Henan Province is located in mid-eastern China, at the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The Chinese characters for Henan-河南-literally mean "south of the River", for most the province lies on the southern side of the Yellow River. In ancient times, this area was crisscrossed by streams and rivers and it was covered with dense forests and bushes with legions of wild elephants wandering about. Therefore, Henan was once graphically described as a place where elephants were led by human beings, thus the pictograph “豫” , a shortened form for Henan, being originated. During the reign of Emperor Yu of the Xia Dynasty ，the kingdom was divided into nine states with the State of Yu in the center, where current Henan is located, and therefore Henan has also been called "Central Plains", "Central State" or "Zhong Yuan" .

Situated at 31o 23′-36 o 22′north latitude and 110 o 21′-116 o 39′ east longitude, Henan borders Shandong and Anhui provinces on the east, Hebei and Shanxi provinces on the north, Shaanxi province on the west, and Hubei province on the south. With its advantageous geographical position, Henan has long been serving as the post road , the gathering place of merchants, enjoying its convenient water transportation since ancient times. Located in the hinterland of China, Henan lies just in the middle region of China between the coastal opening area and mid-western regions from east to west gradually. The policy to promote the rising and development of mid-western regions has highlighted the unique location of Henan . The Province has an area of 167,000 square kilometers，ranking 17^th in the country, taking up 1.73% of land area of China. Generally speaking, the western part of Henan is higher than that of eastern part. the Taihang Mountains, Funiu Mountains, Tongbai Mountains, and the Dabieshan Mountains in the northern, western and southern parts form a semicircle along the provincial boundary. The central and eastern parts form the vast Yellow River-Huaihe River-Haihe River plain, with Nanyang basins on the south-western part.  The plains, basins, mountains and hills account for 55.7%, 26.6%, 17.7% respectively. Laoyacha in Lingbao City , as its peak of Henan, stands as high as 2413.8 meters above sea level, while the lowest point of 23.2 meters at Haihe River, Gushi County.  Up to present time, the cultivated farmland in the province is 218.89 million mu, with 1.21 mu per capita.

Most the province lies in warm temperate zone. Its southern part, traversing the subtropical zone, is the continental monsoonal climate from north subtropical zone to warm and temperate zone, with the transitional characteristics along the hills to plains from west to east. The four seasons in Henan in a year are clearly demarcated, with the feature of hotness and rain at the same period, on the other hand the climate is also varied and changed, which resulting in serious natural disasters. The temperature averages 12.1 o C to 15.7 o C, the average annual precipitation is 532.5 mm to 1380.6 mm between June and August, the average sunlight lasts 1848.0 to 2488.7 hours which are extremely necessary and preferably good for the crops. The frost-free period lasts 189 to 240 days or so.  As for the four rivers , the Yangzi River, the Huaihe River, the Yellow River, and Haihe River traverse the land of Henan, most rivers within Henan rise in the mountain areas of western, north-western, and south-eastern mountains respectively; 193 rivers of whom are above 100 square kilometer of drainage area. The total water resources volume of Henan reaches 405 hundred million cubic meter, ranking 19 in the nation. The water resources per capita is short of 420 cubic meter, making up only one fifth of the national average. As an inland province, Henan owns 70.5303 million mu of forest land, accounting for 17.32% of the coverage rate, with 23.77% of forest trees. Besides, there are 35 natural wood reserves of different species, covering 11.354 million mu of its total area; wetland area 16.63 million mu, covering 6.6% of its aggregate area. With resourceful plants and animals of various species in Henan, the forest parks have come up to 94, while land wild vertebrate animals 520, accounting for 23.9% in the nation, as many as 90 species under the state protection.

With all kinds of stratum, Henan is one of the provinces rich in mineral resources, identified mineral resources of 127 types (including 158 sub-minerals). For the 75 identified reserves, 86 types have been exploited and put into use. Among the identified, 8 kinds stand in the front in the nation, 19 kinds are on the first three lines, 26 kinds on the first five. Among whom, coal, aluminum, molybdenum, gold, petroleum, natural gas, natural alkali, fluorine, and fire clay are kept in great quantity of reserves. Petroleum reserve takes the twelfth place among the nation mineral resources, coal ranks the eighth, natural gas seventeenth.

