Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China.

Location

Beijing lies in the north of the North China Plain, at 39.6 N latitude and 116.20 E longitude.

Area

Total: 16,807.8 sq. km. Mountains and hills occupy 10,147.5 sq.km, 62 percent of the city's landmass.

Climate

Temperate semi-humid climate, short spring and autumn, long summer and winter; average temperature: 13 degrees Celsius. Annual rainfall: 539 mm.

Population

15.38 million

Ethnic Groups

People of all the 56 ethnic groups in China are found among Beijing residents, including the Han majority and Hui, Manchurian, Mongolian and other minorities.

Administrative Divisions

Beijing is one of the four municipalities directly under the central government. It is divided into 16 districts and 2 counties: Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen, Xuanwu, Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Mentougou, Fangshan, Tongzhou, Shunyi, Daxing, Pinggu, Changping and Huairou districts, Miyun and Yanqing counties.

Trees and Flowers

The Chinese scholar-tree and arborvitae and China roses and chrysanthemums have been selected by Beijing residents as representative of the image of Beijing.

External Relations

As a window for foreign cultural exchanges, Beijing has regular friendly ties with 124 capitals and major cities in 72 countries and has established sister relations with 31 cities in 27 countries. There are 158 foreign embassies, 23 offices of international and regional organizations and 251 offices of foreign news media in Beijing. In addition, over 9,000 foreign representative offices are operating and over 23,000 foreign students are studying in the city.