Map of Jiangsu
Jiangsu is a first-level division of China. Its largest mapped city is Nanjing, with about 3.68 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Jiangsu, and the tables list its 14 mapped cities along with the lakes, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 14
- Largest City
- Nanjing
- Country
- China
Interactive Map of Jiangsu
About Jiangsu
Jiangsu is a coastal province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the third smallest, but the fourth most populous, with a population of 84.75 million, and the most densely populated of the 22 provinces of the People's Republic of China. Jiangsu has the highest GDP per capita and second-highest GDP of Chinese provinces, after Guangdong. Jiangsu borders Shandong in the north, Anhui to the west, and Zhejiang and Shanghai to the south. Jiangsu has a coastline of over 1,000 kilometers (620 mi) along the Yellow Sea, and the Yangtze flows through the southern part of the province.
Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, Jiangsu has been a national economic and commercial center, partly due to the construction of the Grand Canal. Cities such as Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Shanghai (separated from Jiangsu in 1927) are all major Chinese economic hubs. Since the initiation of economic reforms in 1990, Jiangsu has become a focal point for economic development. It is widely regarded as one of China's most developed provinces, when measured by its Human Development Index (HDI). Its 2025 nominal GDP per capita reached CN¥167,970 (US$24,113), becoming the first province in China to reach the $20,000 mark in 2021.
Jiangsu is home to many of the world's leading exporters of electronic equipment, chemicals and textiles. It has also been China's largest recipient of foreign direct investment since 2006. In 2025, its GDP was more than CN¥14.24 trillion (US$2 trillion nominal), which is the sixth-highest of all administrative divisions. If it were a country, it would be the twelfth-largest economy as of 2022 as well as the 19th most populous.
Jiangsu is also one of the leading provinces in research and education in China. As of 2022, Jiangsu hosts 168 institutions of higher education, ranking first of all Chinese provinces.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Jiangsu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Jiangsu in Depth
History
During the earliest Chinese dynasties, the area that is now Jiangsu was far away from the center of Chinese civilization, which was in the northwest Henan; it was home of the Huai barbarians (淮夷), an ancient ethnic group. During the Zhou dynasty more contact was made, and eventually the state of Wu appeared in southern Jiangsu, one of the many hundreds of states that existed across northern and central China at that time. Near the end of the Spring and Autumn period, Wu became a great power under King Helu of Wu, and defeated in 484 BC the state of Qi, a major power in the north in modern-day Shandong province, and contest for the position of overlord over all states of China.
Geography
Jiangsu is flat, with plains covering 68 percent of its total area (water covers another 18 percent). Most of the province stands not more than 50 meters (160 ft) above sea level. Jiangsu also has a well-developed irrigation system, which earned it (especially the southern half) the moniker of traditional Chinese: 水鄕; simplified Chinese: 水乡 (shuǐxiāng "land of water"). The southern city of Suzhou has so many canals that it has been dubbed "Venice of the East" or the "Venice of the Orient". The Grand Canal of China cuts through Jiangsu from north to south, crossing all the east–west river systems. Jiangsu also borders the Yellow Sea.
Economy
As of 2022, Jiangsu had a gross domestic product (GDP) of CNY¥12.29 trillion (US$1.83 trillion), the second-highest in China after Guangdong. Its GDP is greater than those of Australia and South Korea, which are the world's 12th- and 13th-largest economies respectively. In 2022, Jiangsu's GDP adjusted by purchasing power parity was $3.04 trillion, making it the 3rd-largest of any country subdivision globally, behind California and Guangdong. Jiangsu's economy in PPP also was just behind that of Italy with a GDP PPP of $ $3.05 trillion, the 12th largest in the world.
Jiangsu is very wealthy among the provinces of China. Its 2022 nominal GDP per capita reached ¥144,390 (US$21,467), becoming the first province in China to reach the $20,000 mark.
Demographics
The majority of Jiangsu residents are ethnic Han Chinese. Other minorities include the Hui and the Manchus. In 2021, 73.94 percent of the province lived in urban areas, while 26.06 lived in rural areas.
The predominant religions in Jiangsu are Chinese folk religions, Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism. According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 16.67% of the population believes and is involved in cults of ancestors, while 2.64% of the population identifies as Christian.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Jiangsu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Jiangsu: Key Facts
| Population | 84,748,016 (2020) |
|---|---|
| Area | 98,285 km² |
| Capital | Nanjing |
| Head of government | Xu Kunlin |
| Highest point | Mounts Yuntai |
Facts from Wikidata Q16963 (CC0).
