Hainan [Photo/VCG]
Situated at the southernmost tip of China, Hainan overlooks Guangdong across the Qiongzhou Strait to the north, Vietnam across the Beibu Bay to the west. It is at the center of the Asia Pacific economic circle with ready access to international shipping routes of the South China Sea.
It covers a land area of 35,400 square kilometers and administers neighboring Xisha, Nansha and Zhongsha islands, as well as their waters. The central Hainan Island is dome-mountain shaped and surrounded by lower flat land. Mountains, hills, tablelands and plains form the annular and laminar landform with obvious cascade terrain structure.
A pleasant tropical maritime climate makes Hainan Island an ideal habitat, especially for seniors or those seeking health benefits. The island knows no winter and has an annual sunshine duration of 1,750 to 2,650 hours, a yearly average temperature of 23 C to 26 C, and an average annual rainfall of above 1,600 mm.
The total population is approximately 9.25 million and consists of diverse ethnic groups, including Han, Li, Zhuang, Miao and Hui. Approximately 23 out of every 100,000 people in Hainan live to a grand old age of over 100.
Hainan boasts rich biological resources and enjoys the reputation of a "green treasure island". With a wide range of tropical plants, flowers, fruits and herbs, Hainan is the largest tropical gene bank of China. It also has rich oil, natural gas, ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, sea salt and soil resources.
Economic Overview
Hainan Island, part of the southernmost province of China, is not only the largest special economic zone in the country but also a key link on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. With its dynamic and vibrant economic developments, especially the gradual exploration of establishing the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone and a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, Hainan has attracted investors from all around the world.
In the year 2017, Hainan's GDP achieved 446.25 billion yuan ($65.3 billion), an increase of 7 percent compared with 2016. The added value in the primary industry was 97.93 billion yuan, increased by 3.6 percent; that in the secondary industry was 99.71 billion yuan, increased by 2.7 percent; that in the tertiary industry was 248.61 billion yuan, increased by 10.2 percent. The ratio of the three industries is 22.0:22.3:55.7, indicating that the effect of Hainan’s service industry in supporting local economic development was enhanced by that year.
