Climate 
Most of China lies in the north temperate zone, characterised by distinctive seasons and a continental monsoon climate, which is well suited for habitation. From September to April of the following year, the dry and cold winter monsoons blow from Siberia and the Mongolian Plateau, resulting in cold and dry winters and great differences between the temperatures of north and south China. From April to September, warm and humid summer monsoons blow from the seas in the east and south, resulting in overall high temperatures and plentiful rainfall, and little temperature difference between north and south China. In terms of temperature, the country can be sectored from south to north into equatorial, tropical, subtropical, warm-temperate, temperate, and cold-temperate zones. Precipitation gradually declines from the south-eastern coast to the north-western inland, and the average annual precipitation varies greatly from place to place. In south-eastern coastal areas, it is over 1,500 mm, while in north-western areas, it drops to below 200 mm.

Natural hazards 
Frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); floods; flash floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; drought; land subsidence; river floods; landslides; 

Major environmental issues 
Air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulphur dioxide, particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated waste; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species

Culture

Major ethnic groups  
Fifty-six ethnic groups live in the vast expanse of China's richly endowed land, with a total population of 1.3 billion. Han Chinese is the largest ethnic group, with almost 92% of the population. Besides the majority Han Chinese, China recognises 55 other nationalities or ethnic groups, numbering approximately 105 million persons, mostly concentrated in the northwest, north, northeast, south, and southwest but with some in central interior areas.

The major minority ethnic groups are Zhuang (16.1 million), Manchu (10.6 million), Hui (9.8 million), Miao (8.9 million), Uyghur (8.3 million), Tujia (8 million), Yi (7.7 million), Mongol (5.8 million), Tibetan (5.4 million), Buyei (2.9 million), Dong (2.9 million), Yao (2.6 million), Korean (1.9 million), Bai (1.8 million), Hani (1.4 million), Kazakh (1.2 million), Li (1.2 million), and Dai (1.1 million).

Major religions
The major religions in China are Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, and Christianity.  Buddhism was introduced to China around the first century A.D. After the fourth century A.D, it was widely spread and gradually became the most influential religion in China. Buddhism in China is divided into three branches according to varied language families, namely, Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Pali Buddhism

Major languages  
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, and Hakka dialects.

Major festivals  
Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, the Pure Brightness Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, New year's eve, Qingming Festival (Tomb-sweeping day)