Shanxi

Shanxi 山西
Province
Province of Shanxi
Name transcription(s)
• Chinese	山西省 (Shānxī shěng)
• Abbreviation	SX / 晋 (Jìn)
Yanmen Pass Tayuan Temple Hanging Temple Datong Wutai Mountain
Location of Shanxi in China
Coordinates: 37°42′N 112°24′E / 37.7°N 112.4°E / 37.7; 112.4
Country	China
Named for	山, shān – mountain 西, xī – west "west of the Taihang Mountains"
Capital (and largest city)	Taiyuan
Divisions	11 prefectures, 119 counties, 1388 townships
Government
• Type	Province
• Body	Shanxi Provincial People's Congress
• Party Secretary	Tang Dengjie
• Congress chairman	Tang Dengjie
• Governor	Jin Xiangjun
• CPPCC chairman	vacant
• National People's Congress Representation	67 deputies
Area [1]
• Total	156,000 km2 (60,000 sq mi)
• Rank	19th
Highest elevation (Mount Wutai)	3,058 m (10,033 ft)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	34,915,616
• Rank	18th
• Density	220/km2 (580/sq mi)
• Rank	19th
Demographics
• Ethnic composition	Han – 99.7% Hui – 0.2%
• Languages and dialects	Jin Central Plains Mandarin Jilu Mandarin
GDP (2023)[3]
• Total	CN¥2,570 billion (20th; US$365 billion)
• Per capita	CN¥73,984 (15th; US$10,499)
ISO 3166 code	CN-SX
HDI (2022)	0.791[4] (13th) – high
Website	www.shanxigov.cn

Shanxi
"Shanxi" in Chinese characters
Chinese	山西
Postal	Shansi
Literal meaning	"West of the (Taihang) Mountains"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shānxī Bopomofo ㄕㄢ ㄒㄧ Wade–Giles Shan1-hsi1 IPA [ʂánɕí] other Mandarin Xiao'erjing شًاثِ Wu Suzhounese Se-si Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Sāan-sāi Jyutping Saan1-sai1 IPA [san˥.sɐj˥] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Soaⁿ-sai Tâi-lô Suann-sai

Shanxi^[a] is a province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi and Datong. Its one-character abbreviation is 晋 (Jìn), after the state of Jin that existed there during the Spring and Autumn period (c. 770 – c. 481 BC).

The name Shanxi means 'west of the mountains', a reference to its location west of the Taihang Mountains.^[6] Shanxi borders Hebei to the east, Henan to the south, Shaanxi to the west and Inner Mongolia to the north. Shanxi's terrain is characterised by a plateau bounded partly by mountain ranges. Shanxi's culture is largely dominated by the ethnic Han majority, who make up over 99% of its population.^{[citation needed]} Jin Chinese is considered by some linguists to be a distinct language from Mandarin and its geographical range covers most of Shanxi. Both Jin and Mandarin are spoken in Shanxi.

Shanxi is a leading producer of coal in China, possessing roughly a third of China's total coal deposits. Nevertheless, Shanxi's GDP per capita remains below the national average. The province hosts the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

The province is also known for having by far the largest number of historic buildings among all Chinese provinces, by possessing over 70% of China's surviving buildings built during or predating the Song dynasty.^[7] Also notable are the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, which date back over 1500 years.

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