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18 Striking Facts About China
![chinese monks](http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4be027a57f8b9ac1440c0100-400-299/chinese-monks.jpg)
The speed and size of economic development going in China right now has never happened before. In just ten years, a small emerging market has transformed into a geopolitical bruiser that can go toe-to-toe with Ben Bernanke.
Like it or not, China plays a critical role in the global economy from here out. Let's hope it hope doesn't crash.
China consumes 53% of the world's cement... and 48% of the world's iron ore... and 47% of the world's coal... and the majority of just about every major commodity
![China consumes 53% of the world's cement... and 48% of the world's iron ore... and 47% of the world's coal... and the majority of just about every major commodity](http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4c3f28497f8b9a6b461a0000-547/china-consumes-53-of-the-worlds-cement-and-48-of-the-worlds-iron-ore-and-47-of-the-worlds-coal-and-the-majority-of-just-about-every-major-commodity.jpg)
Image: Flickr User NeilsPhotography (www.flickr.com
China's economy grew 7 times as fast as America's over the past decade (316% growth vs. 43%)
![China's economy grew 7 times as fast as America's over the past decade (316% growth vs. 43%)](http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4d121619cadcbbae75140000-547/chinas-economy-grew-7-times-as-fast-as-americas-over-the-past-decade-316-growth-vs-43.jpg)
China's GDP per capita is the 91st-lowest in the world, below Bosnia & Herzegovina
![China's GDP per capita is the 91st-lowest in the world, below Bosnia & Herzegovina](http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4d1218f7cadcbb5a7d010000-547/chinas-gdp-per-capita-is-the-91st-lowest-in-the-world-below-bosnia-and-herzegovina.jpg)
Image: ap
85 percent of artificial Christmas trees are made in China. So are 80 percent of toys
![85 percent of artificial Christmas trees are made in China. So are 80 percent of toys](http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4d121f6a4bd7c82449080000-547/85-percent-of-artificial-christmas-trees-are-made-in-china-so-are-80-percent-of-toys.jpg)
Image: jypsygen on flickr
If he spent his ENTIRE YEARLY INCOME on housing, the average Beijing resident could buy 10 square feet of residential property
![If he spent his ENTIRE YEARLY INCOME on housing, the average Beijing resident could buy 10 square feet of residential property](http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4be027617f8b9aeb3d590000-547/if-he-spent-his-entire-yearly-income-on-housing-the-average-beijing-resident-could-buy-10-square-feet-of-residential-property.jpg)
A square meter of residential property in Beijing costs an average of 26,000 yuan (US$3,800), but the average per capita monthly income is only 2,000 yuan, according to Asia Times.
China has more pigs than the next 43 pork producing countries combined
![China has more pigs than the next 43 pork producing countries combined](http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4bcf5a7f7f8b9ac151770000-547/china-has-more-pigs-than-the-next-43-pork-producing-countries-combined.jpg)
Chinese consume 50,000 cigarettes every second
![Chinese consume 50,000 cigarettes every second](http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4bcf614f7f8b9a5a13ab0100-547/chinese-consume-50000-cigarettes-every-second.jpg)
America's fastest "high speed" train goes less than half as fast as the new train between Shanghai and Beijing (150 mph vs 302 mph)
![America's fastest "high speed" train goes less than half as fast as the new train between Shanghai and Beijing (150 mph vs 302 mph)](http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4cf9155e49e2ae022a0a0000-547/americas-fastest-high-speed-train-goes-less-than-half-as-fast-as-the-new-train-between-shanghai-and-beijing-150-mph-vs-302-mph.jpg)
Image: China.org.cn
China's enormous Gobi Desert is the size of Peru and expanding 1,400 square miles per year due to water source depletion, over-foresting, and over-grazing
![China's enormous Gobi Desert is the size of Peru and expanding 1,400 square miles per year due to water source depletion, over-foresting, and over-grazing](http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4bcf68267f8b9aea55860100-547/chinas-enormous-gobi-desert-is-the-size-of-peru-and-expanding-1400-square-miles-per-year-due-to-water-source-depletion-over-foresting-and-over-grazing.jpg)
China has 64 million vacant homes, including entire cities that are empty
The world's biggest mall is in China... but it has been 99% empty since 2005
![The world's biggest mall is in China... but it has been 99% empty since 2005](http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4bc7801c7f8b9af86c650000-547/the-worlds-biggest-mall-is-in-china-but-it-has-been-99-empty-since-2005.jpg)
Nearly 10,000 Chinese citizens each year are sucked into unsanctioned 'black jails'
![Nearly 10,000 Chinese citizens each year are sucked into unsanctioned 'black jails'](http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4bd066c87f8b9a6b7f220000-547/nearly-10000-chinese-citizens-each-year-are-sucked-into-unsanctioned-black-jails.jpg)
Image: Reuters
By 2025, China will build enough skyscrapers to fill TEN New York-sized cities
![By 2025, China will build enough skyscrapers to fill TEN New York-sized cities](http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4d110a81ccd1d5a50f450000-400-300/by-2025-china-will-build-enough-skyscrapers-to-fill-ten-new-york-sized-cities.jpg)
By 2030, China will add more new city-dwellers than the entire U.S. population.
