Yunnan, province in southern China, bordering the countries of Burma, Laos, and Vietnam. Most of the inhabitants of Yunnan live on a relatively low plateau in the east, which includes an economic center at Kunming. Kunming is the capital, largest city, and principal industrial center of Yunnan. bounded by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the northwest, Szechwan province on the north, and the Chuang Autonomous Region of Kwangsi and Kweichow province on the east. To the west Yunnan borders Myanmar (Burma), and to the south and southeast it adjoins Laos and Vietnam.

The Yuan, or Mongol, dynasty (1206-1368) marked an end to various power struggles in the region. In 1253 the Mongols destroyed a Tai kingdom called Nanchao and, naming the area Yunnan, made it a province of the Chinese empire. Han (Chinese) migration into Yunnan was encouraged during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and the province was governed by local leaders representing Chinese magistrates.

The chief crops, restricted to small areas suitable for farming, are rice and corn. Resources include tin, copper, iron ore, and coal. potatoes, soybeans, and oilseeds are grown. Sugarcane is grown in the southeastern part of Yunnan and bananas, coconuts, and coffee in the deep south. Walnuts, chestnuts, mulberry trees, peaches, and persimmons are grown in many parts of the province.

Major industrial towns are Panzhihua, Xiaguan, Qujing, Kunming and Gejiu.

Area 394,000 sq km (152,000 sq mi); population 42,880,000.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------