Hunan

Hunan is an inland province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Guangdong and Guangxi to the south, and Guizhou and Chongqing to the northwest. Its capital and largest city is Changsha, which abuts the Xiang River. Hengyang, Zhuzhou, and Yueyang are among its most populous urban cities. With a population of just over 66 million as of 2020 residing in an area of approximately 210,000 km2 (81,000 sq mi), it is China's 7th-most populous province, the third-most populous among landlocked provinces (after Henan and Sichuan), the third-most populous in South Central China (after Guangdong and Henan), and the second-most populous province in Central China. It is the largest province in South Central China and the fourth-largest landlocked province. Hunan's nominal GDP was US$790 billion (CN¥5.53 trillion) as of 2025, appearing in the world's top 20 largest sub-national economies, with its GDP (PPP) being over US$1.62 trillion. Hunan is the 10th-largest provincial economy in China, the fourth-largest in South Central China, the third-largest in Central China, and the fourth-largest among landlocked provinces. Its nominal GDP per capita exceeded US$11,900, making it the third-richest province in South Central China, after Guangdong and Hubei. As of 2020, Hunan's nominal GDP reached $605 billion (CN¥4.18 trillion), exceeding that of Poland, with a GDP of US$596 billion, and Thailand, with a GDP of US$501 billion, the 22nd- and 25th-largest in the world, respectively. The name Hunan literally means "south of the lake". The lake in question is Dongting Lake, in the northeast of the province. Vehicle license plates from Hunan are marked Xiāng (Chinese: 湘), after the Xiang River, which runs from south to north through Hunan and forms part of the province's largest drainage...