Climate: It has a continental monsoon climate, the kind between the temperate and frigid zones, with annual temperatures of ¨C4 ¡ãC to 4 ¡ãC. The temperature difference between its north and south parts is 8 ¡ãC. Its warm summer with plentiful rainfall and long-time sunlight is good for crops, its annual sun radiation power reaching 100¡ª120 Cal per square centimeter. Most of the areas are windy in spring, and its southwestern part, in particular, is rich in wind energy source.

    Tourism resources: Heilongjiang has abundant characteristic tourism resources. Its spots for ice and snow activities are the best in China. Snow-skiing period in the province lasts 120¡ª140 days in a year. In mountainous area, snow on the ground can be 100¡ª300 cm deep  and it¡¯s of good quality. Among its smooth mountain slopes, 100 has been chosen as spots good for building large-scale skiing grounds. Its beautiful landscape, forests and grasslands, wetlands and rivers and lakes provide rich resources for developing eco-tourism. Its unique history has also left it a rich cultural legacy and colorful customs. The Bohai State during the Tang Dynasty, the ruins of the Jin-dynasty capital in Huining and the ruins of Longquan Mansion are among those of historical interest. The crossing-border tours to Russia launched on the border rivers of Heilong and Wusuli attract tourists from all over the country. Such cities as Harbin, Daqing and Yichun attract travelers with their distinctive style of northern frontier cities.

     Ethnicity: The province is a habitation for many ethnic groups. According to the fourth national census taken in 1990, there are 47 ethnic groups living in the province, of which, Han people made up 94.3 percent of the province¡¯s total; people of 42 ethnic minorities, 2 millions, accounting for 5.7 percent of the total. Major ethnic minorities include Manchu, Hui, Mongolian, Korean and Daur, Sibo, Hezhe, Oroqen, Ewenki and Kirgiz, who are distributed across the province. Dorbod Mongolian Autonomous County is the only area in the province with ethnic autonomous administration. There are 51 cities and counties where the ethnic minority population has reached 10,000 or more. There are 68 ethnic minority townships and 920 ethnic minority villages. The average population density of the province is 81.7 person per square kilometer.

    Agriculture: Heilongjiang, one of the country's most important commodity grain production bases, occupies first place both in the volume of commodity grains and storage. The province's total grain output was 31.045 million tons in 1997, hitting a record high. Its farming, forestry, livestock and fishery industries contributed 50 billion yuan (US$6 billion)of value-added last year. The province's annual output and export of soy beans rank first in the country. Its exports of soy beans make up two thirds of the country's total. The province's output of flax, beet and flue-cured tobacco also stand in the front row in the country. The province's amount of milch cows, output of milk and dairy products possess first place in the country.

    Industry: Heilongjiang.At present, the province's coal mining, timber felling and transport, petroleum recovering, machinery and chemical, food, textile and light industries have possessed fairly large-scale production capacities. The province mainly produces crude oil, timber, large generating facilities, freight trains, metallurgical equipment, tools and measuring tools, mini and light motor vehicles and heavy building machines, whose output ranks first in the country and 90 per cent of the total products are transferred to other parts of the country.