Hubei

Three Gorges Dam

Hubei, Wade-Giles romanization Hu-pei, conventional Hupeh, sheng (province) lying in the heart of China and forming a part of the middle basin of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). Until the reign of the great Kangxi emperor (1661–1722) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911/12), Hubei and its southern neighbour Hunan formed a single province, Huguang. They were then divided and given their present names, based on their location in relation to Dongting Lake: Hubei, meaning, “North of the Lake”; and Hunan, “South of the Lake.”

In addition to Hunan, Hubei is bordered by Chongqing municipality to the west and by the provinces of Shaanxi to the northwest, Henan to the north and northeast, Anhui to the east, and Jiangxi to the southeast. Its capital is Wuhan, the composite name of the three former cities (and now districts) of Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang, which lie at the confluence of the Han River and the Yangtze at a point approximately 600 miles (965 km) from the sea and halfway between Shanghai and Chongqing. Area 72,400 square miles (187,500 square km). Pop. (2020) 57,752,557.