Geography of Shanghai

The geography of Shanghai is characterised by its location on the Yangtze River Delta on China's east coast and its proximity to the Pacific Ocean via the East China Sea. The city is centred around the Huangpu River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, and extends outwards in all directions, with the suburbs and satellite towns reaching east to the East China Sea, north and west to Jiangsu province, and south to Zhejiang province over Hangzhou Bay.

The vast majority of Shanghai's land area is flat, apart from a few hills in the southwest corner, due to its location on the alluvial plain of the Yangtze's river delta. The city has many rivers and lakes and is known for its rich water resources, and thanks to its coastal, riverside location and warm climate ensuring ice-free waters, provides easy access to China's interior, resulting in Shanghai being the world's largest port.
*Annual hours of sunshine: 1,638.2
*Annual days of sunshine: 73
*Evaporation: convert|862.1|mm|in|sigfig=3|abbr=on
*Precipitation: convert|1042.6|mm|in|sigfig=3|abbr=on
*Annual rainy days: 129
*Frost-free period: 333 days

Cityscape

Shanghai city proper is bisected by the Huangpu River so can be split into two sides: Puxi, on the west side, is the historic centre of the city, and is a term used to describe together the districts of Yangpu, Hongkou, Zhabei, Putuo, Changning, Xuhui, Jing'an, Luwan and Huangpu. Pudong is located on the east side and is the location of Shanghai's rapid development, including its new famous skyline and the Lujiazui financial district.

The outer districts, or suburbs, surround the city proper, and are Baoshan, Minhang, Jiading, Jinshan, Songjiang, Qingpu, Nanhui, Fengxian, and the rural easten part of Pudong.

Shanghai's only county - Chongming - is in the far north of the municipality and makes up the islands of Chongming, Changxing and Hengxia.

Environment

Public awareness of the environment is growing, and the city is investing in a number of environmental protection projects. A 10-year, US$1 billion cleanup of Suzhou Creek, which runs through the city center, is expected to be finished in 2008,cite web
title=Suzhou Creek clean-up on track
url=http://english.people.com.cn/200612/07/eng20061207_329528.html
publisher=People's Daily Online
date=2006-12-07
accessdate=2008-05-11] and the government also provides incentives for transportation companies to invest in LPG buses and taxis. Air pollution in Shanghai is low compared to other Chinese cities such as Beijing, but the rapid development over the past decades means it is still high on worldwide standards, comparable to Los Angeles.cite web
title=Environmental Protection in China's Wealthiest City
url=http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/Shanghai4web.htm
publisher=The American Embassy in China
date=July 2001
accessdate=2008-05-11]

=Maps and satellite

ee also

*Geography of China
*Yangtze River Delta

References

External links

* [http://www.shanghai.gov.cn Shanghai official government site]