Map of Zhejiang
Zhejiang is a first-level division of China. Its largest mapped city is Hangzhou, with about 3.01 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Zhejiang, and the tables list its 13 mapped cities along with the lakes, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 13
- Largest City
- Hangzhou
- Country
- China
Interactive Map of Zhejiang
About Zhejiang
Zhejiang is a coastal province in East China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, with other notable cities including Ningbo, Yiwu and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiangsu and Shanghai to the north, Anhui to the northwest, Jiangxi to the west and Fujian to the south. To the east is the East China Sea, beyond which lies the Ryukyu Islands. The population of Zhejiang stands at 64.6 million, the 8th largest in China. It is a major driving force in the Chinese economy and the birthplace of several notable people, including the Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek and entrepreneur Jack Ma. Zhejiang consists of 90 counties (incl. county-level cities and districts).
The area of Zhejiang was controlled by the Kingdom of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period. The Qin dynasty later annexed it in 222 BC. Under the late Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty that followed it, Zhejiang's ports became important centers of international trade. It was occupied by the Wang Jingwei regime during World War II. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Zhejiang's economy became stagnant under Mao Zedong's policies. After the reform and opening up, Zhejiang grew to be considered one of China's wealthiest provinces, ranking fourth in GDP nationally and fifth by GDP per capita, with a nominal GDP of US$1.27 trillion as of 2024.
Zhejiang consists mostly of hills, which account for about 70% of its total area, with higher altitudes towards the south and the west. Zhejiang also has a longer coastline than any other mainland province of China. The Qiantang River runs through the province, from which it derives its name. Included in the province are three thousand islands, the most in China. The capital Hangzhou marks the end of the Grand Canal and lies on Hangzhou Bay on the north of Zhejiang, which separates Shanghai and Ningbo. The bay contains many small islands collectively called the Zhoushan Islands.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Zhejiang (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Zhejiang in Depth
History
Kuahuqiao culture was an early Neolithic settlement in the Hangzhou area extant in 6000–5000 BC.
Zhejiang was the site of the Neolithic cultures of the Hemudu (starting in 5500 BC) and Liangzhu (starting in 3400 BC).
The area of modern Zhejiang was outside the major sphere of influence of Shang civilization during the second millennium BC. Instead, this area was populated by peoples collectively known as Dongyue.
The kingdom of Yue began to appear in the chronicles and records written during the Spring and Autumn period. According to the chronicles, the kingdom of Yue was in Northern Zhejiang. Shiji claims that its leaders were descended from the Xia founder Yu the Great.
Geography
Zhejiang consists mostly of hills, which account for about 70% of its total area. Altitudes tend to be the highest to the south and west and the highest peak of the province, Huangmaojian Peak (1,929 meters or 6,329 feet), is located there. Other prominent mountains include Mounts Yandang, Tianmu, Tiantai and Mogan, which reach altitudes of 700 to 1,500 meters (2,300 to 4,900 ft).
Valleys and plains are found along the coastline and rivers. The north of the province lies just south of the Yangtze Delta and consists of plains around the cities of Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou, where the Grand Canal of China enters from the northern border to end at Hangzhou. Another relatively flat area is found along the Qu River around the cities of Quzhou and Jinhua.
Economy
Zhejiang is one of the richest and most developed provinces in China. As of 2022, its nominal GDP was US$1.15 trillion (CN¥ 7.77 trilion), about 6.42% of the country's GDP and ranked 4th among province-level administrative units; the province's primary, secondary and tertiary industries were worth CN¥232.48 billion (US$34.56 billion), CN¥3.3205 trillion (US$493.67 billion) and CN¥4.2185 trillion (US$627.18 billion) respectively. Its nominal GDP per capita was US$17,617 (CN¥118,496) and ranked the 6th in the country. The private sector in the province has been playing an increasingly important role in boosting the regional economy since reform and opening up in 1978.
