Central China

Central China (Chinese: 华中; pinyin: Huázhōng) is a region in China that includes the provinces of Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Shanxi. Covering a land area of more than a million square kilometres, the region is home to a population of more than 364 million people.

The Central China region has a long history of human inhabitation. Ancient Chinese civilization emerged between 2500 and 2000 BCE along the Yellow River. The Xia dynasty, considered as China's first dynasty came up in the Henan region. The earliest written Chinese records were found at Yinxu, the capital of Shang dynasty.

Subsequently, the region was then ruled over by various dynasties of China such as Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties with capitals located elsewhere in China. After an uncertain period in the first half of the 20th century, the region became part of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Since the early 21st century, Central China has seen increased domestic investment.

The topography of the region consists of mountains interspersed with valleys around the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. The valleys drained by these rivers host fertile stretches of agricultural lands used for rice cultivation. The region has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. With a gross domestic product of US$4,173.2 billion, the region contributed to about 22% of the national GDP in 2024.