China is located in East Asia and is one of the largest and most populous countries in the region. It has a population of over 1.3 billion people and covers an area of 9.6 million square kilometers. Beijing is the capital city of China and receives many domestic and international visitors each year. The official languages are Mandarin Chinese and Standard Mandarin and the currency is the yuan. China has a literacy rate over 90% and life expectancy is around 74 years for males and 78 years for females.