n.
or Ssu-ch'uan conventional Szechwan
Province (pop., 2000 est.: 83,290,000), upper Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) valley, southwestern China.
It is bordered by Qinghai , Gansu , Shaanxi , Hubei , Henan , Guizhou , and Yunnan provinces, Chongqing municipality, and Tibet . Second largest of China's provinces, it has an area of 210,800 sq mi (546,000 sq km) and encompasses the central depression called the Sichuan (or Red) Basin; its capital is Chengdu . It is one of China's most densely populated and ethnically diverse provinces. It was among the first areas to be settled by the Chinese in the 1st millennium BC. From the Zhou dynasty (1122221 BC) until the Song dynasty (AD 9601279), it was administered through various political subdivisions. It was established as a province during the Qing dynasty (16441911). During the Sino-Japanese War , it served as the seat (at Chongqing ) of the Nationalist government; the Japanese never penetrated the area. It is China's leading producer of rice, corn, sweet potatoes, cattle, and pigs. The most industrialized province of southwestern China, it is a centre for coal mining, petroleum refining, and chemical production. Sichuan's spicy cuisine is renowned worldwide.