.8 million); Guangdong (12.7 million)

Geography

Eastern Asia, bordering the Yellow Sea, between Mongolia and India

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