KIANGSU

Wade-Giles romanization Chiang-su, Pinyin Jiangsu sheng (province) on the east coast of the People's Republic of China. It is bounded by the Yellow Sea and the provinces of Chekiang to the south, Anhwei to the west, and Shantung to the north. The provincial capital is Nanking. Before the Common Era most of the province was a part of the ancient state of Wu. The region went through a golden age of culture during the Six Dynasties period (AD 220589) and again during the Southern Sung dynasty (11271279), when it received great influxes of immigrants from the North. Nanking was the imperial capital under the Ming dynasty until 1421. In 1667 Kiangsu became a separate province. After the Opium Wars of the mid-19th century there was considerable foreign commerical penetration of the province. Kiangsu was an important power base for China's Nationalist Party, which made Nanking the nation's capital from 1928 to 1937 and again from 1946 to 1949. The province was occupied by Japan during the Sino-Japanese War (193745) and suffered immense damage, from which it recovered. The most important physical characteristic of Kiangsu is its wide alluvial plain, which is divided by the estuary of the Yangtze River into two sections, Chiang-nan (south of the river) and Su-pei (northern Kiangsu). Su-pei, north of the river, is relatively poor in comparison with Chiang-nan. Chiang-nan forms a part of the Yangtze River delta and is fertile and well watered, famed for its silk and handicrafts, and very densely populated and industrialized. The famous cities of Su-chou, Nanking, Wu-hsi, and Shanghai (the chief metropolis of China and one of the largest cities in the world) are all located in this region. Shanghai is situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Administratively, the Shanghai municipality is not part of Kiangsu province but is controlled by the State Council of the People's Republic of China in Peking. Most of Kiangsu lies at the low elevation of 150 feet (45 m) above sea level. The Kiangsu lowlands are floodplains formed by the alluvial deposits of the mighty Yangtze, the Huai River, the Huang Ho, and their tributaries. The Yangtze and Huang Ho channels divide these plains into three sections: the Chiang-nan plain south of the Yangtze, characterized by its flatness and forming the major part of the Yangtze River delta; the YangtzeHuai River plain, lying between the Yangtze and the ancient channel of the Huai River and built up by the alluvium of the two rivers; and the SuchowHuai River plain, north of the old Huai River channel. Mount Yun-t'ai, near the Yellow Sea, is the highest point in the province, at 2,050 feet (625 m). There are two types of climate in Kiangsu: humid subtropical in the central and southern parts and cool temperate continental in the north. The extremely dense population patterns of Kiangsu province and Shanghai municipality are inseparable geographically and economically. Population density is higher in northern Kiangsu because its development dates from ancient times and because of the region's importance as a communication link between North China and the lower Yangtze River valley. However, the hilly district in southwestern Kiangsu also has very high population densities. The province's population is entirely Chinese (Han), with the exception of a few Hui (Chinese Muslims). In Kiangsu are several ancient cities rich in cultural heritage, historic monuments, and famous temples. Most renowned are the simple tombs of the Ming emperors and the magnificent Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, both in the eastern part of Nanking, at the foot of Tzuchin Shan (Purple and Gold Hill). Warmth- and moisture-loving fauna characteristic of the monsoon climate of East Asia are found in Kiangsu. Fish, ducks, crab, and shrimp are important food sources, and aquaculture is highly developed. The province is one of the richest in China, with agriculture improved by multiple cropping, powered irrigation, tractors, and chemical fertilizers. Crops include rice, wheat, cotton, fruit, and tea. Cattle, pigs, poultry, and silkworms are raised. Industries in Kiangsu include the enormous Nanking Motor Works, as well as factories that produce chemical fertilizers, steel, petrochemicals, electronics, and machine tools. Wu-hsi is a textile and tourism centre, and coal and iron deposits at I-hsing have contributed to local iron and steel works. Area 39,600 square miles (102,600 square km). Pop. (1985 est.) 61,710,000. Chinese (Wade-Giles) Chiang-su, (Pinyin) Jiangsu, sheng (province) on the east coast of China. It is bounded by the Yellow Sea and by the provinces of Chekiang to the south, Anhwei to the west, and Shantung to the north. It occupies an area of 39,600 square miles (102,600 square kilometres). The provincial capital is Nanking, which was the southern capital of China during the Ming dynasty (13681644) and the capital under the National Government (192849). Kiangsu became a separate province in 1667 (the sixth year of the reign of the K'ang-hsi emperor). The name is derived from the prefixes of Chiang-ning and Su-chou, the names of the two most important prefectures within the province at that time. The province consists almost entirely of alluvial plains divided by the estuary of the Yangtze River into two sections, Chiang-nan (literally, South of the River) and Su-pei (northern Kiangsu). Chiang-nan is fertile and well watered, famed for its silk and handicrafts, and very densely populated and industrialized. The cities of Su-chou, Nanking, Wu-hsi, and Shanghai are all located in this region. Shanghai is situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River, although administratively the Shanghai Municipality is not a part of Kiangsu Province but is controlled directly by the State Council of the central government. Su-pei is relatively poor in comparison with Chiang-nan. The northernmost section of Su-pei, from Suchow to the sea, is actually part of the great North China Plain in its physical geography, as well as in its agriculture and general way of living; it is the poorest section of Kiangsu and is densely populated. Frederick Fu Hung Victor C. Falkenheim