With nearly four thousand years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest civilizations. Prior to the nineteenth century, it possessed one of the most advanced societies and economies in the world; but through successive dynasties it then missed the industrial revolution and began to decline. In the nineteenth and twentieth century, imperialism, internal weakness and civil wars damaged the country and its economy, and led to the overthrow of imperial rule.

In 1949, after major combat ended in the Chinese Civil War, two states calling themselves "China" emerged:

The People's Republic of China (PRC), established in 1949, commonly known as China, has control over mainland China and the largely self-governing territories of Hong Kong (since 1997) and Macau (since 1999).
The Republic of China (ROC) established in 1912 in mainland China, now commonly known as Taiwan, has control over the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, the Pratas island group, and a few other outlying islands.

President:
Premier:
NPCSC Chairman:
CPPCC Chairman:
Duke of Anhui:
Duke of Fujian:
Duke of Gansu:
Duke of Guangdong:
Duke of Guizhou:
Duke of Hainan:
Duke of Hebei:
Duke of Heilongjiang:
Duke of Henan:
Duke of Hubei:
Duke of Hunan:
Duke of Jiangsu:
Duke of Jiangxi:
Duke of Jilin:
Duke of Liaoning:
Duke of Qinghai:
Duke of Shaanxi:
Duke of Shandong:
Duke of Shanxi:
Duke of Sichuan:
Duke of Taiwan:
Duke of Yunnan:
Duke of Zhejiang: