The island province of Hainan belongs to China.
Hainan is China’s southernmost province, centered on Hainan Island in the South China Sea. The province also administers numerous smaller island groups. Its capital is Haikou, on the island’s northern coast, while Sanya is a major tourist city in the south.
The island was administered with Guangdong for much of the modern period before becoming a separate province in 1988. That same year, China designated Hainan as a special economic zone, encouraging investment, tourism, and trade. Hainan is separated from mainland Guangdong by the Qiongzhou Strait.
A common mix-up is confusing Hainan with Taiwan, another large island in East Asia. Hainan is internationally recognized as part of China; Taiwan has a separate and much more complex political status. Hainan is also known for tropical beaches, rubber cultivation, the Li people, and Wuzhi Mountain, its highest peak.