Map of Hunan Province

Author: Wang Ruiping, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Hunan is located between 108°47′-114°45′ east longitude and 24°39′-30°28′ north latitude, with an east-west width of 667 kilometers and a north-south length of 774 kilometers, covering a total area of 211,800 square kilometers, of which the cultivated land area is 3,230,000 hectares. The southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern sides of the region are surrounded by mountains. The Mufu and Luoxiao mountain ranges stretch eastward, the Wuling and Xuefeng mountain ranges run southward, and the Wuling, Xuefeng, and other mountain ranges wind westward. Most peaks in western Hunan are over 1,000 meters above sea level, while the central part consists of hills and river valleys alternating with basins.
Natural Resources - Biological Resources: Hunan is located in the mid-subtropical zone, with a temperate climate and lush vegetation, providing a suitable habitat for wildlife. Among Hunan's wildlife resources, there are 265 species of animals beneficial to agriculture. There are 44 rare species under national protection, including 18 first-class protected species such as the Chinese white dolphin and South China tiger, 19 second-class protected species such as macaques and short-tailed monkeys, and 7 third-class protected species such as black bears. Hunan has a diverse range of poultry and livestock breeds, widely distributed, with over 500 bird species, accounting for 45% of China's total bird species. Among them, 22 first-, second-, and third-class protected birds account for 44% of China's protected bird species. Hunan's first-class protected birds include the white crane, hooded crane, red-billed blue pheasant, white crane, black crane, white-crowned long-tailed pheasant, and Chinese merganser; second-class protected birds include the red-billed golden pheasant, white-bellied golden pheasant, great white goose, lesser white goose, and mandarin duck. Hunan has 113,020,000 mu of forest land, accounting for 35.7% of the province's total area. The forest coverage rate is 34.3%, far exceeding the national average. There are currently 2,470 species of woody plants, and forest land accounts for 57.4% of Hunan's total land area. The current stock volume of standing timber is 184 billion cubic meters. Among them, 184 billion cubic meters of timber resources have an annual growth of over 11 million cubic meters, making Hunan one of the important timber production bases in southern China. The Xuefeng Mountains are known as the "Hometown of Broad Timber," and the southern part of Hunan's Nanling Mountains is the "Jianghua Timber" production area. There are also 8,470,000 mu of bamboo forests, with a stock volume of 8.9 billion bamboos, ranking third in the country. Hunan's economic forests mainly include tea oil, tung oil, and tea. The Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture is renowned as the "Golden Tung Oil Hometown," and the "Junshan Silver Needle" tea produced in Junshan Island of Dongting Lake was once a tribute during the Tang Dynasty and was listed as one of China's top 10 famous teas in 1982. In addition, the province has abundant grassland resources.
Mineral Resources: In 2004, 16 new mining sites were discovered through national land resources surveys and geological exploration, and 11 new mineral resources were identified, including 97,700 tons of lead and zinc and 936,000 tons of coal. Zhangjiajie Geopark was included in the first batch of World Geoparks. Among the minerals with proven reserves, non-ferrous metals are predominant, followed by non-metallic minerals. Hunan is known as the "Hometown of Non-Ferrous Metals," holding significant importance in both the variety and reserves of minerals in the country. Currently, 37 non-ferrous metals have been proven, with antimony reserves ranking first in the world, and tungsten, bismuth, monazite, and other minerals ranking among the top in the country. Reserves of lead and zinc are also abundant. Hunan's non-metallic mineral resources are the second-largest resource after non-ferrous metals, with reserves of fluorite, barite, feldspar, palygorskite, and other minerals ranking among the top in the country. There are also more than 30 other minerals, such as limestone, silica, dolomite, sulfur ore, and phosphate, distributed across 66 counties and cities in Hunan. The coal reserves rank first among the nine southern provinces (regions).
