Brief Introduction To Jiangsu Province

    Brief Introduction: Jiangsu Province situated on the eastern China coast where the Yangtze River empties into the sea has an area of 102,600 sq km and a population of 69,670,000. Known as a "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 is Nanjing, a bustling port on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River which is navigable for large ocean-going vessels.

    Climate: Situated in the climatic transitional zone of warm-temperate and sub-tropical zones, Jiangsu has mild weather, moderate rainfall and clear-cut seasonal changes. The climate varies from north to south: The mean annual temperature is 13 degrees Centigrade in the north and 16 degrees Centigrade in the south while the mean annual precipitation is 800 mm in the
northwest and 1,200 mm in the southeast. There are frequent "plum rains" between spring and summer, and typhoon rains between late summer and early autumn.

    Topography: Jiangsu is the flattest and lowest-lying province in China with most of it below 50 meters in elevation. The only exceptions are the Ningzhen Mountain area and the Maoshan Hills in the southwest and scattered hills in the areas around Xuzhou and Haizhou in the north. The vast plains are dotted with lakes and crisscrossed by rivers, which cover 18 per cent of the province's total landmass. With 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".

    Population: 74.38 millions (March 2001) 

    Ethnic groups: The Han nationality accounts for 96.5% of the total,The other ethnic groups 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 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.