History of Jiangsu: Empires and States
The atlas records 48 polities whose mapped territory included part of Jiangsu, from Zhou Dynasty in 1000 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Zhou Dynasty | 1000–751 BCE |
| Spring and Autumn States | 750–481 BCE |
| Wu | 750–451 BCE |
| Yue | 500–334 BCE |
| Warring States China | 480–219 BCE |
| Chu | 333–224 BCE |
| Qin Dynasty | 218–209 BCE |
| Western Chu | 208–203 BCE |
| The Han Dynasty | 202 BCE – 206 CE |
| Xin Dynasty | 6–29 CE |
| Cao Cao | 207–223 CE |
| Eastern Wu | 207–282 CE |
| Cao Wei | 224–264 CE |
| Western Jin | 265–425 CE |
| Former Yan | 337–370 CE |
| Former Qin | 371–382 CE |
| Liu Song Dynasty | 426–479 CE |
| Northern Wei | 451–533 CE |
| Southern Qi | 480–509 CE |
| Liang Dynasty | 510–560 CE |
| Eastern Wei | 534–554 CE |
| Northern Qi | 555–576 CE |
| Chen Dynasty | 561–591 CE |
| Northern Zhou | 577–586 CE |
| Sui Dynasty | 587–625 CE |
| The Tang Dynasty | 623–910 CE |
| Later Liang Dynasty | 911–925 CE |
| Southern Wu | 911–959 CE |
| Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms | 911–979 CE |
| Wuyue | 911–979 CE |
| Later Tang | 926–935 CE |
| Later Jin | 936–946 CE |
| Later Han | 947–959 CE |
| Southern Tang | 960–979 CE |
| Northern Song | 961–1138 CE |
| The Song Dynasty | 961–1278 CE |
| Vassalage of Western Xia to Great Jin | 1139–1226 CE |
| Great Jin | 1139–1235 CE |
| Southern Song | 1139–1278 CE |
| The Mongol Empire | 1236–1293 CE |
Also recorded: Yuan Dynasty, The Ming Dynasty, Southern Ming, The Qing Dynasty, Republic of China, Kuomintang, Empire of Japan, People's Republic of China.
Historical Maps of Jiangsu
Jiangsu on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Jiangsu
Jiangsu (江苏 Jiāngsū) province is located on a 1000-km (600-odd mile) stretch of the east coast of China, just north of Shanghai. The Yangtze River and the Grand Canal both cross the province, and there are many other historical attractions, several of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Suzhou has China's best-known classical gardens, while Nanjing has been the capital of several dynasties and has much history, including the mausoleum of Sun Yat-Sen. This is also the province where the Nobel prize-winning American author Pearl Buck lived and worked.
Jiangsu is China's fifth most populous province (about 80 million, comparable to Germany or Turkey), and one of its most prosperous. Compared to other Chinese provinces, it has both the highest population density and the highest per capita GDP. Major industries include electronic equipment, chemicals and textiles. Overall GDP is about half that of India.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Jiangsu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Jiangsu
14 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanjing | 3.68 million | Jiangsu | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Xuzhou | 2.09 million | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 3 | Shuyang | 1.77 million | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 4 | Wuxi | 1.75 million | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 5 | Suzhou | 1.65 million | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 6 | Changzhou | 1.33 million | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 7 | Huaiyin | 1.26 million | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 8 | Xinyi | 962,656 | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 9 | Nantong | 947,000 | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 10 | Zhenjiang | 854,000 | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 11 | Yancheng | 839,000 | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 12 | Lianyungang | 715,600 | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 13 | Taizhou | 612,356 | Jiangsu | Populated place |
| 14 | Yangzhou | 539,715 | Jiangsu | Populated place |
Largest Lakes in Jiangsu
5 lakes mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hongze Hu | 2,351 km² | Lake |
| 2 | Gaoyou Hu | 847 km² | Lake |
| 3 | Weishan Hu | 334 km² | Lake |
| 4 | Ge Hu | 196 km² | Lake |
| 5 | Luoma Hu | 105 km² | Lake |
Ports in Jiangsu
9 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yangzhou | 49.4 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 2 | Changshu | 45.7 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 3 | Jiangyin | 45.7 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 4 | Shanghai | 42.1 m | Major | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 5 | Taicang | 38.4 m | Very Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 6 | Zhangjiangang | 38.4 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 7 | Gaogang | 38.4 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | large vessels |
| 8 | Changzhou | 38.4 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 9 | Lianyungang | 23.8 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Jiangsu
2 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classical Gardens of Suzhou | 1997 | Cultural | (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) |
| 2 | Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I) | 2019 | Natural | (x) |
Jiangsu: Quick Answers
- Where is Jiangsu?
- Jiangsu is a first-level division of China, in Asia. Its mapped cities centre on 32.8732° N, 119.4190° E.
- What is the largest city in Jiangsu?
- Nanjing is the largest city mapped in Jiangsu, with a metropolitan population of about 3.68 million.
- How many cities are in Jiangsu?
- YearMaps maps 14 cities and towns in Jiangsu, with a combined metropolitan population of about 19.00 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the largest lake in Jiangsu?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside Jiangsu is Hongze Hu, at about 2,351 km².