Sichuan Province is an important agricultural province in south-central China. Its name is also spelled Szechuan. The province has an area of 188,000 square miles (487,000 square kilometers). Chengdu is the province’s capital and largest city. Sichuan is one of the largest and most populous provinces in China.
Sichuan has a varied landscape. The Sichuan Basin, in the eastern part of the province, is one of China’s main agricultural regions. Most of the rest of the province is mountainous. The Yangtze River forms Sichuan’s western border with Tibet and part of its southern border with Yunnan Province. The river then flows through the southeastern corner of Sichuan. Many of the world’s rare giant pandas live in Sichuan.
Sichuan has deposits of many minerals, including iron ore, natural gas, phosphorus, salt, titanium, and vanadium. The province’s major crops include citrus fruits, corn, rice, sugar cane, tea, vegetables, and wheat. Many farmers raise cattle and hogs. The province’s spicy style of cooking—called Sichuan, Szechuan, or Szechwan cuisine—has become popular throughout the world. Manufactured goods produced in the province include electronics, food and beverage products, iron and steel, and pharmaceuticals (medicinal drugs) and other chemicals.
Early inhabitants of Sichuan included the Shu, who lived in the west, and the Ba, who lived in the east. In 316 B.C., the Qin conquered the Shu and the Ba peoples. In 311 B.C., the Qin began to develop Chengdu as an administrative center.
In the following centuries, Sichuan was ruled by various Chinese dynasties (families of rulers). It also was independently ruled at times. During the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Sichuan became a province.
In 1997, the city of Chongqing and some of its surrounding area separated from Sichuan and formed the Chongqing Municipality. In 2008, a large earthquake struck Sichuan Province. About 70,000 people died in the quake.
