Population: 26,350,000 (2009 estimate)
Capital: Lanzhou
Bordering Areas: Qinghai, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Sichuan
Land Area: 175,000 square miles (454,000 sq km)
Highest Point: Qilian Shan Mountain at 18,199 feet (5,547 m)
Gansu is a province located in northwest China. It is the seventh largest province in that country based on area. The Yellow River passes through the southern part of Gansu Province and as a result, it is a very historic area in the country with settlements dating back to 6000 B.C.E. Today, Gansu has a population of nearly 27 million people. A large portion of Gansu's people are Hui Chinese and the province's capital and largest city is Lanzhou.
China's Gansu Province has recently been in the news because of several landslides and subsequent flooding that took place in early August 2010 after heavy rain hit the region. On August 8, 2010, severe rain hit storms hit the region and caused several massive mudslides in the area. In addition, the landslides blocked the flow of the Bailong River in the province, which caused severe flooding in Gansu's villages.
The following is a list of ten geographic facts to know about China's Gansu Province:
1) Because of the presence of the Yellow River, Gansu was home to a number of prehistoric cultures. These included the Dadiwan, Majiayao and Qijia cultures of northern China. The founding state of the Chinese Empire, Qin, also began in the southeastern part of Gansu in the Tianshui area.
2) During imperial times, Gansu was an important communications and trade area for the Chinese Empire. The main route (a land passage across this portion of China between desert and mountains) was known as the Hexi Corridor and during the Han Dynasty, the Great Wall of China was extended over the area and the fort towns of Yumenguan and Yangguan were built along it.
3) Historically, Gansu was an economically important area for China because it is situated along the Silk Road. It is also a culturally important region as several Buddhist temples are in the present day area of the province. In addition, some of the earliest forms of Chinese writing have been discovered at archaeological sites in Gansu.
4) Despite its historical significance to China and its presence along the Silk Road, modern economic progress in Gansu Province has been slow due to natural disasters such as earthquakes, droughts and famines. There are however abundant natural resources in Gansu and recently, its economy has become based on mining and mineral extraction.
5) Agriculture also plays a role in Gansu's economy and cotton, linseed oil, maize and melons are the main crops produced. Because portions of the province are also considered semi-arid, light grazing is also common in Gansu.
6) Gansu Province sits between the Tibetan Plateau, Inner Mongolia and the Loess Plateau. Parts of the Gobi, Badain Jaran and Tengger Deserts are also within Gansu and much of the land is considered arid to semi-arid. The Yellow River passes through the southern part of the province but gets most of its water from Gansu. In addition, it flows through Gansu's capital, Lanzhou.
7) The topography of Gansu province varies but most of it is very mountainous - particularly in the south as the Qilian Mountain Range passes through that part of the province. Qilian Shan Mountain is Gansu's highest elevation at 18,199 feet (5,547 m).
8) Gansu's climate is mostly considered arid to semi-arid. Summers are warm and often wet and winters are normally very cold. Lanzhou, located in southern Gansu, has an average January low temperature of 13.8˚F (-10.1˚C) and an average July high of 84.7˚F (29.3˚C).
9) Because most of Gansu's climate is arid, the Asian Development Bank is currently working on the Silk Road Ecosystem Restoration Project to reduce land degradation and promote anti-desertification in the province.
10) The languages and culture of Gansu are varied but most people in the province speak Mandarin Chinese. Along Gansu's borders, Tu, Amdo, Tibetan, Mongolian and Kazakh are also spoken. The culture of Gansu is also highly impacted by Muslim cultures. For example, restaurants there offer traditional Chinese dishes but the meat in them is normally lamb instead of pork.
To learn more about China's Gansu Province, visit its official website.
References
CNN Wire Staff. (9 August 2010). "Death Toll Climbs to 337 in China Mudslides." CNN World. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/08/09/china.landslides/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
Wikipedia.com. (9 August 2010). Gansu - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gansu