1. Name: Qinghai Province
2. Areas: 720 thousand km²
3. Population: 5.035 million (total population by the end of 1997)
4. Provincial Capital: Xining City
5. Geography: Qinghai Province lies in the northeast part of Qinghai-Xizhang High Plateau, neighboring on Gansu, Xinjiang, Xizhang and Sichuan. Most areas of the province are mountain lands of high elevation, and it is also the original place of Yangzie River and Huanghe River. Qinghai was named because of its largest inland salt lake, Qinghai Lake. The province is naturally divided into two parts by Riyue Mountain: pastoral area in the west and agricultural area in the east.
6. Natural Resources: Qinghai is rich in minerals. Up to now about 120 types have been found, among which oil, natural gas, potassium, table salt, nonferrous metals, coal and iron are the richest. In addition, Qinghai takes advantage of its rich hydropower, salt lake resources, vast farmlands and grasslands, agricultural and animal products, tourism resources of plateau characteristics. Also Qinghai is rich of wild animals of high value, and has many kinds of crude drugs such as musk, pilose antler, Chinese caterpillar fungus and so on.
7. Economy: In 1997, the gross domestic product of Qinghai was 20.205 billion yuan, and the per capita domestic product was 4,066 yuan, the gross industrial and agricultural output value was 21.266 billion yuan. The total imports and exports were 164.76 million US dollars, total provincial government revenue was 1.981 billion yuan, and the yield of grain was 1.2755 million tons. The whole provincial economy developed at a high speed.
8. People's Life: According to the result of a sampling survey, in 1997, the per capita annual disposable income of urban households was 3999.36 yuan, while the per capita net income of rural residence was 1320.63 yuan. The total wages of staff and workers was 4.59 billion yuan, and the average wage of staff and workers was 7,091 yuan. The number of hospital beds per 10,000 persons was 34.91, and the number of doctors per 10,000 persons was 19.91. The average housing square in urban areas was 11.92 m², and in rural areas 13.81 m². Totally 253.8 thousand employees have joined the basic old age support insurance.
9. Education: In 1997, there were six institutions of higher education, with a number of student enrolment 8,202 and 1,587 teachers; 35 specialized secondary schools with the number of student enrolment 13,215 and 1,719 teachers; 459 high schools with 194,628 students and 16,089 teachers; 3,473 primary schools with the number of 471.4 thousand students and 27,611 teachers. The school-age children enrolment rate is 99.56%, and the number of college students per 10,000 persons is 16.5.

The total population of Qinghai Province by the end of 1997 was 5.035 million, one of the provinces with the smallest population, only larger than that of Xizhang. Although the base number of population increased gradually, the overall trend of increase rate had been stable. The population density of Qinghai was low on the whole, but it is higher in the east and lower in the west. The uneven distribution of population is mostly the result of regional difference in natural environment and economic development level.

There has been a great growth in population of Qinghai since the foundation of P.R.China. There are distinct features: the population increased quickly with a high rate; Han population grew mainly because of the migration while the natural growth had a dominant position in the ethnic population growth; urban population and non-agricultural population increased more quickly than rural population and agricultural population, and apparent urbanization was observed.

There was mainly natural increase during the early 50s with a high birth rate, high mortality and high natural increase rate. The net population increment during 1950~55 was 249 thousand with an annual rate 3.2%. In this period the birth rate was around 34‰, and reached 44‰ in 1954. The mortality was above 10‰. 1956-1959 was the period of fast mechanical increase. There were total 1.1162 million immigrants during the 4 years. The population growth became negative in the early 60s, with the net decrease of 550 thousand people. 1963-1977 was a period of high birth rate, smoothly decreasing mortality and high natural increase rate. The population kept increasing for 15 years. Meanwhile, there was a quick mechanical increase. From 1978 up to now, the speed of population increase slowed down with the decline of birth rate and natural increase rate. The birth rate in 1978 was 26.15‰ and the natural increase rate was 19.49‰, lower than that of middle 70s. In the middle of 80s the birth rate declined below 20‰ for four years, natural increase rate below 16‰ for 7 years. In 1997 the birth rate was 21.8‰, and the natural increase rate was 14.85‰.

