What is the most southerly province of China?

Hainan is the most southerly province of China.

Hainan is an island province in the South China Sea, separated from mainland China’s Guangdong Province by the Qiongzhou Strait. The province includes Hainan Island as well as numerous smaller islands and maritime areas under its administration. Its name literally means “south of the sea,” an apt description of its location.

Hainan Island covers about 32,900 square kilometres, while the province’s total land area is roughly 33,920 square kilometres. The island is known for tropical landscapes, beaches, and cities such as Haikou and Sanya. Its southern position gives it a warmer climate than most of China, although seasonal typhoons can affect the region.

Hainan was administered as part of Guangdong after 1950 and became a separate province in 1988. That same year, it was designated a special economic zone during China’s reform and opening-up period. A common geographic mistake is naming Guangdong, which lies farther north on the mainland; Hainan is the southernmost province-level province in China.