Guangxi Province

Evangelina was born in Guangxi Province which is in Southern China and is bordered by Vietnam.

Population: 44,900,000

Capital City:  Nanning

Average temperatures: 42 deg to 60 deg in January; 77 deg to 84 deg in July.  High humidity.

Physical features: The land area of the province is 236,661 square kilometers.  The province is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, with mountains on three sides. Since Guangxi is the only western province that has a coastline, it assumes a very important role in the Western Region Development Program, especially as a major seaport.  It is one of China's most rainy areas and has short winters with long, hot and humid summers.

Rivers: Western branches of the Pearl River drain the southern and central portions of the province.

Historical significance:  The region officially became part of China in 214 BC, when the army of the Qin Dynasty claimed most of the southern provinces, including Guandong.  The western part of Guangxi was occupied by the Zhuang（壯）people, whose language is related to Thai.  They comprise China’s largest minority group, but are now well assimilated.

Other ethnic groups in the region include Yao（瑤）, Miao（苗）, Hui（回）, Yi（彝）and Shui（水）.

Agriculture:  Products include: rice, wheat, corn, potatoes, millet, sorghum, rape seed, cassava, peanuts, sugar cane, tea, soybeans, ambary hemp, silk, tobacco, oranges, lychees, logans, bananas, pineapples, rubber, coffee, pepper, sisal hemp, tea oil, lemongrass, aniseed, fennel oil, cassia bark and sea products.  The output of sugar cane and fruit is the largest in China.  Guangxi produces some of the best pearls in the world.