How big is China?
China spans 9.600 million square kilometres (≈3.706 million square miles). That’s larger than the whole of Europe (without Russia), roughly the same size as the United States, and it stretches so far west that the sun rises two hours later in Kashgar than in Shanghai—even though the whole country runs on a single time zone.
9.600M km²
Third-largest globally, after Russia and Canada.
9.33M km²
Includes deserts, plateaus, mountains, river basins.
0.27M km²
Lakes, rivers, reservoirs—≈2.8% of total.
≈4,700 km
Mohe (Heilongjiang) to Zengmu Reef in the South China Sea.
China’s geography in three scales
From deserts in Xinjiang to tropical rainforests in Hainan, one country houses almost every landform. Understanding the spatial layout helps with logistics, climate planning, and matching content to the right audience.
West: mountains & plateaus
Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai form the “roof of the world”, averaging 4,500 m above sea level. The Kunlun, Tianshan, and Pamir ranges fan out from western Xinjiang.
Center: basins & river plains
The Sichuan Basin, Loess Plateau, and middle Yangtze support dense agriculture. Mega cities such as Chengdu, Xi’an, Wuhan, and Chongqing anchor this belt.
East: coastal plains & deltas
Most of China’s population lives east of the “Heihe–Tengchong Line.” Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen sit on low-lying river deltas with massive port infrastructure.
How China compares globally
Use these numbers for presentations or client briefings when someone asks, “Is China bigger than…?”
| Country / region | Total area (km²) | % of China | Quick comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 9.834M | 102% | U.S. is slightly larger overall, but China exceeds the contiguous USA (i.e., lower 48 states). |
| European Union (27) | 4.233M | 44% | China is more than double the size of the EU’s land area. |
| Australia | 7.692M | 80% | China is about 1.25× larger than Australia. |
| India | 3.287M | 34% | China’s land area is almost three times India’s. |
| Brazil | 8.516M | 89% | Brazil is the fifth-largest country; China is still roughly 1.1× larger. |
Land regions and time zone quirks
Six macro-regions
China’s National Bureau of Statistics groups provinces into East, Central, Northeast, Southwest, Northwest, and the municipality group. Each has separate GDP, population, and policy targets.
Single time zone
Despite spanning five geographical time zones, China uses UTC+8 nationwide. Xinjiang locals often operate on informal “Xinjiang time” (UTC+6) for day-to-day life.
14 land borders
China shares frontiers with 14 countries including Russia, India, Vietnam, and Mongolia, influencing trade corridors like the Belt and Road Initiative.
11,000+ km coastline
From the Bohai Gulf to the Gulf of Tonkin, coastal provinces drive most exports, port logistics, and cruise traffic.
Track provinces by area and geography
Click markers to see land area, flagship cities, and travel angles for each region. Use it to sketch itineraries or logistics routes.
Legend
- Province / autonomous region (>300k km²)
- Municipality / coastal hub
Frequently asked questions
What is China’s total area?
9.6 million km² (3.706 million mi²), including land and inland waters. This figure comes from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the CIA World Factbook.
Does China include islands in the area count?
Yes. The official number covers mainland China, Hainan, Taiwan (claimed), and smaller islands. Disputed territories are generally counted in domestic figures.
Why just one time zone?
The single UTC+8 zone was set in 1949 for national unity and coordination. Expect sunrise around 10:00 in Kashgar during winter.
How long to cross China?
High-speed rail from Beijing to Guangzhou takes about 8 hours (2,298 km). A full east–west drive—from Shanghai to Kashgar—is about 4,500 km and takes 4–5 days with breaks.
Plan around China’s geography
Use our guides to match itineraries and market strategies to the right regions.
- Population update — map demand to the mega clusters.
- Ten ancient capitals — build heritage itineraries along the Yellow River.
- Transport & metro — plan city-to-city travel using high-speed rail corridors.
- City playbooks — deep dives on 50+ destinations across every region.