Liaoning Information
Overview
Liaoning China is located in the northeast region of China. The capital and largest city is Shenyang located in the province’s central plane. It is the nation’s 21st largest province expanding roughly 58,000 square miles (150,000 sq km). The province’s population is 42,170, 000 people, ranking 14th in the country. Liao of the title Liaoning is derived from the Manchurian Liao Dynasty (975 AD – 1125 AD). The character for “ning” means peacefulness.
Liaoning Geography
Liaoning province is located in northeastern China, the region traditionally referred to as Manchuria (Dongbei). The Nulu’erhu Mountains descend into the province from Inner Mongolia (Nei Monggol Zizhiqu) and roughly form the border between the two provinces. South of that border, Lioaning shares a short border with Hebei. Central Liaoning is flat with watersheds and rivers snaking through the Liao River Plane. In the east the Changbai Mountain range extends over a good portion of the province as it runs northeastward into Jilin. The range dissipates southward into the Liaodong peninsula. Korea Bay resides to the east of the peninsula. South of Liaodong bay is the Bo Sea, just north of where the Yellow River flows into the Yellow Sea. Liaoning also shares a border with North Korea in the southeast.
Liaoning Demographics
Liaoning remains a diverse province by Chinese standards. Han comprise only 84% of the provincial population followed by Manchu who hold 13%. Mongol compose 2% followed by Hui and Korean who constitute 0.6% each. Xibe account for 0.3%.
Liaoning History
Liaoning, the southern most province in Manchuria, experienced earlier contact with central Chinese dynastic history than its northern neighbors. From the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC) onward Liaoning played an important role politically, economically, and militarily. Part of the region was first annexed as part of greater China during the unified state of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC). The subsequent Han Dynasty (206 BC – 221 AD) maintained control over this portion. The Manchu established their capital in modern Shenyang during the 17th century and shortly moved southward ending the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD – 1644 AD) to establish China’s final dynasty, the Qing Dynasty (1644 AD – 1911 AD). Not until the 1860s did the Qing dynasty allow Han migration into Manchuria. The acute influx of Han at this point shortly became the dominant ethnic group of the region. Liaoning was integrated into its current provincial area mostly from Liaodong (Liao west) and Liaoxi (Liao east) after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Liaoning Industry
Liaoning province is an important base of industry and trade. Dalian, on the southern tip of the Lioadong peninsula, has grown to be the main gateway for trade with northeast China. Liaoning has larger deposits of iron, diamond, boron, and magnetite than any other Chinese province. Other important industries include petroleum, and natural gas.