Ancient China was one of the oldest and longest lasting civilisations in the history of the world. China is a country in East Asia whose culture is considered the oldest, still extant, in the world. The name `China’ comes from the Sanskrit Cina (derived from the name of the Chinese Qin Dynasty, pronounced 'Chin'). The capital of China is Beijing with a population of 11 million people. The major cities are Shanghai having a population of 15 million, Shenzhen with a population of 12 million and Guangzhou and Hong Kong both having a population of 7 million.