Beijing (北京 Běijīng) is the capital of the most populous country on Earth, the [wiki=ae54a5c026f31ada088992587d92cb3a]People's Republic of China[/wiki]. With a population of 21.5 million people, it is the nation's second-largest city after [wiki=5466ee572bcbc75830d044e66ab429bc]Shanghai[/wiki]. It was also the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors until the formation of a republic in 1911. Beijing is the political, educational and cultural centre of the country and as such it is rich in historical sites and important government and cultural institutions.