China is located in East Asia between Vietnam and North Korea. It has a large population of over 1.3 billion people and a rapidly growing economy that is now the second largest in the world. Some key facts are: Beijing is the capital city; Mandarin Chinese and local dialects are the most commonly spoken languages; popular religions include Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism; and China has significant issues with pollution and environmental degradation due to its large population and industry.