The Chinese Empire, which contains more than five millions of square miles, or twice the area of the United States, has a population of five hundred millions, or half the number of the human beings inhabiting the globe.

China proper, inhabited by the Chinese, is half as large as Europe, and contains about three hundred and sixty millions of inhabitants.

There are eighteen provinces in China, many of which contain, singly, more inhabitants than some of the great states of Europe.

But on many other accounts this nation is deeply interesting.
China is the type of permanence in the world.

To say that it is older than any other _existing_ nation is saying very little.