Liaoning
Province of northeast China, bounded to the east by Jilin, to the southeast by North Korea, to the south by Korea Bay and the Gulf of Liaodong, to the southwest by Hebei, and to the northwest by Inner Mongolia; area 151,000 sq km/58,300 sq mi; population (2000 est) 42,380,000. The capital is Shenyang, and other cities and towns include Anshan, Fushun, Liaoyang, and Dalian (port). The province includes the Dongbei (Manchurian) Plain and the grasslands of the Mongolian Plateau. Liaoning is the leading province of China for heavy industry, especially coal and iron and steel, while other industries include nonferrous metals, machinery, and chemicals as well as lighter industries such as textiles, paper, and food processing. Agricultural products include cereals. Liaoning was developed by Japan between 1905 and 1945, including the Liaodong Peninsula, whose ports had been conquered from the Russians.
History
In the early 17th century the Manchus built up a powerful state in the area of the present province of Liaoning, and used it as a base from which to conquer the rest of China. The Manchu (Qing) dynasty attempted to restrict Chinese immigration into
Manchuria and it was not until the early 20th century that the Dongbei (or Manchurian) Plain became well populated. Liaoning's modern development was linked with railway building, particularly with the construction of the line between Shenyang and Beijing, and a north–south line reaching the sea at Dalian, constructed originally by the Russians in the early years of the 20th century. Manchuria was seized by Japan in 1932 and the Japanese greatly accelerated industrial development in Liaoning. Major coal and iron mines were expanded and the province's iron- and steel-making capacity greatly increased.
Topography The province consists of two different sections. The eastern two-thirds contain most of the population and are part of the Dongbei (formerly Manchurian) Plain. The western section consists of sparsely populated grasslands which are part of the Mongolian Plateau. The Liao River flows through the province and into the Gulf of Liaodong. |
Climate Liaoning has hot summers, with July average temperatures ranging from 21°C/70°F to 25°C/77°F; and cold winters, with January temperatures averaging from −5°C/23°F to −17°C/1°F. The warmest part of the province is in the coastal south. Nearly two-thirds of the Liaoning's annual precipitation falls in the summer; the average annual rainfall ranges from 1,200 mm/47 in on the Liaodong Peninsula to 400 mm/16 in in the west of the province. |
Economy The central and eastern parts of Liaoning are a very productive agricultural area. Over two-thirds of the land is devoted to cereal farming, principally maize with wheat and sorghum. Soybeans, cotton, tobacco, and peanuts are also grown. |
| The principal coalmines are at Fushun and Fuxin, and the most important centre for iron and steel manufacturing is the large industrial city of Anshan. Dalian, a major port, has a large number of foreign-invested factories. |
