1 : Jilin
2 : History
3 : Geography
4 : Economy
5 : Demographics
6 : Culture
7 : Tourism
8 : Subdivisions
9 : Miscellaneous topics
9.1 : Colleges and universities
10 : External links
Jilin (吉林; pinyin Jílín; also Kirin), is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west. The name was transliterated to Kirin before standardization to pinyin. The one character abbreviation is Ji (吉 pinyin: jí).
The name "Jilin" probably originates from an ancient term referring to the Songhua River; rendered into Chinese, it means "auspicious forest".
History
In ancient times Jilin was inhabited by various peoples, including the Mohe and the Wuji. The kingdom of Bohai was established in the area from 698 to 926 AD. The region then fell successively under the domination of the Khitan Liao Dynasty, the Jurchen Jin Dynasty, and the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty much of the area was under the control of the General of Jilin, whose area of control extended to the Sea of Japan. In 1932 the area was incorporated into Manchukuo, a puppet state set up by Japan.
Geography
Jilin is highest in altitude in the southeast, and drops gently towards the northwest. The Changbai Mountains run through its southeastern regions, and contains the highest peak of the province, Baiyun Peak at 2691 m. Other mountain ranges include the Jilinhada Ranges, Zhang Guangcai Ranges, and Longgang Mountains.
Jilin is drained by the Yalu and Tumen Rivers in the extreme southwest (which together form the border between China and North Korea), by tributaries of the Liao River along the southern border, and by the Songhua and Nen rivers, both eventually flowing into the Amur.
Jilin has a northerly continental monsoon climate, with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. Average January temperatures range from -20 to -14 °C. Rainfall averages at 350 - 1000 mm.
Major cities:
Economy
Jilin's agricultural production is centered upon rice, maize, and Chinese sorghum. Rice is mostly cultivated in the eastern parts, such as Yanbian prefecture. The Changbai Mountains are an important source of lumber. Herding of sheep is an important activity in the western parts, such as Baicheng prefecture-level city.
Compared to other provinces of China, Jilin has extensive deposits of Kieselguhr, wollastonite, floadstone, and molybdenum.
Industry in Jilin is concentrated on cars, train carriages, and iron alloy.
Demographics
Jilin is inhabited by Han Chinese, Koreans, Manchus, Hui, Mongols and Xibe. Most ethnic Koreans live in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.
Culture
Tourism
Subdivisions
Liaoning is made up of 8 prefecture-level cities and 1 autonomous prefecture:
(Note: "Prefecture-level cities" are not equivalent to cities. Rather, they are administrative entities under provinces and above counties, and contain rural areas many times larger than their urban, built-up core(s).
See Political divisions of China.)
These prefectures are subdivided into 20 county-level cities, 18 counties, 3 autonomous counties and 19 urban districts.
Miscellaneous topics
Colleges and universities
External links
{{msg:Manchurian_Provinces}}
{{msg:Provinces_of_China}}
|