CHINA - Geography of Countries Bordering China

Learn Information about the Countries that Border China

By Amanda Briney

A wonderful map of China.  Map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook, 2007.

China is the world's third largest country based on area and is the world's largest based on population. It is a developing nation with a fast growing economy that is controlled politically by communist leadership.

Today, China is bordered by 14 different countries that range from small nations such as Bhutan to very large ones like Russia and India. The following is a list of the countries that border China. It is ordered based on land area. Population (based on July 2010 estimates) and capital cities have also been included for reference. All information has been obtained from the CIA World Factbook.

1) Russia
Land Area: 6,601,668 square miles (17,098,242 sq km)
Population: 139,390,205
Capital: Moscow

2) India
Land Area: 1,269,219 square miles (3,287,263 sq km)
Population: 1,173,108,018
Capital: New Delhi

3) Kazakhstan
Land Area: 1,052,090 square miles (2,724,900 sq km)
Population: 15,460,484
Capital: Astana

4) Mongolia
Land Area: 603,908 square miles (1,564,116 sq km)
Population: 3,086,918
Capital: Ulaanbaatar

5) Pakistan
Land Area: 307,374 square miles (796,095 sq km)
Population: 177,276,594
Capital: Islamabad

6) Burma or Myanmar
Land Area: 261,228 square miles (676,578 sq km)
Population: 53,414,374
Capital: Rangoon (Yangon)

7) Afghanistan
Land Area: 251,827 square miles (652,230 sq km)
Population: 29,121,286
Capital: Kabul

8) Vietnam
Land Area: 127,881 square miles (331,210 sq km)
Population: 89,571,130
Capital: Hanoi

9) Laos
Land Area: 91,429 square miles (236,800 sq km)
Population: 6,993,767
Capital: Vientiane

10) Kyrgyzstan
Land Area: 77,201 square miles (199,951 sq km)
Population: 5,508,626
Capital: Bishkek

11) Nepal
Land Area: 56,827 square miles (147,181 sq km)
Population: 28,951,852
Capital: Kathmandu

12) Tajikistan
Land Area: 55,251 square miles (143,100 sq km)
Population: 7,487,489
Capital: Dushanbe

13) North Korea
Land Area: 46,540 square miles (120,538 sq km)
Population: 22,757,275
Capital: Pyongyang

14) Bhutan
Land Area: 14,824 square miles (38,394 sq km)
Population: 699,847
Capital: Thimpu

To learn more about China, read "The Geography and Modern History of China" on Geography at About.com.

Source: http://geography.about.com/od/chinamaps/a/Geography-Of-Countries-Bordering-China.htm