Encyclopædia Britannica, First Edition/China

CHINA, including Chinese Tartary, a large empire, situated between 95° and 135° E. long. and between 21° and 55° N. lat. being accounted two thousand miles in length, and one thousand five hundred in breadth; it is bounded by Russian Tartary on the north, by the Pacific ocean on the east and south, and by Tonquin, Tibet, and the territories of Russia on the west. It is usually divided into sixteen provinces, which will be described in their alphabetical order. In these provinces there are computed to be one hundred and fifty-five capital cities, one thousand three hundred and twelve of the second rank, two thousand three hundred and fifty seven fortified towns, and upwards of ten millions of families, which may amount to about fifty millions of people.

The principal commodities of this country are silk, tea, China ware, Japan-ware, and gold dust; of all which the maritime states of Europe import great quantities, sending them silver in return.