The region's leading commercial crop is sugarcane. The province produces fruits, and livestock are raised. Pigs, chickens, and ducks are raised on farms and goats in the hills.
Fishing is extensive.
The region is a major producer of timber and forest products. Guangxi has sufficient coal and iron deposits to support moderate industrial development. Industries include iron and steel, machinery, cement, textiles, paper, flour, and silk. In the early 20th century Guangxi and neighboring Guangdong province became the base of the Nationalist revolution led by Sun Yat-sen. It was declared a province of the People's Republic of China in 1949.