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	Shanghai is China's largest city with a population of around 20 million and is situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta. The city's development in the past few decades have made it one of the most important economic, commercial, financial and communications centers of China. Shanghai is also home to the world's busiest port, followed by Singapore and Rotterdam. The two characters in the name “Shanghai” literally mean “up/above” and “sea”. The earliest occurrence of this name dates from the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD) at which time there was already a river confluence and a town called “Shanghai” in the area. In Chinese, Shanghai's abbreviations are Hu (滬 or 沪) and Shen (申). The city has had various nicknames in English, including "Paris of the East" and "Queen of the Orient" ("Pearl of the Orient").
	Climate
	Shanghai summers are hot and humid with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius. The rainy season begins in June. Fall is mostly mild. In winter (January to February) temperatures can reach below freezing. Spring begins again in March.

	Major Exports
	electrical machinery and equipment, machinery and mechanical appliances, woven apparel, knit apparel, footwear, toys and sporting goods

	Major Trading Partners
	Hong Kong, the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, the Russian Federation, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands

	Major Industries
	Manufacture of textiles, garments, footwear, toys, crude oil, household electrical appliances, sports goods, telecommunication equipment, pharmaceuticals, steel products, general metalwares and coal

	Teledensity
	14.4 persons per telephone

	Government
	Communist state. President and vice-president elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms. Administrative divisions: 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities

	Geography
	China is the fourth largest country after Russia, Canada and the United States. It is located in Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam. Land area: 9,326,410 sq. km. Shanghai occupies 6,200 sq. km. and lies in central-eastern China, facing the East China Sea.

	Population
	China: 1.30 billion Shanghai: 20 million

	Ethnic Groups
	Han Chinese make up the majority of China's population (91.9%). Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities make up only 8.1%.

	Language
	The official language in China is Mandarin but distinct dialects are spoken throughout the country. Shanghainese speak Mandarin or Shanghaihua, however most tourist hotels have staff who are fluent in foreign languages.

	Literacy
	90.6%

	Religion
	China is officially atheist, but traditionally pragmatic and eclectic. Some 2% to 3% of the population practice Daoism (Taoism), Buddhism and Islam. An estimated 1% are Christianians.

	Time Zone
	GMT + 8 hours, same as Singapore. The whole of China, including Hong Kong, is set to Beijing time.

	Banking Hours
	Banks: Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., although all foreign banks have slightly different hours (Japanese banks tend to close at 4:30 p.m. and American ones at 6 p.m.). Half days are the rule on Saturdays.

	Holidays
	Jan 1-2 2005 New Year Feb 9-11 Spring Festival, Chinese New Year May 1 Labour Day Oct 1 National Day Jan 1-2 2006 New Year Jan 29-31 Spring Festival, Chinese New Year May 1 Labour Day Oct 1 National Day

	Electricity
	The voltage is 220 volts, 50 cycles. Most luxury hotels have built-in converters in bathrooms for shavers, hair dryers, etc. Otherwise, come equipped, because a wide variety of plug types are used.