Anhui or Anhwei
[key], province, c.55,000 sq mi (142,450 sq km), E central China. Hefei is the capital. Anhui may be divided into two climatic areas. The northern
half, within the N China plain and watered by the Huai and its tributaries (flooding is a
common problem), is cold and dry in the winter and hot and wet during the summer monsoon
season. Much of the land produces two harvests annually, the chief crops being wheat, sorghum,
corn, soybeans, and cotton. The southern half, through which the Chang River flows, is
mountainous and has a relatively moist, warm climate. It is a major rice-producing region; two
thirds of the cultivated area is double-cropped. Wheat, sweet potatoes, cotton, barley, and
tobacco are also grown, and tea is produced in the southeast. Fish culture is important, and
pigs and sheep are raised. High-quality iron ore is abundant throughout the province, in
addition to large amounts of coal and copper. Four of China's leading industrial centers are
in Anhui, which is part of the Shanghai special economic zone: Hefei, the capital, which has
textile mills, iron- and steelworks, and machine-tool plants; Huainan, a large coal-mining center, with important chemical manufactures;
Bengbu, which produces agricultural machinery and processed food; and Ma'anshan, a major port
and industrial complex with huge steelworks. Railroads are important to the province, but its
excellent waterways are the prime source of transportation—the Chang is open to ocean
vessels in the summer, the Huai and its affluents are navigable by junk, and an intricate
canal system connects the two rivers. Some single-line tracks have been built to link the
industrial centers with Hefei, and there are rail connections with other provinces, generally
radiating from Hefei. Road building has been accomplished at the local level, linking
marketing and industrial centers. Anhui Univ. is in Hefei.
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