zhongguo

Zhongguo, also rendered Zhonghua in some contexts, is the Chinese endonym for the country and its civilization. The name literally means "central state" or "middle kingdom" and is written 中国 in simplified Chinese and 中國 in traditional. In modern usage it refers primarily to the People's Republic of China (PRC), the state established in 1949 with its capital at Beijing.

The PRC is the world's most populous country and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The term Zhongguo also has a broader historical meaning as the political and cultural center of the Chinese world, a concept dating to ancient dynasties that claimed the "Middle Kingdom" as the heart of East Asia.

Historically, various dynasties used forms of Zhongguo to describe their realms; in modern times the PRC uses Zhongguo as the official name of the country, while the Republic of China on Taiwan uses Zhonghua Minguo. The two governments claim overlapping sovereignty, though they administer separate jurisdictions.

In language, Zhongguo is pronounced Zhōngguó in Mandarin; it is often linked with Zhonghua (中华) to refer to Chinese civilization or nation. Geographically, Zhongguo lies in East Asia along the Pacific, with diverse landscapes and a history spanning thousands of years.