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Jiangsu Province is located on the east coast of China. The province is crossed by the Yangtze River from east to west and by the Grand Canal from north to south, while Lake Taihu and Lake Hongze, both located within Jiangsu's borders, are two of the largest lakes in China. In addition, the province is blessed with more than 900 kilometers of coastline.

The province is located in the fertile land of the Yangtze River delta. Most of its land is flat, dotted with the Taihu and Hongze Lake; two of the five largest freshwater lakes in China. On its southwestern and northern borders are hilly lands. Of the province's territory, the plains cover a total area of 70,600 square kilometers; water covers a total of 17,300 square kilometers; cultivated land amounts to some 5 million hectares.

At the end of the year2005, the resident population was 74.745 million.

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

Jiangsu specialties include West Lake fish, Nanjing Salted Duck, Lake Tai Whitebait and Beggar's Chicken (the chicken is baked in lotus leaves and clay).

Suzhou Pingtan (a kind of opera), ditty, etc

Jiangsu boasts a network of rivers and lakes. The Yangtze River runs over 400 km through the province from west to east while the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs 690 km from north to south. There is the Qinhuai River in its southwest; Northern Jiangsu General Irrigation Canal, Xinmu River and Nantong-Yanzhou Canal in the northern part. The province also boasts more than 290 lakes including the Taihu Lake and Hongze Lake. Jiangsu has a wide distribution of mineral resources with a rich variety. The mineral products discovered so far total 120. Major energy resources include coal, petroleum and natural gas. Non-metallic resources include sulphur, phosphorus, sodium salt, crystal, cyanite, sapphire, diamond, kaolin, limestone, quartz sand, marble and pottery clay. The metallic resources include copper, lead, zinc, silver, gold, strontium and manganese. The province is particularly rich in clay, building materials, chemical raw materials, metallurgic auxiliary materials, minerals for special uses and non-ferrous metals.

Jiangsu has a long history of a relatively developed economy and culture. Rich in landscape gardens, scenic attractions and historical sites, it is noted for having the largest number of historical cities in the country. Such cities include Nanjing, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Changshu, Xuzhou and Huai'an. There are 20 scenic spots, 23 forest parks, 6 holiday resorts and 416 cultural heritage sites under the state and provincial-level protection. Classical gardens in Suzhou were put on the world cultural heritage site list by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The special local products are Yixing pottery, Yangzhou lacquer ware, Wuxi clay figurine, Nanjing Yuhua Stone (rain flower pebbles), etc. The province is also famous for its traditional light industrial products and handicrafts, such as embroidery and straw woven articles in Suzhou,purple pottery in Yixing, clay figuure in Wuxi, lacquerware in Yangzhou, sandalwood fan and jasmine tea in Suzhou and so on.

Major cities

Nanjing

Suzhou

Wuxi

Yangzhou

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