Henan
(2002 est. pop. 100.8 million). Located in north-central China, Henan Province covers an area of 167,000 square kilometers and is bordered by Hebei, Shandong, and Shanxi Provinces. Today, Henan has a population of 92 million; its capital is Zhenzhou. Located on the North China Plain and with its close proximity to the Huang (Yellow) River, Henan Province has had a long history of flooding. For thousands of years, the Chinese have built dams and dikes here in an effort to stem the devastating effects of these yearly floods. Yet the floods have also deposited large quantities of rich silt, leaving Henan one of China's most fertile regions. The temperature is hot in the summer and cold in the winter, and annual rainfall averages 1,250 to 1,750 millimeters.
The province, known as the cradle of Chinese civilization, is one of the oldest inhabited regions of China. Archeologists have found evidence that Henan was inhabited as far back as the Neolithic period. Recent excavations have unearthed artifacts dating back to the Shang dynasty (1766–1045 BCE). Several cities in Henan have served prominently in Chinese history. Anyang, located in northern Henan, was the first capital of the Shang dynasty, while Luoyang served as imperial capital of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–221 BCE), and Kaifeng was the imperial capital during the Five Dynasties period (907–960 CE) as well as the Northern Song dynasty (960–1126 CE).
The province is known as a major producer of wheat, tobacco, and cotton. Textile, electricity, and other industries developed recently. The provincial capital, Zhenzhou, located at the crossroad of several major railroad lines that transverse China, is one of the key points of China's national transportation system.
Further Reading
Domenach, Jean Luc. (1995) The Origins of the Great Leap Forward: The Case of One Chinese Province. Trans. by A. M. Berrett. Boulder, CO: Westview.
Wou, Odoric Y. K. (1994) Mobilizing the Masses: Building Revolution in Henan. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
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