Manchuria

Historical region, northeastern China. It consists of the modern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang; the northeastern portion of Inner Mongolia autonomous region is sometimes also included. Throughout the early Chinese dynasties, China had only limited control over Manchuria. In 1211 Genghis Khan invaded and occupied Manchuria. Chinese rebellions overthrew the Yuan dynasty of the Mongols in 1368, and the Ming dynasty was established. The Qing (Manchu) dynasty originated there (early 17th century) and eventually spread over China. Russia and Japan fought each other for a foothold in the region during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05); after its defeat, Russia ceded southern Manchuria to Japan. The Japanese occupied all of Manchuria in 1931 and created the puppet state of Manchukuo in 1932. The Soviets captured Manchuria in 1945, and Chinese communist guerrillas soon came to power. In 1953 Beijing divided the region into its three current provinces. It is now one of China's most important industrial areas.