Meaning of the name of "Yunnan"
"Cloud South", because it lies to the south of the Cloud Mountains (Yun Ling Shan).
Location
In southwestern China, about 1000 km (600 miles) west of Hong Kong.
Population
38,850,000 (1994 estimate). Although the majority of the population are Han Chinese, there are over 20 recognized ethnic minorities living in the province, including the Yi, Hui, Tibetan, Bai, Zhuang, Miao, Hani, Dai, Lisu, Va, Lahu, Naxi, Jingpo, Blang, Achang, Pumi, Nu, Benglong, Drung and Jino.
Description
About 94% of Yunnan is covered with mountains and plateaus, with the remainder consisting of basins and river valleys. The many different ecological zones in the province harbour an estimated 15,000 species of plants, 230 mammal species, 770 bird species and 130 reptile species. The more exotic species include elephants, wild oxen, and peacocks.
History
Yunnan was the location of a kingdom of Tai peoples called Nanchao until 1253 AD, when it was conquered by the Mongol empire and made a province of China.
Language
The Han Chinese and members of many minority groups speak dialects of Southwestern Mandarin Chinese . The rest of the province is a patchwork of different languages, including representatives of the Tibeto-Burman, Tai, Miao-Yao, and Mon-Khmer linguistic groups.
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