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Gùizhōu (贵州) is a landlocked province in south west China. This is a remote and ethnically diverse region of China with 38% of the population belonging to a non Han ethnic minority group. The largest of these ethnic groups are the Miao (12%), the Buyi (8%), the dong (5%) and Tujia (4%). There are also notable numbers of Yi, Gelao and Shui people. Thus 55% of the province is made up of minority controlled Autonomous Prefectures, Districts and Counties. The area historically had poor communications links with the east of China, making this area more remote and prone to rebellion. Today the areas mountainous landscape maintains some of the remoteness of the province. Away from major tourist centres, this province maintains much of the charm and character of old China.

Guizhou adjoins Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality to the north, Yunnan Province to the west, Guangxi Province to the south and Hunan Province to the east. The province lags behind the east of China in terms of economic development. The per-capita GDP of the province is among the lowest in China.

Guizhou was under Chinese control during the Han Dynasty and well known by the Chinese for thousands of years but it was not until the Ming dynasty that it came under heavy Chinese settlement and domination during which it was made a province. This prompted mass migration from Sichuan, Hunan and its surrounding provinces into Guizhou.

Countless rebellions by its native Miao people occurred throughout the Qing dynasty. It was said in the Qing dynasty that every thirty years there would be minor revolts, while every sixty years there would be major rebellions. All the revolts would be violently suppressed by the government.

Guizhou is one of the provinces that contains the most minority groups. The minority groups account for more than 37% of the total population and they include Yao, Miao (including Gha-Mu and A-Hmao), Yi, Qiang, Dong, Zhuang, Buyi, Bai, Tujia, Gelao and Shui. 55.5% of the province area is designated as autonomous regions for them. Guizhou is the province with highest TFR in China with 2.19. (Urban-1.31, Rural-2.42)

Culture

Guizhou is the home of the Moutai Distillery, distillers of Maotai liquor, China's most famous alcoholic beverage. The Chinese name of the distillery is Zhongguo Guizhou Maotai Jiuchang (simplified: 中国贵州茅台酒厂).

The province has many covered bridges, called Wind and Rain Bridges. These were built by the Dong minority people.

The southeastern corner of the province is known for its unique Dong minority culture. Towns such as Rongjiang, Liping, Diping and Zhaoxing are scattered amongst the hills along the border with Guangxi.

The rich population of minorities in Guizhou allow for a great many ethnic festivals throughout the lunar calendar. During the first lunar month (usually February), the early festival in Kaili (east of Guiyang) celebrates local culture with acts of bullfighting, horse racing, pipe playing, and comedy works.

Guizhou is a relatively poor and undeveloped province. It also has a small economy compared to the coastal provinces. Its nominal GDP for 2008 was 333.34 billion yuan (48 billion USD). Its per capita GDP of 8,824 RMB (1,270 USD) ranks last in all of the PRC.

Its natural industry includes timber and forestry. Other important industries in the province include energy (electricity generation) and mining, especially in coal, limestone, arsenic, gypsum, and oil shale. Guizhou's total output of coal was 118 million tons in 2008, a 7% growth from the previous year.