![By 2030, China will add more new city-dwellers than the entire U.S. population.](http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4d110a9949e2ae20151f0000-400-300/by-2030-china-will-add-more-new-city-dwellers-than-the-entire-us-population.jpg)
There are already more Christians in China than Italy
![There are already more Christians in China than Italy](http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4b83f48a0000000000317da2-547/there-are-already-more-christians-in-china-than-italy.jpg)
Italy has just 60 million people in total, of which only 79% are Christian these days. Which means Italy has 47.4 million Christians, a full 12% less than China.
Source: Wikipedia, Shanghaist
Chinese are almost twice as likely to believe in evolution as Americans
![Chinese are almost twice as likely to believe in evolution as Americans](http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4c937ff27f8b9afe33fa0000-547/chinese-are-almost-twice-as-likely-to-believe-in-evolution-as-americans.jpg)
Only Russia (48%), USA (42%), South Africa (41%) and Egypt (25%) remain skeptical about Darwin's theory.
Source: British Council
China executes three times as many people as the rest of the world COMBINED... and uses mobile execution vans for efficiency.
![China executes three times as many people as the rest of the world COMBINED... and uses mobile execution vans for efficiency.](http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4b7d8d11000000000096ba7f-547/china-executes-three-times-as-many-people-as-the-rest-of-the-world-combined-and-uses-mobile-execution-vans-for-efficiency.jpg)
Many executions are done on the road using vehicles such as those designed by Jinguan Motors:
"Makers of the death vans say the vehicles and injections are a civilized alternative to the firing squad, ending the life of the condemned more quickly, clinically and safely. The switch from gunshots to injections is a sign that China "promotes human rights now," says Kang Zhongwen, who designed the Jinguan Automobile death van in which "Devil" Zhang took his final ride."
Source: The Guardian, USA Today
When you buy Chinese stocks, you are basically financing the Chinese government. Eight of Shanghai's top ten stocks are government owned
![When you buy Chinese stocks, you are basically financing the Chinese government. Eight of Shanghai's top ten stocks are government owned](http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4b421c14000000000015b876-547/when-you-buy-chinese-stocks-you-are-basically-financing-the-chinese-government-eight-of-shanghais-top-ten-stocks-are-government-owned.jpg)
- PetroChina
- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
- Sinopec
- Bank of China
- China Shenhua Energy Company
- China Life Insurance Company
- Bank of Communications
Source: Wikipedia etc.
Bonus: Chinese GDP could overtake the U.S. in less than 15 years
![Bonus: Chinese GDP could overtake the U.S. in less than 15 years](http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4bcf14167f8b9add504a0300-547/bonus-chinese-gdp-could-overtake-the-us-in-less-than-15-years.jpg)
Image: Associated Press
"By the early 2020s, China will over[take] the U.S. in terms of GDP, Ma said, noting the forecast is dramatically stepped-up from his views two years earlier."
'"China's nominal GDP growth could surpass that of the United States within ten years, a period which will likely be accompanied by a gradual appreciation of the yuan," Ma said.'
Source: MarketWatch
So what happens if China crashes?
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-china-blow-your-mind-2011-5?op=1#ixzz1NjWlnmNV
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