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Aarhus
Aarhus (Danish pronunciation: [ˈɒːhuːˀs] (
listen)) is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark. Aarhus is the seat of the council of Aarhus municipality with 315,193 inhabitants and 252,213 (1 January 2012) in the inner urban area. According to Aarhus municipality, the "Greater Aarhus" area has a population of about 1.2 million people. The city claims the unofficial title "Capital of Jutland".
Aarhus is the main and biggest city in the East Jutland metropolitan area (Danish: Byregion Østjylland), which is a co-operation in eastern Jutland with 17 municipalities. With more than 1.2 million people living in the East Jutland metropolitan area it represents approximately 23% of the population of Denmark. Aarhus has the second-largest urban area in Denmark after Copenhagen.
The city was mentioned for the first time by Adam of Bremen who stated that "Reginbrand, bishop of the church of Aarhus (Harusa)" participated in a church meeting in the city of Ingelheim in Germany.
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Acheng District
Acheng District (Chinese: 阿城区; pinyin: Àchéng Qū; also spelled Ashihe, Ashehe, or, until 1909, Ashihho; Manchu: Alchuka) is an administrative county-level district of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. The city, located at 45°32′N 126°59′E / 45.533°N 126.983°E / 45.533; 126.983 at an elevation of 140 m (462 ft) with a population of 234,057 (est. 1999), is 29 km southeast of the city of Harbin, 190 km north of Jilin, and around 50 km south of the Songhua River; it lies within the basin of the Ashi River (阿什河; Wade-Giles, A-shih River). Its administrative jurisdiction (shìqū or "urban area") covers an area of 2,680 km² and includes over eleven towns, five rural areas, 126 villages, and five subdistricts, with a total population of over 650,000.
The city of Acheng has a long history. It is the site of the ruins of Huining, a prefecture in Shangjing which served as the first capital (1115–1153) of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). There is currently a museum at the site, about 2 km south of the Acheng urban area.
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Aimin District
Aimin District (simplified Chinese: 爱民区; traditional Chinese: 愛民區; pinyin: Àimín Qū) is a district and the seat of the city of Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
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Anchorage
Anchorage (officially called the Municipality of Anchorage) is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the 64th-largest city and northernmost major city in the United States. With 291,826 residents in 2010 (and 380,821 residents within its Metropolitan Statistical Area, which combines Anchorage with the neighboring Matanuska-Susitna Borough), it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population; amongst the 50 states, only New York has a higher percentage of residents who live in the state's largest city.
Anchorage has been named All-America City four times, in 1956, 1965, 1984/1985 and 2002, by the National Civic League. It has also been named by Kiplinger as the most tax friendly city in the United States.
Russian presence in south central Alaska was well established in the 19th century. In 1867, U. S. Secretary of State William H. Seward brokered a deal to purchase Alaska from a debt-ridden Imperial Russia for $7.2 million (about two cents an acre). The deal was lampooned by political rivals as "Seward's folly", "Seward's icebox" and "Walrussia". By 1888, gold was discovered along Turnagain Arm.
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Ang'angxi District
Ang'angxi (Chinese: 昂昂溪; pinyin: Áng'ángxī) is a county-level district of the city of Qiqihar in Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It has an area of 623 km² and a population of approximately 90,000. Its postcode is 161031.
Ang'angxi has jurisdiction over subdistricts, one ethnic township and two townships.
Subdistricts:
Ethnic Township:
Townships:
Coordinates: 47°09′14″N 123°48′17″E / 47.15389°N 123.80472°E / 47.15389; 123.80472
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Anhui
Coordinates: 31°50′N 117°0′E / 31.833°N 117°E / 31.833; 117
Anhui (Chinese: 安徽; pinyin: Ānhuī; Wade–Giles: An-hui, Mandarin pronunciation: [ánxwéi]) is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny section in the north. The capital of the province is Hefei.
The name "Anhui" derives from the names of two cities in south Anhui, Anqing and Huizhou (now Huangshan City). The abbreviation for Anhui is "皖" (Wǎn), because there were historically a State of Wan, a Mount Wan, and a Wan river in the province.
The province of Anhui was formed in the seventeenth century. Before then, there was no coherent concept of "Anhui". Northern Anhui was firmly a part of the North China Plain in terms of culture, together with modern-day Henan province. Central Anhui constituted most of the fertile and densely-populated Huai He River watershed. Southern Anhui, along the Yangtze, was closer to Hubei and southern Jiangsu provinces in culture. Finally, the hills of southeastern Anhui formed a unique and distinct cultural sphere of its own.
