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China Information » Places in China » Hainan Province
Places in China: Hainan Province
China's smallest province in terms of both population and land size, Hainan has been a Special Economic Zone since 1988. It is one of the smallest industrial players of China's economy since it is so small physically and population-wise.
The land area of this island province is just over 13,000 square miles. The population ratio is seventeenth in the nation with 241 persons per square kilometre. There are around eight million people living in Hainan Province. The island is composed of the largest island under control of the central government of China plus around two hundred small islands in the South China Sea.
There are thick forests on the mountains in the island's centre. The white sand beaches, especially in the southern areas are filled with resorts for tourists. The island is around thirty miles off the coast of Guangdong Province. To the west of Hainan are the Gulf of Tonkin and Vietnam.
There are a number of rivers, some of which dry up during the hot summer months. The island is in the monsoon-affected region of China and has mild winters and long, hot and humid summers.
Crop cultivation contributes to the income of Hainan since the area's weather is conducive to some crops. Hardwood trees and minerals also contribute to the income of the region. Off shore, fishing and pearl harvesting add to the province's economy. The beaches in the southern areas bring much tourism to Hainan. In fact, the Miss World Beauty Pageant of 2004 was held in the resort area of the province.
The island's first connection with China's mainland government was in 110 BC. Hainan has been a part of two different provinces in the past. Both Guangxi and Guangdong have claimed the islands as part of their respective provinces. However, Hainan became a province and a Special Economic Zone in 1988. In the past, a number of Chinese exiles chose Hainan as their place of refuge. One of those was the famous poet Su Dongpo.
There is a lower ratio of Han Chinese in this province than in many other provinces. They presently make up around eighty-three percent of the population with the Li making up sixteen percent. Among the remaining ethnic groups in Hainan are Miao, Zhuang and Hui.
The provincial capital Haikou is on the northern tip of Hainan Island. There are several smaller cities on the island with the resorts largely situated around the city of Sanya. A railroad is on the western fringe of the island. There are two nature reserves on Hainan Island. A major highway goes from Haikou to Sanya with smaller roads around the island's edges.
Near the island's centre is Tongshi, which is near a traditional Li village that can be visited to see how the Li people, who first came to the island two thousand years ago, live. It is another of the tourist destinations that visitors enjoy.
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