China is the world's third largest country, after Russia and Canada. Its political geography is complicated. Encompassing 5 different administrative zones, China has 23 Provinces, 5 Autonomous Regions, 4 Municipalities, 2 Special Administrative Regions (SAR) and 1 Claimed Province.
The following is a list of the provinces in China in alphabetical order. Click through for more information on each region. Taiwan, the twenty-third and claimed province, is listed separately.
1. Anhui Province
Capital city: Hefei
Provincial population: 64.6 million
Famous for: Yellow Mountains (Huang Shan) and Jiuhuashan, one of China's 4 Holy Buddhist mountains.
Map: Anhui Province
2. Fujian Province
Capital city: Fuzhou
Provincial population: 35.1 million
Famous for: Xiamen (formerly "Amoy"), Gulangyu, Hakka architecture.
Map: Fujian Province
3. Gansu Province
Capital city: Lanzhou
Provincial population: 29.2 million
Famous for: Great Wall Jiayuguan Pass, Dunhuang City for Silk Road history and Mogao Grottoes.
Map: Gansu Province
4. Guangdong Province
Capital city: Guangzhou
Provincial population: 113 million
Famous for: factories and industry; its capital, Guangzhou (formerly "Canton").
Map: Guangdong Province
5. Guizhou Province
Capital city: Guiyang
Provincial population: 39 million
Famous for: large populations of minority peoples such as the Miao, Dong and Buyi.
Map: Guizhou Province
6. Hainan Province
Capital city: Haikou
Provincial population: 7.2 million
Famous for: beaches at Yalong Bay
Map: Hainan Province
7. Hebei Province
Capital city: Shijiazhuang
Provincial population: 68 million
Famous for: Great Wall Shanhaiguan Pass, the easternmost end of the Ming-era Great Wall.
Map: Hebei Province
8. Heilongjiang Province
Capital city: Harbin
Provincial population: 38.2 million
Famous for: historically being part of Manchuria; Harbin's annual Ice & Snow Festival
Map: Heilongjiang Province
9. Henan Province
Capital city: Zhengzhou
Provincial population: 98.7 million
Famous for: the Yellow River area - cradle of Chinese Civilization, Shaolin Temple, the Longmen Grottoes.
Map: Henan Province
10. Hunan Province
Capital city: Changsha
Provincial population: 67 million
Famous for: delicious spicy food, Mao Zedong's birth village of Shaoshan Chong, Wulingyuan scenic area.
Map: Hunan Province
