China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia and the world's most populous country, with a population of around /1e9 round 3 billion. Covering approximately , it is the world's second-largest state by land area and third- or fourth-largest by total area. Governed by the Communist Party of China, it exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing) and the Special Administrative Regions Hong Kong and Macau, also claiming sovereignty over Taiwan. China is a great power and a major regional power within Asia, and has been characterized as a potential superpower. 

China emerged as one of the world's earliest civilizations in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain. For millennia, China's political system was based on hereditary monarchies, or dynasties, beginning with the semi-legendary Xia dynasty. Since then, China has expanded, fractured, and re-unified numerous times. In 1912, the Republic of China (ROC) replaced the last dynasty and ruled the Chinese mainland until 1949, when it was defeated by the communist People's Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War. The Communist Party established the People's Republic of China in Beijing on 1 October 1949, while the ROC government retreated to Taiwan with its present "de facto" capital in Taipei. Both the ROC and PRC continue to claim to be the legitimate government of all China, though the latter has more recognition in the world and controls more territory.
What is China officially called?
Where is it?
Where did it start?
Was it near a river?
Which one?
Was it an early civilization?
What was their political system at the beginning?
What was another name for that?
What was the first one?
When did the last one end?
What replaced them?
Is the ROC still operating?
In China?
Where is it?
What is now China?
What is China now called?
When did it change?
Why?
How large is it land wise?
How populous is it?
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China 
East Asia
 in East Asia
North China Plain
China emerged as one of the world's earliest civilizations in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain
Yes
 fertile basin of the Yellow Rive
Yellow River
Yellow River
Yes
earliest civilizations
Hereditary monarchy
 based on hereditary monarchies
Dynasty
hereditary monarchies, or dynasties
Xia dynasty
 beginning with the semi-legendary Xia dynasty
1912
 In 1912, the Republic of China (ROC)
Republic of China
In 1912, the Republic of China
Yes
 The Communist Party established the People's Republic of China in Beijing on 1 October 1949, while the ROC government retreated to Taiwan
No
while the ROC government retreated to Taiwan with its present "de facto" capital in Taipei
Taiwan
Taiwan
A great power and a major regional power
 China is a great power and a major regional power
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China 
1 October 1949
The Communist Party established the People's Republic of China in Beijing on 1 October 1949
The Communist Party defeated the ROC
The Communist Party established the People's Republic of China in Beijing on 1 October 1949, while the ROC 
It is the world's second-largest state by land area
it is the world's second-largest state by land area
The most
East Asia and the world's most populous country, with a population of around /1e9 round 3 billion