Jiangsu

Jiangsu is a coastal province located in East China. It sits along the Yellow Sea. To its north lies Shandong province. To its west is Anhui province. To its south, it borders Zhejiang and Shanghai.

The capital of the province is Nanjing. Jiangsu is a major center for finance, technology, and education. It is also a top destination for tourism. The province is the most densely populated of the 22 provinces in the People's Republic of China. It has a population of 84.75 million people.

The geography of Jiangsu is defined by its low elevation and abundant water. About 68 percent of the land consists of plains. Water covers another 18 percent of the total area. This high water content earned the region the name "land of water."

The Yangtze River, China's longest river, flows through the southern part. It eventually meets the East China Sea. The Grand Canal also runs through the province from north to south. This canal connects all the east-west river systems. Mount Huaguo is the highest point in the province. It is located near Lianyungang. Several large lakes exist here, including Lake Tai, which is the largest.

Jiangsu's name has a specific meaning. It is a compound of the first elements of Jiangning and Suzhou. Jiangning is the old name for Nanjing. The name means "Pacified Place." The first character comes from the Northern Song name for Jiangning. This name was "Pacified area of the Yangtze." The second character comes from a contraction of the old name Gusu. In the Old Yue language, Gusu means "Satisfied place." Since 1958, the province has used the pinyin spelling Jiangsu. Before this, it was often spelled as Chiangsu or Kiangsu in postal romanization.

The history of the region spans many ancient dynasties. During the earliest dynasties, the area was far from the center of Chinese civilization. It was the home of the Huai barbarians. Later, the state of Wu emerged in southern Jiangsu. Under King Helu of Wu, this state became a great power. In 484 BC, Wu defeated the state of Qi. However, the state of Yue eventually subjugated Wu in 473 BC. Later, the state of Chu took control of the area in 333 BC. Eventually, the Qin state unified all of China in 221 BC.

During the Han dynasty, the region was split into two provinces. These were Xu Province in the north and Yang Province in the south. In the Three Kingdoms period, southern Jiangsu became the base for Eastern Wu. Its capital was Jianye, which is modern Nanjing. During the 4th century, many migrants moved to the south. This caused cities in central Jiangsu to grow quickly. Nanjing served as the capital for four successive Southern dynasties. It became a massive cultural and commercial center.

Later, the Ming dynasty placed its capital in Nanjing.

In modern times, Jiangsu has become an economic powerhouse. Since the 1990s, economic reforms have made it a focal point for development. It is one of China's most developed provinces by the Human Development Index. In 2021, it was the first province to reach a GDP per capita of $20,000. By 2025, this figure reached CN¥167,970, or US$24,113. The total GDP in 2025 was more than 14.24 trillion US dollars. This makes it the sixth-highest among all administrative divisions.

If Jiangsu were a country, it would have the 12th largest economy in the world.

The province is a global leader in several industries. It is home to major exporters of chemicals and textiles. It also exports a lot of electronic equipment. Since 2006, it has been China's largest recipient of foreign direct investment. Education is another major strength. Jiangsu hosts 168 institutions of higher education. This is the highest number in any Chinese province.

Many cities are leaders in scientific research. Six cities rank in the world's top 200 for research output. These include Nanjing, Suzhou, Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou.

Suzhou is even called the "Venice of the East" due to its many canals.