Hainan

Hainan, island province in south-eastern China, in the South China Sea, south of the Leizhou Peninsula. Qiongzhou Strait, about 24 km (15 mi) wide, separates the peninsula from the island, which adjoins the Gulf of Tonkin on the east. Between its northern and southern extremities, Hainan has a length of about 257 km (160 mi) and a maximum width of about 145 km (90 mi). The southern half is traversed by a series of mountain chains, the highest of which has a maximum elevation of about 1,829 m (6,000 ft). The region has numerous extinct volcanoes, but many of the slopes and valleys are covered with dense tropical vegetation. The northern portion of the island, except for occasional mountainous outcroppings, consists of level plains. Hainan contains rich mineral deposits, including gold, tin, iron ore, lead, and silver, but the economy is predominantly agrarian. Among the leading crops are rice, rubber, coconuts, sugar, betel nuts, and pineapples. Large numbers of pigs, cattle, and ducks are raised.

People of Chinese origin constitute about two-thirds of the population of Hainan. Several Aboriginal peoples, locally designated the Maiu and Loi, inhabit the more remote areas of the mountainous region. The Maiu originated on the Chinese mainland; the Loi show marked physical similarities to the Igorot of the Philippines and speak the same language. A Chinese possession since 111 bc, Hainan was occupied by the Japanese in February 1939, during the war between Japan and China. The island was retaken in 1945 by the Chinese Nationalists, and in 1950 it passed to the Chinese Communists. Formerly part of Guangdong Province, Hainan became a separate province in 1988. The capital, largest town, and chief seaport is Haikou; population (1990) 280,153.

Area, about 34,300 sq km (13,240 sq mi); population (1990) 6,557,482.