The sex ratio of Qinghai in 1990 was the fifth of China. In recent years, however, it had changed much. The sex ratio in 1997 was 101.47 while it was 104.87 in 1994. That means it is decreasing toward a reasonable status.

The sex ratio at birth in 1997 was 103.39. Except for 100.74 in 1993 and 113.53 in 1996, the sex ratio at birth was in a reasonable range in the 90s. But it declined by 10.14 than 1996 in 1997, the biggest change ever seen.

Among 1997 population of 5.035 million, population of aged 0-14 was 1.446 million, made 28.72% of the total; 15-64 population was 3.359 million, made 66.71% of the total; and population of age 65 and above was 231 thousand, made 4.59% of the total population. The total dependency ratio was 49.90%, with the ratio of children 43.04% and of aged 6.86%. The age structure is changing from young to adult pattern.

According to 1990 4th National Census, there were 1.2041 million women of childbearing age in 1990, made 27.02% of the total population, and the births in 1989 were 104.7 thousand with a birth rate of 23.70‰. The total population in 1990 was 14.41% more than that of 1982, 3.8957 million, about 70.2 thousand increase annually. The women of childbearing age in 1990 were 27.57% more than that of 1981, 918.3 thousand, about 31.7 thousand increase annually. The birth rate in 1981 was 26.65‰, which was decreasing at a speed of 1.46% annually. The TFR declined from 4.02 in 1980 to 2.59 in 1990. But recently the birth rate has been bouncing back. In 1997, the women¢ s birth rate was 79.29‰, more than that of 1995, among which the first-parity birthrate increased more than the second-parity birthrate, and the higher-parity birthrate did not change. In addition, the proportion of high-parity births was still high. According to a sample survey, first-birth made up 54.06% of the total births, second-birth made up 30.48% and third-birth and above 15.46%, among which fourth-birth and above accounted for 6.12%.

Compared with 1981, the proportion of death population at young age-group declined while that of older age group increased in 1989; the infant and children mortality rates experienced a great decline; the male mortality is higher than that of females; the mortality rate of ethnic population declined sharply; the mortality rate of population living above the altitude of 4000m rose while that of below the altitude dropped. The mortality rate of Qinghai had declined from 13.98‰ in 1950 to 6.95‰ in 1997.

The average life expectancy in 1981 was 60.79, 59.78 for males and 61.79 for females. In 1989, it was 65.6, 64.0 for males and 67.2 for females, relatively 4.81, 4.22, 5.41 more than that of 1981.

According to 1990 4th National Census, the population aged 15 and above was 3.086 million, made up 69.25% of the total provincial population. Among them 1.612 million were males and 1.474 million were females, accounted for 52.22% and 47.78% individually. The currently married population accounted for 64.16% of population aged 15 and above, and the size of divorced population and widowed population was very small (4.96% and 1.16% of the total). The never-married population proportion in urban areas was higher than that of rural areas, while the proportion of divorced and widowed in rural areas were higher than that of urban areas. There were more never-married males than females; the proportion of married males, widowed males and divorced males was less than that of females.

The households of size 4 made up 20.59% of the total households, next to it was 5 (18.71%) and 3 (17.51%). The families were mainly in two-generation structure, made 61.96% of the total households and the households of three-generation and above made 19.44%. One-couple households and single-person households made up 4.51% and 3.06% of the total.

Compared with 1990, education level of Qinghai population improved gradually. Proportion of population with college education and above rose from 1.49% in 1990 to 1.79% in 1997, higher-secondary education from 1.34% to 6.61%, junior-secondary education from 16.24% to 16.29%, primary education from 26.5% to 28.06%. But all of them are far below the average national level. There was nearly 1.4 million illiterate and half illiterate population of age 15 and above. Among the employed, 2.72% of them had education of college and higher, 34.65% had secondary education, and the proportion of illiterate and half illiterate as well as primary education was 62.63%. It implies that there is a long way to go to improve the education level of Qinghai population.

From 1950 to 1990,1.2623 million people migrated to Qinghai, and meanwhile 0.7485 million out-migrated. The population moved for various reasons: the transfer of coastal factory, resource exploitation, wasteland reclaim and cultivation, retiring from army to find a job or looking for new jobs. During the five years from 1985 to 1990, 1.342 million people migrated, in average 227 thousand annually, among them inter-provincial migration were 1.022 million and intra-provincial migration were 302 thousand. This shows that most population migrated within the province. Most of the migrants flowed to cities, made 77.11% of the whole migrants.

