In the north is an eroded loess plateau. In the middle is a basin through which the Wei River (he) flows on its way to the Yellow or Huang River. The larger river forms much of the province's eastern bound. South of the river is the Qinling Range, forming part of the watershed boundary between the Yellow and Chiang or Yangtze rivers. The Qinling includes one of China's five sacred mountains. South of the Qinling is another basin, and beyond it--along the southern provincial boundary--the Daba Mountains.
The majority of the more than 37 million people living here speak Putonghua Chinese and--to the extent they are observant--practice a mix of Buddhism, Confuciansim, Taoism and folk ways.
The capital of Shaanxi Province in central_and_northeastern China is Xi'an(3). Among the province's other large cities is a suburb of Xi'an, Xianyang. The remaining cities (shi) with a million or more residents are: Baoji, Weinan, Yan'an, Hanzhong, Yulin, Ankang and Shangluo.
north
east, north of the Yellow River
east, south of the Yellow River
southeast
south
west
(1) Shen-hsi in Wade-Giles transliteration; translates as West of the Pass.
(2) Sheng in Wade-Giles transliteration.