Demographics
Han Chinese make up the vast majority of the population and the largest Han subgroup are the speakers of Wu varieties of Chinese. There are also 400,000 members of ethnic minorities, including approximately 200,000 She people and approximately 20,000 Hui people. Jingning She Autonomous County in Lishui is the only She autonomous county in China.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Zhejiang (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Zhejiang: Key Facts
| Population | 64,567,588 (2020) |
|---|---|
| Area | 101,800 km² |
| Capital | Hangzhou |
| Head of government | Wang Hao |
| Highest point | Huangmaojian Peak |
Facts from Wikidata Q16967 (CC0).
History of Zhejiang: Empires and States
The atlas records 31 polities whose mapped territory included part of Zhejiang, from Spring and Autumn States in 750 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Spring and Autumn States | 750–501 BCE |
| Wu | 750–481 BCE |
| Yue | 500–334 BCE |
| Warring States China | 480–219 BCE |
| Chu | 333–224 BCE |
| Minyue | 333–203 BCE |
| Qin Dynasty | 218–209 BCE |
| The Han Dynasty | 202 BCE – 206 CE |
| Xin Dynasty | 6–29 CE |
| Eastern Wu | 207–282 CE |
| Western Jin | 283–425 CE |
| Liu Song Dynasty | 426–479 CE |
| Southern Qi | 480–509 CE |
| Liang Dynasty | 510–560 CE |
| Chen Dynasty | 561–591 CE |
| Sui Dynasty | 592–625 CE |
| The Tang Dynasty | 626–910 CE |
| Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms | 911–979 CE |
| Wuyue | 911–979 CE |
| Northern Song | 980–1138 CE |
| The Song Dynasty | 980–1278 CE |
| Southern Song | 1139–1278 CE |
| The Mongol Empire | 1279–1293 CE |
| Yuan Dynasty | 1294–1374 CE |
| The Ming Dynasty | 1375–1644 CE |
| Southern Ming | 1645–1652 CE |
| The Qing Dynasty | 1653–1911 CE |
| Republic of China | 1912–1949 CE |
| Kuomintang | 1917–1929 CE |
| Empire of Japan | 1938–1945 CE |
| People's Republic of China | 1950–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Zhejiang
Zhejiang 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.
Largest Cities in Zhejiang
13 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 | Hangzhou | 3.01 million | Zhejiang | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Wenzhou | 2.35 million | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 3 | Ningbo | 1.92 million | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 4 | Huzhou | 1.23 million | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 5 | Jinhua | 1.09 million | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 6 | Jiaxing | 988,000 | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 7 | Shaoxing | 777,000 | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 8 | Fuyang | 771,000 | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 9 | Jiaojing | 471,500 | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 10 | Quzhou | 370,000 | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 11 | Linhai | 251,759 | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 12 | Huangyan | 198,713 | Zhejiang | Populated place |
| 13 | Lishui | 172,777 | Zhejiang | Populated place |
Largest Lakes in Zhejiang
2 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 | Tai Hu | 2,509 km² | Lake |
| 2 | Xinanjiang Shuiku | 588 km² | Reservoir |
Ports in Zhejiang
6 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 | Wenzhou | 53 m | Minor | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 2 | Zhen Hai | 49.4 m | Very Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 3 | Zhapu | 42.1 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 4 | Ningbo | 42.1 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | large vessels |
| 5 | Lanshan | 27.4 m | Very Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | medium vessels |
| 6 | Zhoushan | 9.1 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | large vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Zhejiang
3 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 | West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou | 2011 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (vi) |
| 2 | Grand Canal | 2014 | Cultural | (i) (iii) (iv) (vi) |
| 3 | Liangzhu site | 2019 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) |
Zhejiang: Quick Answers
- Where is Zhejiang?
- Zhejiang is a first-level division of China, in Asia. Its mapped cities centre on 29.4292° N, 120.4591° E.
- What is the largest city in Zhejiang?
- Hangzhou is the largest city mapped in Zhejiang, with a metropolitan population of about 3.01 million.
- How many cities are in Zhejiang?
- YearMaps maps 13 cities and towns in Zhejiang, with a combined metropolitan population of about 13.60 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the largest lake in Zhejiang?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside Zhejiang is Tai Hu, at about 2,509 km².