Administrative Division and Natural Resources

Administrative Division

In the year of 2002, Changzhou has jurisdiction over two country-level cities and five districts, such as Jintan city and Liyang city with total 3 subdistrict offices and 33 towns, 51 neighborhood committees, 40 community committees and 448 villagers＊ committees; Wujin district, Xinbei district, Tianning district, Zhonglou district, Qishuyan district, with total 19 subdistrict offices, 37 towns and 9 townships; 56 neighborhood committees, 192 community committees and 655 villagers＊ committees.

# Location

Changzhou, located in the southeast of Jiangsu province and the central section of Shanghai-Nanjing railway, belongs to the coastal economic open zone. Between north latitude 31～09＊ to 32～04＊ and east longitude 119～08＊ to 120～12＊, bordering the great Yangtze River in the north, Anhui province in the south and facing Taihu Lake and Wuxi city in the east and neighboring Nanjing city, Zhenjiang city in the west.

Changzhou enjoys convenient transportation with Shanghai-Nanjing Railway, No.104 and No.312 state way, Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway going through it properly; Changzhou Port connecting Yangtze River and leading to the sea; Changzhou civil airport has scheduled flights to over 10 cities, such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, etc.

# Topography

The relief type of Changzhou is combined with plain and hills and polders. It has Tianmu Mountain ranges in the south, Maoshan Mountain ranges in the west, Tailing edge of Ningzhen Mountain in the north, vast plain and polder in the central section and east. The terrain is relatively higher in southwest and relatively lower in the northeast with a difference of 1.5‵2 meters.

# Area

The total area of Changzhou is 4375sq.km, including 2410sq.km of plain and polder land, 731sq.km of water area, 1234sq.km of hilly area. The urban area covers 1864sq.km.

# Rivers

The rivers cross the city in a crisscross pattern, and lakes spread all over the city like the stars in the sky and scattered like the pieces on a chessboard.

There are three famous natural lakes, such as Taohu Lake (Changdang Lake), Gehu Lake, Taihu Lake and two artificial reservoirs, namely, Shahe (Tianmu), Daxi reservoirs. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal goes through the city properly with many branches interlinked with rivers, which forms the water system network of canal, rivers interlinked and three lakes connected.

# Climate

Changzhou lies in middle latitude and near the sea, which belongs to monsoon of subtropical moist marine climate zone. It has mild and moist climate with the annual average temperature of 16.7⊥; It enjoys plenty rainfall with total annual precipitation of 1106.7 millimeters; abundant sunshine with 1935.3 annual sunshine hours; and long frost-free period with annual frost-free period of 252 days; and distinct four seasons. The dominating wind direction around the year is southeast by east.