Geographical location

Hainan Province lies at the southernmost tip of China, facing Guangdong Province in the north across the Qiongzhou Strait; the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the west across the Beibu Gulf (Gulf of Tonkin), and Taiwan Province in the east across the South China Sea. To the south and southeast it is bounded in the South China Sea by the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. Encompassing Hainan Island, Xisha Archipelago, Zhongsha Archipelago and Nansha Archipelago as well as their dependent waters, Hainan Province covers a land area of 35,000 square kilometers and a sea area of approximately 2 million square kilometers. Hainan Island is China's second largest island after Taiwan, with an area of 33,900 square kilometers (not including its satellite islets). Zengmu Shoal of Nansha Archipelago is the southernmost part of Chinese territory.

GDP

Hainan's GDP in 2002 totaled 62.3 billion yuan, 9.2 percent higher than the previous year. The added value of the first industry was 22.9 billion yuan, up 9.2 percent; that of the secondary industry was 14.35 billion yuan, up 11.5 percent; and that of the tertiary industry was 25.1 billion yuan, up 8.1 percent.

GDP ratio (1st, 2nd and tertiary industries): 36.9 : 25.5 : 37.6
 
Revenues

The province's total revenues in 2001 stood at 9.5 billion yuan, increasing by 15 percent over the previous year.

Economy

Agriculture: Tropical high-yielding agriculture of a new kind has risen abruptly and keeps on developing and extending from region to base and towards being industrialized, which has given an impetus to tropical tourist agriculture, ecological agriculture and hi-tech agriculture. A significant base of China has taken its root or is taking shape in Hainan, where cultivations will be centralized such as natural rubber, seed breeding, vegetables and melons growing in winter, tropical fruits, tropical flowers and plants, and marine aquiculture. The base has brought about a great deal of famous farm produce of high quality, and begun its transformation from the superiority of farm produce to that of farm cash crops and to their processing industry. As a result, the status as China's agricultural base in Hainan has been reinforced.

Industry: Focusing attention on market demand and intensifying both application of new technology and exploitation of superior resources, all these measures have resulted in renovation of traditional industry and rapid growth of newly developed industry. At present, an industrial complex is beginning to take shape with mainstay of natural gas, chemicals, building materials, beverage, food stuff, medicinal, chemical fibers, textiles, machinery, electronics, metallurgy, information, etc..

Pillar industries

Hainan's pillar industries encompass agriculture, tourism, petrochemical industry, electronics and information, and marine bio-pharmaceutical industry.

Transportation

There are two international airports. Of which, Hainan Meilan Airport, as one of the eight large aerial ports of China, has opened the airlines to Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Burma as well as to the capitals of the important provinces and cities of China, and has been listed. Meanwhile, Sanya Fenghuang (Phoenix) Airport has opened the airlines to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo, Siberia, Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan, totally 10 international airlines and to 23 cities of China. The two airports have opened totally more than 70 domestic and international air routes.

Transport and communication lines link up all parts of the province. Around-Island Express Way has been put into full traffic. Various kinds of transportation means offer you a safe, comfortable, convenient and quick service.

The Yuehai (Guangdong-Hainan) Passage, under busy construction at present and to be put into operation at the end of Year 2002, will link Hainan to the mainland of China. The passage comprises two railways in Guangdong and Hainan respectively, and a train ferry to cross the 12.5-nautical-mile Qiongzhou Straits, which has been a bottleneck blocking the development of the island province.

Editor: Donald