Shaanxi Province
Meaning of the Name - Thieves' Mountain West
Shaanxi (Simplified Chinese: 陕西; Traditional Chinese: 陝西; pinyin: Shǎnxī; Wade-Giles: Shan-hsi; Postal System Pinyin: Shensi, pronounced like "Shahn-shee") is a north-central province of the People's Republic of China, and includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River as well as the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of the province.
By regular Hanyu Pinyin rules, both Shaanxi and the neighbouring province of Shanxi should be spelled as "Shanxi", and the difference is in tone: Shānxī and Shǎnxī. To make the difference clear even without tonal marks, the spelling "Shaanxi" was contrived for the province of Shǎnxī, while "Shanxi" is used for the province of Shānxī.
Major Cities:
Xi'an, Xianyang, Baoji, Hanzhong, Tongchuan, Yan'an
Neighboring Areas:
Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Gansu provinces; Ningxia Hui and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Government office address: Xincheng Square, Xi'an
Postcode: 710004
Website: www.shaanxi.gov.cn
History of Shaanxi
Shaanxi (and the city of Xi'an therein) are considered one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. 13 feudal dynasties have established their capitals in this province during a span of more than 1100 years, from the Zhou dynasty to the Tang dynasty. It is also the starting point of the Silk Road which leads to Europe, Arabia and Africa.
During the Mongol rule in the 13th century, Shaanxi became a provincial unit. In the ensuing years, wars and famine had decimated and depopulated the province. As a result, large populations of Muslims, or Hui people, emerged, as evident today. Under the Ming dynasty, Shaanxi was incorporated into Gansu but was again separated in the Qing dynasty.
One of the most devastating earthquakes in history occurred near Hua Shan, in south-eastern part of Shaanxi Province on January 24, 1556, killing an estimated 830,000 people.
The short-lived Jiangxi Soviet can be seen to have ended in Shaanxi, signaling the beginning of the Long March by Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communists.
Geography
Desert in the north along the border with Inner Mongolia, the Loess Plateau in the central part of the province, the Qinling mountains running east to west in the south central part, and subtropical climate south of the Qinling mountains.
The northern part of Shaanxi is cold in the winter and very hot in summer with dry winter and spring. Its southern portion generally receives more rain. Annual mean temperature is roughly between 9°c and 16°c with January temperature ranging from -11°c to 3.5°c and July temperature ranging from 21°c to 28°c.
Economy
Shaanxi's nominal GDP for 2003 was 239.9 RMB (28.9 billion USD) and GDP Per Capita was 6536 RMB (789 USD).
Demographics
Nearly all the people in Shaanxi are comprised of ethnic Han Chinese, with pockets of Hui population in the north western region (adjacent to Ningxia). The southern part of Shaanxi -- where its provincial capital of Xi'an is located -- is more populated compared to the northern part.
Natural Conditions
Natural resources
Minerals: So far, 91 kinds of minerals have been found in the province, 58 of which have deposits ranking among the top ten in China. The reserves and output of gold rank fifth and fourth respectively. The output of molybdenum amounts to half of the country's total. The proved deposits of coal, the most abundant mineral in the province, come to 161.8 billion tons. The Shenmu-Fugu Coalfield in northern Shaanxi has reserves of 134 billion tons. It is one of the best fields in the world because of its thick coal layer and easy access and exploitation. In addition, northern Shaanxi has a gas field with proved reserves of 350 billion cubic meters.
Hydropower: North of the Qinling Mountains is the Yellow River system, composed of the Weihe, Jinghe, Luohe, and Wuding rivers. South of the mountains is the Yangtze River system consisting of the Hanjiang, Danjiang, and Jialing rivers. The Hanjiang River, the largest river in the province, provides more than half of the province's total water runoff. Shaanxi has an annual water runoff of 42.6 billion cubic meters, which has a power-generation potential of 14 million kw.
Animals: Shaanxi has more than 750 species of wild vertebrates, 79 of them rare. It is home to 12 species of animals and birds under state protection including the giant panda, snub-nosed monkey, and clouded leopard.
Plants: The province has 5.93 million ha of forest in the Qinling, Daba, Guanshan, Huanglong, and Qiaoshan mountainous areas. It has a 28.8% rate of forest coverage. It has 3,300-plus species of wild plants, 37 of them rare. The province has 800 species of medicinal plants of great economic value including sea-buckthorn and gynostemma pentaphylla. It leads the country in the output and quality of raw lacquer. The traditional exports of the province are dates, walnut meat, and tung oil.