The explosion of population not only limited the development of economy, but also imposed a big pressure on environment and resources. It was observed that the area of soil-drainage extended, the forest coverage decreased, grassland degenerated, desertization continued, the areas of rivers and lakes decreased, and the agricultural resources were approaching the limit. Faced with these difficulties, effective measures should be taken to control the growth of population and to protect the environment through administrative, economic and legal ways.

Family Planning work of Qinghai was initiated in the 50s, developed in the 70s and perfected in the 80s and later.

In 1956 and 1957, the Department of Public Health, Department of Commerce and the Women¢ s Federation of the province met together to arrange the publicity activity of fertility regulation including contraception knowledge exhibition and seminar. Exhibitions of fertility regulation and healthy birth were organized, family planning lectures were given in workshops, peoples fertility and birth desire were investigated, more education was given to those who have more children and heavier family burden.

In 1963, a Family Planning Leading Group was formed. In 1965, the Department of Public Health and Fertility Control Leading Group issued a notice to declare that the fees of fertility regulation was free for individual, which greatly enhanced the development of family planning work in the middle of 1960s. But the work was stopped since the beginning of "Culture Revolution".

Family Planning Offices were established in Xining City and several other counties equipped with professional staff and also in some large enterprises in 1971. In 1973, "Report on the family planning and its development in Qinghai" first called for publicity of fertility regulation in pastoral areas. In 1974, "Suggestions on several problems of family planning program" stated that "small family size, late marriage, longer spacing and better education", "two children for one couple, 4-year spacing; women of childbearing age who have three and more children should control births" and so on. In 1979, "Regulations on the Population Plan and Family Planning (draft)" was issued by the provincial government. It was the first standard document about family planning and greatly enhanced the development of family planning program.

The provincial government issued "Qinghai Regulation of Family Planning Trial Implementation", which opened a new era of regular management for family planning. In 1981, the Family Planning Leading Group was renamed as The Provincial Family Planning Commission. Statistic staffs and professional personnel were introduced into the frontline of family planning work.

The provincial government issued "Qinghai Family Planing Regulation" in 1986 and in the same year the Qinghai Contraceptive Distribution and Management Station was established. In 1989, the Publicity and Education Center of Family Planning was founded. In 1991, 8 decisions were made regarding strengthen the family planning work. There were also many other measures such as basic contraceptive knowledge training, introduction of advanced technology and the establishment of contraceptive distribution stations.

Specific measures were taken to ensure the smooth practice of family planning in ethnic population. In addition, good results were achieved depending on the participation of local leaders, religion personnel and activists family planning publicity and education. During the period of 1982~1990, the natural increase rate of ethnic population was 2.54% annually, much less than 3.48% in 1964~1982. The total fertility rate of ethnic population declined from 5.28 in 1982 to 3.47 in 1990.

Comprehensive measures have been taken to relieve the worry of people for the future and to enhance the progress of family planning through the combined efforts of different departments. These efforts include providing family planning insurance, connecting family planning program with poverty- alleviation program, and education people on new concept of childbearing.

Since the foundation of Population Association of Qinghai in 1982, it has published plenty of articles and books on population and family planning, which disseminated population theory of Marxism and provided a series of reasonable suggestions to decision makers. In 1988, Qinghai Family Planning Association was established and had made great contribution to the progress of family planning program.

1. “Yearbook of Qinghai Statistics (1998)”, edited by China Statistical Publishing House.
2. "China's Population Across the Century (Qinghai)", China Statistical Publishing House, 1994
3. " China's Population of 97", edited by Population, Society, and Science Department of State Statistical Bureau, China Statistical Publishing House, 1998
4. "China's family Planning", edited by Peng Peiyun, China Population Press, 1997
5. "China population Yearbook (1998)", edited by Institute of Population Research, Social academy of China, China National Air Press, 1998
6. " Collection of Maps by Province of China", China Map Press, 1997
7. " Data Table of China Population (1998)", edited by Population Information and research Center of China, 1998