Map of Shanxi
Shanxi is a first-level division of China. Its largest mapped city is Taiyuan, with about 2.91 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Shanxi, and the tables list its 11 mapped cities along with the mountains, dams, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 11
- Largest City
- Taiyuan
- Country
- China
- Highest Point Mapped
- 3,058 m
Interactive Map of Shanxi
About Shanxi
Shanxi is a province in North China. Its capital and largest city is Taiyuan, and its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi and Datong.
The province's 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). In later periods, Shanxi also became the political core of the Northern Wei, a Xianbei-founded dynasty whose early capital was located in present-day northern Datong. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shanxi merchants dominated China's commerce and finance. Their commercial networks extended to Russia, Japan, Korea, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. After the collapse of the Qing dynasty, Shanxi was governed for nearly four decades by Yan Xishan and functioned with a high degree of de facto autonomy within the Republic of China, serving as a major Kuomintang political and industrial stronghold in the north and being described as "the model province", before being incorporated into the state system of the People's Republic of China, where its role shifted toward that of a major energy-producing province.
The name Shanxi means 'west of the mountains', a reference to its location west of the Taihang Mountains. 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. Jin Chinese is the only major Sinitic variety in northern China that is not classified within the Mandarin group.
Shanxi possesses roughly one third of China's total coal reserves, a factor that has long shaped the province's industrial structure and energy role within the national economy.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Shanxi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Shanxi in Depth
History
In the Spring and Autumn period (c. 770 – c. 481 BC), the state of Jin was located in what is now Shanxi. It underwent a three-way split into the states of Han, Zhao, and Wei in 403 BC, a traditional date sometimes taken as the start of the Warring States period (c. 473 – 221 BC). By 221 BC, all of these states had fallen to the state of Qin, which established the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC).
During the invasion of northern nomads in the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304–439), several regimes including the Later Zhao, Former Yan, Former Qin, and Later Yan continuously controlled Shanxi. They were followed by Northern Wei (386–534), a Xianbei kingdom, which had one of its earlier capitals at present-day Datong in northern Shanxi, and which went on to rule nearly all of northern China.
Geography
Shanxi is located on a plateau made up of higher ground to the east (Taihang Mountains) and the west (Lüliang Mountains) and a series of valleys in the center through which the Fen River runs. The highest peak is Mount Wutai (Wutai Shan) in northeastern Shanxi with an altitude of 3,058 m. The Great Wall of China forms most of the northern border with Inner Mongolia. The Zhongtiao Mountains run along part of the southern border and separate Shanxi from the east–west part of the Yellow River. Mount Hua is to the southwest. The province has a length of 682 km (424 mi) and a width of 385 km (239 mi) from east to west, with a total area of 156,700 km2 (60,500 sq mi), accounting for 1.6% of the country's total area.
The Yellow River forms the western border of Shanxi with Shaanxi.
Economy
Shanxi merchants, or Jin merchants (晉商), constituted a historical phenomenon that lasted for centuries from the Song to the Qing dynasty. During the Qing dynasty, they dominated China's commerce and finance, with commercial networks extending to Russia, Japan, Korea, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. They controlled the overland tea trade with Russia and Mongolia, monopolized trade routes across the Great Wall, and handled the Qing government's tax remittances between provinces.
Over centuries, Shanxi merchants developed a multi-tiered financial system serving different social strata.
Demographics
The population is mostly Han Chinese with minorities of Mongol, Manchu, and the Hui.
In 2004, the birth rate was 12.36 births/1,000 population, while the death rate was 6.11 deaths/1,000 population. The sex ratio was 105.5 males/100 females.
The language, Jin Chinese, spoken in Shanxi had traditionally been included in the Northern or Mandarin group.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Shanxi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Shanxi: Key Facts
| Population | 34,915,616 (2020) |
|---|---|
| Area | 156,000 km² |
| Capital | Taiyuan |
| Head of government | Jin Xiangjun |
| Highest point | Mount Wutai |
Facts from Wikidata Q46913 (CC0).
History of Shanxi: Empires and States
The atlas records 44 polities whose mapped territory included part of Shanxi, from Shang Dynasty in 1600 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
Also recorded: Republic of China, Kuomintang, Empire of Japan, People's Republic of China.
Historical Maps of Shanxi
Shanxi on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Shanxi
11 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taiyuan | 2.91 million | Shanxi | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Datong | 1.87 million | Shanxi | Populated place |
| 3 | Yangquan | 981,448 | Shanxi | Populated place |
| 4 | Yuci | 840,000 | Shanxi | Populated place |
| 5 | Linfen | 834,000 | Shanxi | Populated place |
| 6 | Jincheng | 760,000 | Shanxi | Populated place |
| 7 | Changzhi | 706,000 | Shanxi | Populated place |
| 8 | Shuozhou | 570,000 | Shanxi | Populated place |
| 9 | Xinzhou | 279,607 | Shanxi | Populated place |
| 10 | Houma | 102,400 | Shanxi | Populated place |
| 11 | Jiexiu | 77,178 | Shanxi | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Shanxi
1 mountain mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wutai Shan | 3,058 m | 10,033 ft | Asia |
Major Dams in Shanxi
1 dam mapped. Ranked by structural height. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Height | River | Capacity | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanmenxia Dam | 106 m | Yellow River | 400 MW | 1960 |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Shanxi
3 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient City of Ping Yao | 1997 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| 2 | Yungang Grottoes | 2001 | Cultural | (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| 3 | Mount Wutai | 2009 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (iv) (vi) |
Shanxi: Quick Answers
- Where is Shanxi?
- Shanxi is a first-level division of China, in Asia. Its mapped cities centre on 37.4226° N, 112.5311° E.
- What is the largest city in Shanxi?
- Taiyuan is the largest city mapped in Shanxi, with a metropolitan population of about 2.91 million.
- How many cities are in Shanxi?
- YearMaps maps 11 cities and towns in Shanxi, with a combined metropolitan population of about 9.94 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in Shanxi?
- The highest summit mapped in Shanxi is Wutai Shan at 3,058 m.