Henan is the cradle of Chinese nation. From Xia Dynasty to Northern Song Dynasty in Chinese history, Henan had long served as China’s political, economic and cultural center，and more than 20 dynasties had initially established or later moved their capitals here. Of China`s 8 major ancient capitals, 4 located in Henan, namely Luoyang of “Ancient Capital City of Nine Dynasties”, Kaifeng of “Ancient Capital City of Seven Dynasties”, Anyang of “Ruins of Yin” and Zhengzhou of “ Shang Dynasties”. Henan has a large number of underground historical relics, including the Peiligang Culture Relics, with the inscriptions on oracle bones unearthed at the Ruins of Yin, in Anyang about the ancestors living in the Central Plain, while those above the ground also standing ahead. Yangshao Cultural Relics, Longshan Cultural Relics. Besides, there has existed the Ancestor of Forefather, Fuxi Taihao Tomb”, The Emperor Huangdi and Xuanyuan Hill, the earliest Observatory of Lord Zhou, the earliest mountain pass Hanguguan Pass in history, the earliest Buddhism zen of Baimasi Temple, as well as the Shaolin Temple and Xiangguosi Temple, to name only a few. There are 189 historical and cultural sites under state protection in the province. Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, and the Ruins of Yin in Anyang have entered the list of World Cultural Heritage.

Henan is also one of the major birthplace of Chinese family names. Of the 300 family names in China, Henan enjoys 171, the four family names Chen, Lin, Huang and Zheng, etc., as the leading force ahead in the province, 78 of 100 major family names originating from Henan according to the number of people. In recent years, more and more Henan people from different countries and regions, as well as provinces home have come to visit Henan, seeking roots.

Since far early times, there have emerged a galaxy of distinguished and outstanding figures in Henan history, among whom are ancient philosopher and thinkers, Lizi, Zhuangzi, Mozi, Hanfei, Chengyi, Chenghao; militarists like Jiangziya, Shangyang, Suqin, Lisi, Lliuxiu, Zhangliang, Simayi, Yuefei; scientists and medical scientists as Zhangheng, Zhang Zhongji, and Seng Yixing; Writers and artists Du Fu, Han Yu, Bau Juyi, Li He, Li Shangyin, Si Maguang, Chu Suiliang, Wu Daozi; Buddhism experts of Xuan Zhuang; other heroes as Ji Hongchang, Wu Huanxian, and Yang Jingyu during the anti-Japanese War; revolutionary forebears of Deng Yingchao, Xu Shiyou, and “good model of the Secretary of County Party Committee”, Jiao Yulu.

Henan Province is of rich historical and cultural resources as well as of many beautiful natural landscapes. There are 8 scenic areas of state level and 23 of province level that contain southern gracefulness and northern magnificence, such as Zhengzhou’s Mountain Song, Luoyang’s Mountain Longmem, Mountain Baiyun, Xinyan’s Mountain Jigong, Jiaozuo’s Moutain Yuntai,  Jiyuang’s Mountain Wangwu, Pingdingshan’s Mountain Shiren,  Nanyang’s Baotianman, Laojieling, Zhumadian’s Mountain Chaya. They are the wonderful landscapes with waters and mountains. The Yellow River runs through Henan Province from west to east. Out of Sanmenxia, it flows into Huanghuai Plain via the Reservoir Xiaolangdi. From Zhengzhou to Kaifeng, it’s riverbed hangs over the ground-level and forms the natural unique landscape “Perched River”. Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Kaifeng and the Yellow River , so called as “Three Points along One Line” and the scenic areas in the Southern Moutain Taihang have become the famous tourist brands in China and abroad. The ecological tourism development of Mountain Funiu is already under way. The Red Tourism in Henan Province has gained rapid development and there are 26 Red Tourism sightseeing areas, such as Zhugou Revolution Memorial, Xinyang Red Tourism Series, Tongbai Hero Memorial, Zhengzhou Erqi Memorial. The newly-developed industry tourism and agriculture tourism make the visitors too delighted to leave.

Henan Province has the first largest population of China. It had a population of 99,670,000 at the end of 2009, among which urban population were 37,580,000, accounting for 37.7%, rural  population  were 62,090,000, taking up 62.3%. The permanent residents were 94,870,000. The population density was 568 person/km square.  Henan Province had the most national minorities of China. There were 55 national minorities besides Hans. The minority population was 1,389.100, of which there were 1,196,900 Huis, taking the third in China. There were 3 ethnic districts, 21ethnic communities (towns), 863 ethnic villages and the counties (city, district) with more than 10 thousands minorities are 48 in Henan Province.

Henan governs 17 province-administered cities and one province-direct administered city such as Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Pingdingshan, Anyang, Hebi, Xinxiang, Jiaozuo, Puyang, Xuchang, Luohe, Sanmenxia, Nanyang, Shangqiu, Xinyang, Zhoukou, Zhumadian and Jiyuan, 20 county-level cities, 88 counties, 50 city-administered districts, 1892 communities and towns, 464 subdistrict offices, 3404 community neighborhood committees and 47556 village committees.

Henan Province is a big agriculture province that plays an important role in China. It’s grain output takes one tenth of the whole of China year in year out, of which the wheat output takes one fourth. In 2010, the wheat output reached 1087.4 billion Jin, placing first in China for continuously 11 years. Henan Province is one of the provinces that have the most complete industrial sectors. It’s industrial system is quite perfect. The GDP of Henan reached 22,942.68 billion, keeping fifth in China and first in mid-western regions.