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Jiangsu Province, on the eastern China coast, adjacent to the estuary of the Yangtze River empties into
the sea has an area of 102,600 square kilometres and a population
of 69,670,000. Known as the ‘land of fish and rice’, Jiangsu derived its name from the first character
of its two cities, Jiangning (now Nanjing) and Suzhou.
The provincial capital, Nanjing, is a bustling port on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River which is
navigable for large ocean-going vessels.
Climate: Climatically situated in the transitional zone of warm-temperate and sub-tropical zones,
Jiangsu has mild weather, moderate rainfall and clear-cut seasonal changes. The climate varies across the province
between north to south: The mean annual temperature is 13º Centigrade in the north and 16º Centigrade in the south while
the mean annual precipitation is 800 millimetres in the north-west and 1,200 millimetres in the south-east. There are
frequent ‘plum rains’ between spring and summer, and typhoon rains between late summer and early autumn.
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Geography: Jiangsu is the flattest and lowest-lying province in China with most of it below 50
metres in elevation. The exceptions are the Ningzhen Mountain area and the Maoshan Hills in the southwest and scattered
hills in the areas around Xuzhou and
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Suzhou |
Haizhou in the north. The vast plains are dotted with lakes and crisscrossed by rivers, which cover 18%
of the province's total landmass.
The three major
river systems from north to south - the Yishu, the Huaihe and Yangtze rivers - Jiangsu has well-developed irrigation
systems and shipping service. The Grand Canal is an artery between north and south. Of the more than 200 lakes, the
larger one are Hongze, Taihu and Gaoyou. The Yangtze River Delta is known as ‘Water Country’.
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Population: 74,380,000 (2001 March)
Ethnic groups: The Han comprise 96.5% of the total, the balance are Hui, Man, and Mongolian
etc.
Agriculture: With merely 4.7% of the
national arable land, Jiangsu produces 7% of grains, 12% of cotton, 7% of oilseeds and 8% of meat of China. The
principal food
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A 'Venice' of the East |
crops are rice and wheat, supplemented by barley, maize, soybean and potatoes; the major cash crops
consist primarily of cotton and rape seeds, as well as sesame and tobacco. There are also vegetables, gourds and fruits
etc. The provincial production of silks, fishery products, livestock also plays an important role in China.
Industry: In line with the process of economic development, Jiangsu will continuously
spur and expand its four pillar industries, i.e. machinery, electronic, chemicals and automobile during the 9th
Five-year Plan period. Industries above mentioned have enjoyed large markets and high market share. These industries had
obvious advantages and characteristics not only in their production quantity, but also in their products quality,
technology-exploitation, creative ability and sales system. |
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