Provinces | Sichuan Province

Index

	Population	116,546,000
	Area	570,000
	Capital	Chengdu
	Main Industries	agriculture, mining
	GDP	4,240
	Trade	362,088
	Ethnic minorities	4.9%
	Urbanization	28.3%
	Data Source

Sichuan (Four rivers) Province is an important and interesting Province. It is surrounded by mountain ranges that form a natural basin. It is a large province, about the size of France and with a much higher population. Known as the 'rice bowl' of China it very heavily farmed with every precious parcel of land under cultivation. The warm climate and access to water from its many rivers make irrigation easy. The Sichuan (Szechwan) cuisine is widely praised for its use of chilli and spices.

Due to its large population steps are underway to subdivide the Province, with the Eastern portion under the main city of Chongqing on the Yangzi froming a separate centre from the more mountainous West.

During the Second World War and Japanese occupation the Nationalist government had their centre at Chongqing (original known as Yuzhou)