Central China (Chinese: 华中; pinyin: Huázhōng) is a region in China. It mainly includes the provinces of Henan, Hubei and Hunan. Jiangxi is sometimes also regarded to be part of this region. Central China is now officially part of the South Central China region.
In the context of the Rise of Central China Plan by the State Council of the People's Republic of China in 2004, surrounding provinces including Shanxi, Anhui, are also defined as regions of Central China development zones.[1]: 217
Since 2004, these provinces have experienced a steady increase in domestic investment, particularly from coastal regions.[1]: 218
As part of the Xi Jinping administration's goal to urbanize 250 million citizens by 2025 as the first phase of a long-term green modernization plan, China seeks to resettle formerly rural people in provincial capitals, prefectural cities, and county-level towns in central China (as well as western China).[2]: 8
Administrative divisions
| GB[3] | ISO №[4] | Province | Chinese Name | Capital | Population | Density [clarification needed] | Area [clarification needed] | Abbreviation/Symbol | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yù | 41 | Henan Province | 河南省 Hénán Shěng | Zhengzhou | 94,023,567 | 563.01 | 167,000 | HA | 豫 |
| È | 42 | Hubei Province | 湖北省 Húběi Shěng | Wuhan | 57,237,740 | 307.89 | 185,900 | HB | 鄂 |
| Xiāng | 43 | Hunan Province | 湖南省 Húnán Shěng | Changsha | 65,683,722 | 312.77 | 210,000 | HN | 湘 |
Cities with urban area over one million in population
Provincial capitals in bold.
| # | City | Urban area[5] | District area[5] | City proper[5] | Prov. | Census date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wuhan | 7,541,527 | 9,785,388 | 9,785,388 | HB | 2010-11-01 |
| 2 | Zhengzhou | 3,677,032 | 4,253,913 | 8,627,089 | HA | 2010-11-01 |
| 3 | Changsha | 2,963,218 | 3,092,213 | 7,040,952 | HN | 2010-11-01 |
| 4 | Luoyang | 1,584,463 | 1,926,079 | 6,549,941 | HA | 2010-11-01 |
| 5 | Xiangfan[note 1] | 1,433,057 | 2,199,690 | 5,500,307 | HB | 2010-11-01 |
| 6 | Hengyang | 1,115,645 | 1,133,967 | 7,148,344 | HN | 2010-11-01 |
| 7 | Yichang | 1,049,363 | 1,411,380 | 4,059,686 | HB | 2010-11-01 |
