| − | '''Sichuan''' (also styled Szechwan) is the most heavily populated province of [[China]], located in the west of the country in a relatively isolated region separated by mountains and the [[Yangtse Gorges]] from the lower Yangtse valley. Sichuan has a population of 82,343,000 (2000 population), and an area of 487,000 square kilometres. Until 1997 the municipality of [[Chongqing]], with a population of 31 million, also formed part of Sichuan. | + | '''Sichuan''' ([[Chinese]]: 四舛; [[Hanyu pinyin]]: Síchuăn; [[Wade-Giles]]: Szechuan) is the most heavily populated province of [[China]], located in the west of the country in a relatively isolated region separated by mountains and the [[Yangtse Gorges]] from the lower Yangtse valley. Sichuan has a population of 82,343,000 (2000 population), and an area of 487,000 square kilometres. Until 1997 the municipality of [[Chongqing]], with a population of 31 million, also formed part of Sichuan. |