A Survey of Henan Province
Advantageous Location and Abundant Resources
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Henan Province is located in mid-eastern China, at the lower and middle reaches of the Yellow River. The Chinese characters for Henan-河南-literally mean "south of the  River", for most the province lies on the southern side of the Yellow River. In ancient times, this area was crisscrossed by streams and rivers and it was covered with dense forests and bushes with legions of wild elephants wandering about. Therefore, Henan was once graphically described as a place where elephants were led by human beings, thus the pictograph “豫” , a shortened form for Henan, being originated. During the reign of Emperor Yu of the Xia Dynasty (2070 B.C.-1600 BC), the kingdom was divided into nine states with the State of Yu in the center, where current Henan is located, and therefore Henan has also been called "Zhongzhou" -中州- meaning the Central State，or "ZhongRMB yuan" -中原-the Central Plains. Situated at 31o 23′-36 o 22′north latitude and 110 o 21′-116 o 39′east longitude, Henan borders Shandong and Anhui provinces on the east, Hebei and Shanxi provinces  on the north, Shaanxi province on the west, and Hubei province on the south. In history, Henan repeatedly witnessed its great prosperity, having remained for long as the political, economic and cultural center of China, and made important contributions to the development of the Chinese nation and civilization.
Henan Province has an area of 167,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 97 million people. There are as many as 51 ethnic groups in Henan, including Han, Hui, Mongolian, Manchu, Tujia, Miao, Uygur, Korean, Tibetan and Bai. The province has 18 cities directly under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, 20 county-level cities and 89 counties. The city of Zhengzhou is its capital.
Of the total area of Henan, the area of plains and basins is 93,000 square kilometers, accounting for 55.7%, and the mountainous area is 74,000 square kilometers, accounting for 44.3%. Generally speaking, the western part is higher than the eastern part; the northern part is flat while the southern part is uneven. The Taihang Mountains, Funiu Mountains, Songshan Mountains, Tongbai Mountains and Dabie Mountains in the northern, western and southern parts form a semicircle along the provincial boundary. The central and eastern parts form the vast Yellow River-Huaihe River-Haihe River plain, with basins scattered few and far between. There are four water systems in Henan, namely the systems of the Yellow River, the Huaihe River, the Haihe River and the Hanshui River, with over 1,500 branch rivers flowing inside the province. Both national projects of Transmitting Natural Gas from the West to the East and Diverting Water from the South to the North are via Henan. The southern part of the province belongs to the north subtropical zone while the central and northern parts belong to the warm and temperate zone, thus its climate has the specific property of distinct transition. The four seasons in a year are clearly demarcated. The temperature averages 13 o C to 16.7 o C, the average annual precipitation is 580 mm to 1,340 mm, and the frost-free period lasts190 to 230 days or so. The province is endowed with a temperate climate, moderate precipitation, sufficient illumination and fertile soil. It is rich in both aboveground and underground mineral resources. Out of over 150 kinds of minerals discovered in the world, Henan possesses126 species and the reserves of 73 species have been initially proven, among which 6 are energy minerals, 27 metal minerals and 38 non-metal minerals. 3 large- and middle-sized mines have been newly explored. The reserves of molybdenum, kyanite, andalusite, trona, illite clay, cement clay and pearlite rank first in China, while those of casting sand, refractory clay, blue asbestos, glass tuff rank second; the reserves of magnesium, tungsten, rhenium, gallium, bauxite, and cement marble take the third place. The reserves of aluminum bauxite, graphite, glass quartzite rank forth while those of lithium, cesium, calcium carbide, basalt and jade take the fifth place in China. Henan is also a major base of energy. The reserves of oil rank eighth in the country and those of coal and natural gas take the tenth and eleventh place respectively.
As for biological resources, there are higher plants of 199 families, 1,107 genera and over 3,830 varieties; and 418 kinds of animals, mammals, birds and reptiles. The output of wheat, sesame, jute, bluish dogbane and edible fungus rank first in China while that of cotton, oil and tobacco take the second place. Date in Xinzheng, apple in Lingbao, chestnut in Xinyang, garlic in Zhongmo, capsicum in Yongcheng, day lily in Huaiyang, megranate in Tangyin, cornel in Neixiang, Maojian tea in Xinyang, watermelon in Kaifeng, kiwi fruit in Xixia, persimmon in Xingyang, pear in Ningling, yams of four varieties in northern Henan and calyx canthus in Yanling all enjoy great fame. Traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in Henan have long been celebrated in the country. The animal husbandry in Henan is relatively well developed, with Nanyang cattle, Xiaxian oxen, Biyang donkey, Huaishan goat, Huainan pig and duck, Gushi chicken and geese, Anyang rabbit, etc., as typically famous species. Moreover, the Yellow River carps, Qihe crucian carps, Danjiang silver xenocypris, mandarin fish and soft-shelled turtles in Xinyang and Qihe are all of high economic value. The output of meat ranks third in China.
After China's entry into WTO, China has opened up 8 retail sale cities and Zhengzhou is one of them. Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange is the largest grain wholesale market and the first standardized grain futures market of its kind in China.
As an old saying goes, “Those who conquer the Central Plains conquer China.” Henan's advantages in the natural conditions, rich resources and superior geographical location have laid a solid material foundation for its economic development. |
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