Energy: Hunan's energy development primarily includes coal production, crude oil refining, and power generation. Hunan is one of China's southern provinces with abundant coal resources, with proven reserves reaching 3.4 billion tons, of which 2.84 billion tons are reserved. Coal resources are mainly distributed in seven cities: Chenzhou, Hengyang, Loudi, Shaoyang, Changsha, Xiangtan, Zhuzhou, and Huaihua, accounting for 95.4% of Hunan's total reserved reserves. Currently, Hunan's annual production capacity for raw coal is 13.95 million tons. Statistics show that from 1950 to 1998, the province's cumulative coal production reached 934 million tons, with 38.1053 million tons produced in 1998, ranking 10th in the country. In some years, coal production exceeded 50 million tons. Hunan's hydropower potential is 15.3245 million kilowatts, with 10.839 million kilowatts available for development. Large hydropower stations such as Fengtan, Dongjiang, and Wuqiangxi have been built, and by 1998, the installed capacity of hydropower reached 5.1 million kilowatts. Hunan's thermal power plants have also been continuously constructed and expanded. Currently, four large thermal power plants—Leyang Power Plant, Huaneng Yueyang Power Plant, Shimen Power Plant, and Xiangtan Power Plant—have completed their first-phase projects and are in operation, with the installed capacity of thermal power reaching 4.82 million kilowatts by the end of 1998. Hunan's electricity generation, combined with its connection to the Gezhouba Power Station, now has a relatively sufficient supply, with electricity supply exceeding demand for the first time in 1997. By 2010, more hydropower stations and thermal power plants will be built, and preliminary preparations for nuclear power plant construction will be completed. Hunan's power grid now covers over 90% of the province, with a current transformer capacity of 20.17 million kilovolt-amperes and transmission lines of 14,939 kilometers, entering a new stage characterized by a main network of 500 kilovolt and 220 kilovolt transmission and transformation facilities, with 300,000 kilowatt-class units as the main power generation capacity and large power plants with a capacity of over 1 million kilowatts.
The exploration of Hunan's oil reserves is ongoing, with foreign investors also participating in the project. Although the province does not currently produce crude oil, an oil refining enterprise was established in the 1980s, the Changling Refinery in Yueyang, with an annual processing capacity of about 50 million tons, producing approximately 20 million tons of fuel oil such as gasoline and diesel for power machinery.
Water Resources: There are 5,341 rivers over 5 kilometers long; the total length of rivers over 5 kilometers is 90,000 kilometers; the annual runoff volume of river basins is 2,004.3 billion cubic meters; the total freshwater area is 1,353,800 hectares (20,306,400 mu); of which, 346,700 hectares (5.2 million mu) are suitable for aquaculture; 275,500 hectares (4,131,800 mu) have been cultivated; the total natural water resources are 176.58 billion cubic meters; the total surface water resources are 175.92 billion cubic meters; the shallow groundwater resources are 43.85 billion cubic meters; the hydropower potential is 15.3245 million kilowatts; of which, 10.8384 million kilowatts are exploitable. In 2004, the average per capita water resources in the province were 2,760 cubic meters, an increase of 2.2% over the previous year; the average annual precipitation was 1,425 millimeters, an increase of 9.6%; and the total water storage in large reservoirs at the end of the year was 12.1 billion cubic meters.
Tourism Resources: The magnificent natural scenery and long-standing historical and cultural heritage make Hunan a province with unique tourism resources. Hunan has 10 major tourism zones and over 100 tourist attractions, including Taohuayuan in Taoyuan County, Jiuyi Mountain in Ningyuan County, Shuixian Mountain in Chenzhou, Huiyang's Huiyang Peak, Yandi's Yandi in Yanling County, Quzi Temple in Miluo, and especially the former residence of Comrade Mao Zedong in Shaoshan Town, Xiangtan County, and the former residence of Comrade Liu Shaoqi in Huiming Tower, Ningxiang County, which are renowned and highly sought-after. The "Fifth Great Mountain with Unique Beauty" Mount Heng, a famous Buddhist sacred site and summer resort, is celebrated both at home and abroad. The Yueyang Tower, one of the three famous towers in southern China, is renowned for its long history, fascinating legends, and majestic presence. The natural scenic gem Wulingyuan Scenic Area (including Zhangjiajie, Suoxiuyu, Tianzishan, and Mending River scenic areas) features unique landforms, towering ancient trees, rare birds, deep gorges, clear streams, and integrated karst caves, hot springs, and strange peaks. Zhangjiajie has been designated as a national forest park. The provincial capital, Changsha, is a historic and cultural city that blends the old and the new. The stunning landscapes of the Ma Wangdui Han Tomb, Mount Yuelu, Aiwan Pavilion, Juzi Island, and Lieyang Park, as well as the famous tourist attractions such as Tianxin Pavilion, Kaifu Temple, "Millennium Academy" Yuelu Academy, and the former site of the Hunan Committee of the Communist Party of China, are all renowned. In 2004, the total population of the province at the end of the year was 66.977 million, an increase of 349,000 from the previous year, with 23.7768 million urban residents and 43.2002 million rural residents. The birth rate in the province was 11.89‰, an increase of 0.07‰ compared to the previous year, and the death rate was 6.80‰. At the end of the year, the number of elderly people aged 65 and above was 5.6931 million, accounting for 8.50% of the province's total population, an increase of 0.14 percentage points from the previous year. In 2004, the natural growth rate was 5.09‰, an increase of 0.14‰.