Henan or Honan
[key], province, c.65,000 sq mi (168,350 sq km), NE China. The capital is
Zhengzhou. It is
sparsely settled in the mountainous western region but densely populated and
cultivated in the east. Although the climate is dry, the loess provides
fertile soil. Henan is a major wheat and cotton producing province; other
agricultural products include sorghum, rice, millet, sweet potatoes,
tobacco, fruit, oakleaf silk, and oilseed crops (sesame, peanuts). The
province is well-watered, with the Huang He (Yellow River) flowing through
the northern section and the Huai River in the east; both are generally
navigable only for small rivercraft. Floods and droughts, long suffered in
Henan, have been alleviated by the building (1960s) of the Sanmen dam on the
Huang He in the southwest, the construction of the People's Victory Canal
(which diverts water from the Huang He to the Jin River), reforestation
efforts, and other irrigation and drainage programs. In addition to its
waterways, Henan has many good highways and a fine railway system; the
principal north-south and east-west railroad lines of China cross the
province, intersecting at Zhengzhou. Coal, abundantly found in Henan, and
hydroelectric power from the Sanmen project supply burgeoning industries in
Zhengzhou, Luoyang, and Kaifeng. The province has a growing variety of heavy
industries, such as chemical works and tractor plants, and light industries,
such as the production of textiles, appliances, and electronic equipment. An
aluminum plant is at the Sanmen gorge. Petroleum and natural gas can be
found at the Zhongyuan oil fields. In addition to coal, iron is mined, and
lead and pottery clay are found. Stone Age remains have been discovered in
Henan, and from c.2000 b.c. the region was a center of Chinese
civilization; Anyang, Luoyang, and Kaifeng are historic cities. In the early
1930s, N Henan was part of the Anhui-Henan-Hubei soviet area (also called
the Oyuwan Republic). The area N of the Huang He was a part of Pingyuan
prov. from 1949 to 1952.
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