(1)外文名称: Henan Province
    (2)中文名称: 河南省
    (3)内容:
                         Henan Province
    Brief Introduction
    Henan, an agricultural province, in the middle-lower Yellow River valley, derived its name from the greater part of the province's lying south of the Yellow River. One of the earliest developed regions in the country, it was a political and cultural center in ancient China. In the remote past, China was divided into nine geographical regions, and Henan was called the "Central Region " or "Central Plain" because it was situated in the middle of the nine regions. Henan has an area of 167,000 sq km and a population of 89.46 million. The provincial capital is Zhengzhou, a big industrial center straddling the intersection
of the country's two major trunk lines -- the north-south Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and the east-west Longhai Railway that links Port Lianyungang to Lanzhou in Northwest China.
    Climate
    Henan has a continental climate of the north temperate zone, with hot, rainy summer, dry, inclement winter and windy spring. It has a mean annual temperature of 13°－15°C, increasing from north to south, an annual frost-free period of 6-8 months, and a mean annual precipitation of 600-900 mm, also increasing from north to south.
    Topography
    Henan's terrain slopes from west to east. It is bisected from
north to south by the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, which is flanked on the west by hills and mountains and on the east by a vast plain. On its northwestern border is the Taihang range. The western mountain area includes the eastern extensions of the Qinling range -- the Yaoshan, Xiong'er, Waifang and Funiu mountains. Extending east from the Waifang Mountains is Songshan, one of the country's five sacred mountains, whose main peak towers 1, 440 meters above sea level. The low, flat Nanyang Basin in the southwest has always been a natural passage between north and south. On the southern border is the Tongbai range, which stretches east to adjoin the Dabei Mountains. The wide plain east
of the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway is part of the North China Plain and the principal farming area of the province. Of the province's total area, mountains make up 26%, hills 18% and plains 56%.
    The Yellow and Huaihe Rivers are Henan's main waterways. The
Yellow River runs through the northern part of Henan from west to east for 700 kilometers. The Huaihe River flows through southern Henan from west to east for 300 kilometers.
    Agriculture
    Wheat, maize, soy beans, sweet potatoes, cotton, peanuts, sesame, rapeseed and tobacco are grown in the province. Henan  ranks among the most advanced in the country in terms of  production of wheat, sesame, cotton, cured tobacco and jute.
    Industry
    Henan has large reserves of coal and petroleum. Coal is
mined in huge quantities at Pingdingshan and Jiaozuo, while petroleum is tapped in the Zhongyuan Oilfield. The province is also rich in molybdenum, gold and silver, its molybdenum being known for its thick ore bodies and high ore content. Other minerals include iron, titanium, dolomite, porphyry, natural soda, graphite, talcum and sulfur.