Nature Condition
• Location
Shanghai, also called "Hu" for short in Chinese, is situated at 31o41' north latitude and 121o29' east longitude. Bordering on Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces on the west, Shanghai is washed by the East China Sea on the east and Hangzhou Bay on the south. North of the city, the Yangtze River pours into the East China sea It also occupies a central location along China's coastline. Thanks to its advantageous geographic location, Shanghai is an excellent sea and river port, boasting easy access to the vast hinterland.
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• Climate
With a pleasant northern subtropical maritime monsoon climate, Shanghai enjoys four distinct seasons, generous sunshine and abundant rainfall. Its spring and autumn are relatively short compared with summer and winter. The average annual temperature is 16 degrees Celsius. The city has a frost-free period lasting up to 230 days a year, and receives and average annual rainfall of 1,200 millimetres . However, nearly 60% of the precipitation comes during the May-September flood season, which is divided into three rainy periods, namely, the Spring Rains, the Plum Rains and the autumn Rains.
• Area
The city covers an area of 6,340.5 square kilometres, 0.06% of China's total territory, which extends about 120 kilometres in north and south and nearly 100 kilometres in east and west. Shanghai has an urban area of 2,057 square kilometres, land area of 6,219 square kilometres and water area of 122 square kilometres. The city's Chongming Island is the third largest island in China, covering an area of 1,041 square kilometres.
• Water Resources
Dotted with many rivers and lakes, the Shanghai area is known for its rich water resources. Most of the rivers are tributaries of the Huangpu River. Originated from the Taihu Lake, the 113-kilometre-long Huangpu River winds through the downtown area of the city. The river is about 300 to 770 metres wide with an average width standing at 360 metres. The ice-free Huangpu River is the main waterway in the Shanghai area.
• Topographic Features
Except for a few hills lying in the southwest corner, most parts of the Shanghai area are flat and belong to the alluvial plain of the Yangtze River Delta. The average sea level elevation is about four metres.
• Administrative Divisions
Shanghai is divided into 15 districts and 5 counties. There are 205 towns, 9 townships, 99 subdistrict committees, 3,278 neighbourhood committees and 2,935 villagers' committees
in the city.
District/County Area (sq.km) District/County Area (sq.km)
Hangpu 4.54 Nanshi 7.87
Luwan 8.05 Xuhui 54.76
Changning 38.30 Jing'an 7.62
Putuo 54.83 Zhabei 28.50
Hongkou 23.48 Yangpu 52.13
Minhang 370.75 Baoshan 424.63
Jiading 458.80 Pudong 522.75
Jinshan 586.05 Fengxian 687.39
Songjiang 605.64 Nanhui 687.66
Qingpu 675.54 Chongming 1041.21
Social Life
Shanghai has 39 institutions of higher learning, 812 secondary schools and 1,533 elementary schools, as well as special schools for handicapped children. The city also has a dozen schools for foreign children.
Shanghai is a big melting pot with a population largely made up of migrants. This has led to the development of the city's colourful culture. Shanghai boasts a large number of celebrated artists and performing troupes. It has two radio stations, four television stations, four film studios and several film making sites.
Many world-class musicians and artists have come to perform in Shanghai. The city regularly hosts international TV, film and art festivals. These events have drawn many domestic and overseas participants and brought an abundance of high-quality programmes to Shanghai audiences.
Other popular festivals include the Huangpu Tourism Festival, the Xuhui Osmanthus Festival, the Nanhui Peach Blossom Festival, the Fengxian Kite-flying Festival and the Zhabei Tea Festival. Outdoor concerts and performances at the Bund and other public areas have also composed unique scenes in the city's cultural life.
Fuzhou Road, known as Shanghai's "Cultural Street",has more than 100 bookstores and publishing firms. The city's 36 publishing companies released 9,928 different book titles in 1997. Meanwhile, 87 newspapers and 587 journals are published locally.
An average of about 2,000 scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs are made in Shanghai each year, nearly one-third of which are considered to be at an advanced world level.
Shanghai boasts many landmark cultural facilities, such as the waterfront Oriental Pearl TV Tower in Pudong, Shanghai Grand Theatre and Shanghai Museum in People's Square, and the new Shanghai Library on Huaihai Road M.
