Hunan Province << hoo nahn >> is an important agricultural province in south-central China. It is famous for its natural beauty. Mountains surround Hunan on the east, west, and south. The Yangtze River forms part of the province’s northern border. Hunan has an area of 81,300 square miles (210,500 square kilometers). The province has dozens of national forests, nature reserves, and scenic areas. Lake Dongting is the largest lake in the province and one of the largest in China. Changsha is Hunan’s capital city.
Citrus fruits, rice, and tea are some of Hunan’s main agricultural crops. Hunan is a major producer of ramie, a plant grown for its fiber. Hunan is also a leading producer of pork. Some of China’s spiciest food comes from Hunan. The province’s cooks use large amounts of garlic and chili peppers.
Early inhabitants of Hunan included the Miao and Yao peoples. People of the Han nationality, China’s largest ethnic group, moved into Hunan from the north in the A.D. 200’s and 300’s. From the 1200’s to the 1600’s, Hunan and neighboring Hubei formed a single province called Huguang. The Manchus, a people who conquered China in the 1600’s, officially established Hunan Province in 1664.
See also Changsha .
