Hunan, literally means south of the lake, is located in the southern area pf middle reach of
Yangtze River. Most of the part is in the south of Dongting Lake, hence its name. It is said that there was a large area of hibiscus in Hunan region in the past, so that Hunan also can be called the hometown of hibiscus.
As the birthplace of Mao Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China(PRC), Hunan province has contributed to the founding and growth of the country. Over the first decade of the 21st century, the province’s gross domestic production(GDP) has annually increased over 10％. Despite the global financial crisis throughout 2009, Hunan achieved leapfrog growth with its in-depth implementation of development strategies: pushing forward innovative industrialization , as well as stepping up efforts to improve basic industries, infrastructure, and fundamentals. In the same year, the province’s GDP hit nearly 1.3 trillion yuan, and its economy grew 13.6％,4.9 percentage higher than the national average. This ranked the province among the nation’s top six performers in terms of growth rate, and placed it among China’s top ten for the consecutive year in terms of its economy. Hunan is emerging as one of China’s central provinces maintaining stable and fast growth.
♦ Provincial Capital: Changsha
♦ Area: 210,500 sq km
♦ Geography: Xiangjiang River is the largest river in this region. It adjoins with Jiangxi Province on the east, Chongqing Municipality and Guizhou Province on the west, Guangdong Province and Guangxi Autonomous Region on the south, and Hubei Province on the north. The east-west distance of the province is 667 kilometers; the north-south distance is 774 kilometers.
Sheltered by mountain ranges to the east, west and south, the center of Hunan comprises hills and basins, and the north is composed of plains. The landform of the province therefore takes the form of a horseshoe, open to the north, low in the center, and high in the other three directions. Hunan’s highest mountain Huping in Shimen County, Changde, reaches 2,009 meters above sea level, while its lowest area. Huanggai Town in Yueyang, lies at an altitude of only 21 meters.
♦ Population: Hunan covers 2 percent of China's land mass, and contains about 5 percent of its population, ranking No.7 in China with average population density of 325 per square kilometer. The Dongting Plain and the main river valleys are where the population is primarily concentrated. At the end of 2009, the total population of Hunan is 69.251 million, 550,000more than last year, among which the urban population is 29.8089 million and the rural population is 39.1931 million.
♦ Administrative Division:
► Changsha City - capital of Hunan
► Zhuzhou City - an important industrial city in Hunan Province and one of the five busiest railway centers in Mainland China.
► Xiangtan City - With an area of 5016 square kilometers and a population more than 3.0204 million, it consists of two districts (Yuetang, Yuhu), Xiangxiang city, Shaoshan city and
► Yiyang City - a famous "home of rice and fish" in the Dongting Lake area.
► Changde City - A city bordering the west side of Dongting lake
► Hengyang City - Second largest city in Hunan and home of Mount Heng (Nanyue mountain).
► Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
► Zhangjiajie City – has a first-rate scenic area at Wulingyuan. Tourism is the city's main industry.
► Huaihua City - important railway center in western Hunan
► Loudi City - The local Lianyuan Iron and Steel Company is a backbone enterprise in Hunan.
► Shaoyang City - a very beautiful city of southwest Hunan
► Chenzhou City - s the southern gateway of Hunan and a well-known "home of non-ferrous metals", with a population of 4.7708 million.
► Yongzhou City - was one of the three well-developed areas and one of the four ancient prefectures in Hunan.
► Yueyang City - consists of four districts (Yuanyanglou, Junshan, Yunxi, Quqyuan), two cities (Linxiang, Miluo) and four counties(Huarong, Yueyang, Pingjiang, Xiangyin).
♦ Climate: Hunan in the sub-tropical area has a warm climate, with cold, short winters and hot, long summers. It has four clearly contrasted seasons, abundant rainfall, and a mean annual precipitation of 1,300-1,700 mm. Its mean annual temperature is 16 to 18.5 degrees Celsius -- the hottest month, July, averaging 26 to 30 degrees Celsius and the coldest month, January, 4 to 7 degrees Celsius.
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