Anhui

Province of eastern China, bounded to the north by Shandong, to the east by Jiangsu, to the southeast by Zhejiang, to the south by Jiangxi, to the southwest by Hubei, and to the northwest by Henan provinces; area 139,900 sq km/54,000 sq mi; population (2000 est) 62,370,000. The province consists mainly of alluvial lowlands, both of the Huai River in the north and the Chang Jiang in the south. It is intensively cultivated, with grain the most important crop. Its capital is Hefei, while important towns and cities include Anqing, Bengbu, Huainan, and Wuhu.

Anhui was part of the ancient state of Chu until annexed by China in the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). In 1667 it became a separate province. Its name comes from the first few letters of the cities of Anqing and Huizhou. The Huang He River used to flow through the province until it changed course in 1851. In 1938 the course was rediverted to Anhui by the nationalist Guomindang government in the hope that the subsequent flooding would halt the Japanese invasion. Thousands of people lost their lives at this time before the river was returned to its previous course in 1946.