A province in the southeastern part of China, Hunan extends along the middle course of the Yangtze River. Changsha, its capital and leading city, is located in the northeast. The subtropical monsoonal climate provides long and humid summers. Summer cyclones bring heavy rains, resulting in extensive flooding.
Irrigated rice is Hunan's major crop.
It exports a large surplus of rice to nearby provinces. Other crops are sweet potatoes, corn, wheat, millet, cotton, ramie, jute, peanuts, and tea. Forestry, fishing, and livestock raising are also major activities. Hunan's mineral wealth is considerable with deposits of coal, iron ore, manganese, antimony, tungsten, lead, and zinc. Industries include iron and steel, electrical machinery, textiles, paper and pulp milling, and food processing.