Hainan, separated by the
Qiongzhou Strait from the
Leizhou Peninsula of
Guangdong, is the largest island administered by the
People's Republic of China. The size of Hainan (33,920 km
2) is comparable to the size of
Belgium. The PRC, however, regard it as the second largest island, since
Taiwan (35,980 km2) is considered the largest. To the west of Hainan is the
Gulf of Tonkin.
Wuzhi Mountain (1,876 m) is the highest mountain on the island.
Population
The population is density of Hainan is low compared to most Chinese coastal provinces. Compared to Taiwan, and to other islands of the
Sinosphere, Hainan has both fewer mountains and more plains.
Administrative
In the official
PRC territorial claim, Hainan Province includes not just one island, but also some two hundred
South China Sea Islands. Whilst the containment of the South China Sea Islands means that Hainan Province has a very large water body, it has a disproportionally small land area.
James Shoal ( Zengmu Ansha), which is presently marked by the PRC, signifies the country's southernmost border. But
Malaysia also claims that it is on their continental shelf.
Climate
Hainan has a tropical moist
monsoonal climate. Its annual temperature change is less than 15
degrees Celsius. The coldest months are January and February when the temperatures drop to 16 to 21 degrees Celsius; the hottest months are July and August, and the temperatures are 25 to 29 degrees Celsius. Except for the mountainous regions in the central part of the island, the daily average temperature in Hainan is above 10 degrees Celsius, and the integrated temperature during the growing season of the crops reaches eight thousand to nine thousand
degree Celsius-days. The summer in the north is hot and, for more than 20 days in a year, the temperature can be higher than 35 degrees Celsius. The average annual precipitation is 1500 to 2000 mm and can be as high as 2400 mm in central and eastern areas, and as low as 900 mm in the coastal areas of the southwest. The eastern part of Hainan lies in the path of
typhoons, and 70% of the annual precipitation is derived from typhoons and the summer rainy season. Major flooding occurs due to the typhoons and they can cause many problems for the local residents.
