Hainan is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. It is considered the smallest province in the country, and it is made up of different islands in the South China Sea. The largest island is called Hainan Island, and it is responsible for more than 97 percent of the landmass included in the province. The entire province itself is approximately 13,100 square miles, and Hainan Island measures more than 12,700 square miles. The rest of the province is made up of different islands and archipelagos scattered throughout the South China Sea. For many years, the region was considered to be a part of the Guangdong Province, but it was separated from Guangdong in 1988.
It has been estimated that approximately ten million people live in Hainan, with the overwhelming majority of them living on Hainan Island. There are indigenous peoples that have lived on the island for thousands of years, and they speak of variety of Hlai languages. The Hlai are recognized as a major ethnic group by the Chinese government, but the majority of people who live in Haian today are Han Chinese, who speak a variety of Chinese languages. They include Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, and Hakka Chinese.
There are 10 major cities and 10 counties located in Hainan. The largest city is called Haikou, and it is located on the northern coast of the island. There is also a very popular tourist destination located on the southern portion of the island, called Sanya. There are several other major cities in the area, including Sansha, Waning, Dongang, Danzhou, and Wenchang. The province has also been labeled as a special economic zone in the past, which means that it should be entitled to greater freedoms when it comes to trade. For the past few years, plans have been in the works to transform the area into a free trade port, and it could bring additional revenue to the province that might be used to develop the infrastructure.
Yes, it is possible for people to visit the island, and the visa policy became much more relaxed in 2000. It is possible for foreign tourist groups to get a Visa upon arrival instead of having to apply for a Visa ahead of time. It was put in place to make it easier for people to travel. Then, in 2018, a rule was instituted allowing 59 different countries to visit the island for 30 days without a Visa. The only requirement is that those who visit the province visit as part of a larger travel agency. Some of the countries that are included in this exemption include Russia, Spain, South Korea, Japan, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Austria, Australia, Finland, and France. Because of the measures taken by the ruling Communist party in China, it is unclear if these rules are still in effect.