Guizhou << gway joh >> Province is a province in south-central China. It has an area of 67,200 square miles (174,000 square kilometers). Guiyang is the province’s capital and largest city. The province has a large number of ethnic minorities. Many of China’s Miao people, usually known as the Hmong outside China, live in Guizhou. Guizhou, also spelled Kweichow, is one of the poorest provinces in China.
Guizhou lies in the Southern Uplands, a region of hills and mountains in southern China. The Wu and Yuan rivers flow through the province. Huangguoshu Falls, near Anshun, is the largest waterfall in China. It is 243 feet (74 meters) high. Guizhou has a subtropical climate.
Guizhou has significant deposits of antimony, bauxite, coal, gold, manganese, mercury, and phosphorus. Its main crops include corn, potatoes, rice, tobacco, and wheat. Farmers also raise cattle, hogs, and sheep. The province’s manufactured goods include cement, chemicals, cigarettes, iron and steel, and textiles.
Many ethnic groups lived in Guizhou during China’s early history. The Chinese government controlled part of the province during the Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 220). A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family. The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) strengthened the Chinese government’s control over the region. During the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), the inhabitants of Guizhou often rebelled against the Chinese Empire. Tensions resulted from the immigration of Han Chinese and others to Guizhou. 
In January 1935, Communists met in northern Guizhou, at Zunyi, during their famous Long March. The Communists made this 6,000-mile (9,700-kilometer) march through China to escape Chinese Nationalist forces in 1934 and 1935. The Zunyi Conference played an important role in helping Mao Zedong take control of China’s Communist Party.
