Where is it?
Hainan is an island province, located off the southern China coast in the South China Sea.
It faces Vietnam on the west, Hongkong and Taiwan on the east, south east are the Philippines,
and to the south Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
The island covers a land area of 33,900 sq. km, with a total coastline of about 1,529 km.
Climate
The province experiences both tropical monsoon climate and tropical
oceanic climates, with average temperatures between 22-26°, However during July and August
the temperatures may rise to an average of between 25-29°. With distinct wet, dry and rainy
seasons there are generally more tropical storms and typhoons in the summer months. In fact with
such a temperate climate it feels like spring all the year round.
History
Throughout it's history, Hainan has been called various names, and been ruled by many
Chinese dynasties including The Ming Dynasty from the 1370s.
During the Republic of China era, Hainan was dominated by Guangdong Province.
After May 1st 1950, the Hainan administration government office was created, still
subordinated to Guangdong Province. However in April 1988 Hainan provincial people's
government was established with Haikou as its capital.
Population
More than 7 million people live in Hainan, combining several ethnic minorities
including Li, Miao, Hui and others. These various ethnic minorities
still retain their unvarnished customs and living habits, making Hainan Island's social mix and
features incredibly wonderful yet mysterious.
Local Resources
The Hainan Island local economy is dominated by the production of tropical crops,
with rubber output accounting for more than 60% of China's total production.
Other tropical crops typically include sisal, coffee, coconut
tree and pineapple. The tropical rain forest is rich in
precious lumber, medicinal plants and exotic birds and beasts. The
sea is rich with groupers, sea turtles and lobsters.