Physical Geography
Located in China’s eastern coastal regions and at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Jiangsu shares the provincial border with Anhui Province to the west, with Shandong Province to the north, and with Zhejiang Province and Shanghai to the southeast while facing the Yellow Sea to the east. It is a hub of the Belt and the Road Initiative. The land area of Jiangsu is 107,200 km², accounting for 1.12% of China’s total.
The flat landform in the coastal area has shaped Jiangsu into a vast plain with a dense network of waterways composed of major rivers and lakes. The Yangtze River traverses Jiangsu from west to east, stretching 433 km, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs north-south through Jiangsu, extending 757 km. With a coastline of 954 km, Jiangsu is home to two of China’s five major freshwater lakes: Taihu Lake, the third largest in China with a surface area of 2,338 km²; and Hongze Lake, the fourth largest with a surface area of 1,775 km². Plains make up 86.9% of Jiangsu’s land area, while the rest 13.1% is covered by low mountains and hilly areas, many of which are in southwest and north Jiangsu. The Yunü (Jade Deity) Peak of Mt. Yuntai in Lianyungang is the highest point in Jiangsu, with an altitude of 624.4 m. Jiangsu Province lies between longitudes 116°21’E to 121°56’E and latitudes 30°45’N to 35°08’N. The farthest points in east, south, west and north are Yuantuojiao in Qidong City of Nantong, Taoyuan Town in Wujiang District of Suzhou, Zhaozhuang Town in Fengxian County of Xuzhou, and Qiansandao Township in Lianyun District of Lianyungang.
Natural Resources
[Land Resources] Plains, water bodies, and hilly areas account for 68.4%, 18.5% and 13.1% of Jiangsu’s total land area, respectively. By the end of 2024, Jiangsu had about 4.169 million ha of arable land, or 0.049 ha per capita. The rich variety of crops, trees, aquatic products, and livestock and poultry in Jiangsu is largely due to its favorable conditions for agricultural development.
[Marine Resources] The maritime area of Jiangsu is 37,500 km², with 25 islands in total. Much of the sea area falls within the territory of the Yellow Sea, except for the east of the Yangtze Estuary and the south of the Yuantuojiao - Jeju Island line (from Qidong City of Jiangsu to the ROK), which belongs to the East China Sea. The coastline in Jiangsu stretches 954 km. More than 90% of its shores are silty and muddy. Natural coastline makes up 35.9% of the total. The area of coastal mudflat is about 382,000 ha.
[Mineral Resources] In Jiangsu, 135 kinds of minerals have been discovered, among which reserves of 78 kinds have been verified. There are 498 mining areas across the province with proven mineral reserves, 76% of which are of small-and-medium scale. Jiangsu faces a shortage of certain strategic minerals (such as coal, iron, and copper) but is abundant in rock salt, garnet, titanium ore (rutile), attapulgite clay and geothermal resources.
[Forest Resources] Jiangsu has 1.56 million ha of forests, with a forest coverage rate of 15.2% and a tree coverage rate of 24.11%. There are 57 state forest farms in Jiangsu, covering an area of about 100,000 ha.
[Wetland Resources] Jiangsu has 3.12 million ha of wetlands, ranking 6th in China. A total of 49.1% of Jiangsu’s wetlands are well-conserved.