CHINA

Geography: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam.

Climate: Extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north.

Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry).

Currency: Yuan (CNY); note - also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB).

For Education placement the school terms are approximately: March - July & September - middle January.