Yunnan hotels

Coordinates: 24°30′N 101°30′E / 24.5, 101.5

Yunnan (IPA: \ˈyü-ˈnän\; simplified Chinese: 云南; traditional Chinese: 雲南; pinyin: Yúnnán; literally "south of the clouds") is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far south of the country spanning approximately 394,000 square kilometers (152,000 square miles). The capital of the province is Kunming.

The province is situated in a mountainous area, with high elevations in the northwest and low elevations in the southeast. Most of the population lives in the eastern part of the province. In the west, the relative height from mountain peaks to river valleys can be as much as 3,000 m. The province borders Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. Yunnan is rich in natural resources and has the largest diversity of plant life in China. Of the approximately 30,000 species of higher plants in China, Yunnan has over 17,000. Yunnan's reserves of aluminium, lead, zinc and tin are the largest in China, and there are also major reserves of copper and nickel. Yunnan has over 600 rivers and lakes, which provide an annual water supply of 222 billion cubic meters. Projected hydropower reserves stand at 103 million KW, with an exploitable capacity of 90 million KW, capable of generating 349 KW of electricity annually.

Yunnan became part of China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) but became the seat of a Thai kingdom known as Nanzhao in the 8th century. The Mongols conquered the region in the 13th century, with local control exercised by warlords until the 1930s. As with other parts of China's southwest, Japanese occupation in the north during World War II forced a migration of Chinese into the region. Ethnic minorities in Yunnan account for about 34 percent of its total population. Major ethnic groups include Yi, Bai, Hani, Zhuang, Dai and Miao.

Yunnan lags behind the the east coast of China in relation to socio-economic development. However, because of its geographic location the province has advantages in border trade with countries in southeast Asia. The Lancang River (upper reaches of Mekong River) is the waterway to southeast Asia. In recent years land transportation has been improved to strengthen economic and trade co-operation among countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Yunnan's abundance in resources determines that the province's pillar industries of tobacco, development of bio-resources, mining, tourism and hydroelectricity generation.

The pillar industries of Yunnan are tobacco, mining, electric power, bio-technology and pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products. In general, the province still depends on the natural resources. Secondary industry is currently the largest industrial tier in Yunnan, contributing more than 45 percent of GDP. Tertiary industry contributes 40 percent and agriculture 15 percent. Investment is the key driver of Yunnan's economic growth, especially in construction.

The main challenge that Yunnan faces is its lack of major development. Its low productivity and competitiveness restrict the rapid development of the province. The province also faces great challenges in social issues such as environmental protection, poverty elimination, illegal migration, drug trafficking and HIV/AIDS.

Source: CIA Factbook, Wikipedia

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