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Shanxi facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Shaanxi.
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Shanxi Province

山西省
Province
Name transcription(s)
 • Chinese 山西省 (Shānxī Shěng)
 • Abbreviation SX / 晋 (pinyin: Jìn)
Mount Wutai from the air
Mount Wutai from the air
Map showing the location of Shanxi Province
Map showing the location of Shanxi Province
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
Area
 • Total 156,000 km2 (60,000 sq mi)
Area rank 19th
Highest elevation
(Mount Wutai)
 3,058 m (10,033 ft)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total 36,500,000
 • Rank 18th
 • Density 234.0/km2 (606.0/sq mi)
 • Density rank 19th
Demographics
 • Ethnic composition Han – 99.7%
Hui – 0.2%
 • Languages and dialects Jin, Zhongyuan Mandarin, Jilu Mandarin
ISO 3166 code CN-SX
GDP (2017) CNY 1.50 trillion
USD221.77 billion (24th)
 • per capita CNY 40,557
USD 6,007 (27th)
HDI (2014) 0.738 (high) (16th)
Website www.shanxigov.cn (Chinese)
Shanxi
Shanxi
Shanxi (Chinese characters).svg
"Shanxi" in Chinese characters
Chinese 山西
Postal Shansi
Literal meaning "West of the (Taihang) Mountains"

Shanxi (山西) is a province of the People's Republic China. It is in the northern part of the country and has the Yellow River flowing through it.. In 2005, 37.2 million people lived there. The number of people was growing each year by just over four per cent. The name Shanxi means "mountain's west" or "west of the mountains", as it is west of the Taihang Mountains.

Although in pinyin, the name of the neighboring province to the west, "Shaanxi", is spelled exactly the same as "Shanxi", the only difference in how the two words are pronounced is that the first syllable in "Shanxi" is said using the first tone in Mandarin, while the first syllable in "Shaanxi" is said with the third tone. Since tone markers are not usually used to show how to pronounce the two different names, the first word in "Shaanxi" is spelled using the Gwoyeu Romatzyh method instead, which indicates tones by adding extra letters to a syllable.

The abbreviation of Shanxi is Jin (晋), since there is another province, Shandong (山东), that has the word "Shan" (山) in it, meaning "mountain" in Chinese.

Its major cities are its capital Taiyuan, Datong, Changzhi and Yangquan.

Notable residents

Mi Fu, poet

Images for kids

  • The Fugong Temple Wooden Pagoda

    Pagoda of Fogong Temple built in 1056

  • Yan Xishan

    Yan Xishan, warlord of Shanxi during the Republic of China.

  • Chinese troops marching in Xinkou

    Chinese troops marching to defend the mountain pass at Xinkou.

  • Shanxi Museum 20110719

    The Shanxi Museum located on the west bank of Fen River in downtown Taiyuan.

  • Muta 2

    The Pagoda of Fogong Temple, Ying County, built in 1056.

  • PingYaoCity

    A street in Pingyao.

  • Datong Guandi Miao 2013.08.29 10-44-56

    Temple of Guandi in Datong.

  • Pingyao Chenghuang Miao 2013.08.25 09-41-29

    Chenghuangshen (City God) Temple of Pingyao.

  • Western gate of the Temple of Heshen (the River God) in Hequ, Xinzhou, Shanxi

    Western gate of a Temple of Heshen (River God) in Hequ, Xinzhou.

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