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Aral, Xinjiang
Aral, Ala'er or Alar (simplified Chinese: 阿拉尔; traditional Chinese: 阿拉爾; pinyin: Ālā'ěr; Uyghur: ئارال, ULY: Aral is a sub-prefecture-level city in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in the People's Republic of China.
This is the city of Tarim University, which was created to assist in the development of the area, that extends into the Taklamakan Desert. This has been achieved by irrigation. Aral has a population of over 200,000.
See also: Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
Coordinates: 40°30′56″N 81°15′49″E / 40.51556°N 81.26361°E / 40.51556; 81.26361
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Australia
Australia (
/əˈstreɪljə/), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent as well as the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.
For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of roughly 250 language groups. After discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing Crown Colonies were established.
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Austria
Austria (
i/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] ( listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.
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Baiquan County
Baiquan County (simplified Chinese: 拜泉县; traditional Chinese: 拜泉縣; pinyin: Bàiquán Xiàn) is a county of western Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Qiqihar.
The population of the district was 566,959 in 1999.
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Baoqing County
Baoqing County (simplified Chinese: 宝清县; traditional Chinese: 寶清縣; pinyin: Bǎoqīng Xiàn) is a county of southeastern Heilongjiang province, Northeast China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Shuangyashan.
Baoqing has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa/Dwb), with long, bitterly cold, but dry winters, and humid, very warm summers. The monthly daily mean temperature in January, the coldest month, is −18.1 °C (−0.6 °F), and July, the warmest month, averages +22.0 °C (71.6 °F), with an average annual temperature +3.65 °C (38.6 °F), for the period of 1957–1990.
The population of the district was 416,075 in 1999.
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Baotou
Baotou (simplified Chinese: 包头; traditional Chinese: 包頭; pinyin: Bāotóu, Mongolian:
Buɣutu) is a mid-sized industrial city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, its urban areas are home to a population of approximately 1.78 million, with a total population of over 2.65 million accounting for counties under its jurisdiction. The city's Mongolian name means "place with deer", and an alternate name in Chinese is "Lùchéng" (鹿城), meaning "Deer City".
Baotou is divided into 10 county-level divisions, including 7 districts,1 county and 2 banners.
The area now known as Baotou was inhabited since ancient times by nomads, most notably the Mongols. Near the end of the Han Dynasty, Lü Bu, a particularly noteworthy warrior, was born here. Compared to the capital, Hohhot, Baotou's construction as a city came relatively late, being incorporated as a town in 1809. The city's site was chosen because it was in an arable region of the Yellow River's Great Bend.
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Bayan County
Bayan County (simplified Chinese: 巴彦县; traditional Chinese: 巴彥縣; pinyin: Bāyàn Xiàn) is a county of south-central Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, under the jurisdiction of the provincial capital of Harbin.
The population of the district was 677,955 in 1999.
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Bei'an
Bei'an (Chinese: 北安; pinyin: Běi'ān）is a city in Heilongjiang province in the People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of Heihe. Bei'an was the provincial capital of Bei'an province of Manchukuo, a puppet state set up by Japan during the Second World War.
Coordinates: 48°14′20″N 126°30′11″E / 48.239°N 126.503°E / 48.239; 126.503
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Beihai
Beihai (Chinese: 北海) (formerly Pakhoi) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Guangxi, People's Republic of China. The name of the city means "north of the sea" in Chinese, signifying its status as a seaport on the north shore of the Gulf of Tonkin, which has granted it historical importance as a port of international trade for Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. Between the years 2006 and 2020, Beihai is predicted to be the world's fastest growing city. Beihai has a large shipyard, but most of the money generated in the city is derived from trade.
The dialect spoken throughout Beihai is "Baihua" a Cantonese dialect; Mandarin is not often used or spoken by the population, though it is the official language used in government, business and post-elementary-level education throughout mainland China.
It governs the small islands of Weizhou and Xieyang, and is directly north of Hainan Island.
Beihai contains three districts and one county, which are subdivided into five urban sub-districts, 23 towns, 3 townships, 87 neighborhood committees, 343 village committees. (see also Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China#Levels)
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Beijing
Beijing ( /beɪˈdʒɪŋ/; Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng, [peɪ˨˩ t͡ɕiŋ˥]), formerly romanized as Peking ( /piːˈkɪŋ/ or /peɪˈkɪŋ/), is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The metropolis, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government, with 14 urban and suburban districts and two rural counties. Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast.
Beijing is China's second largest city by urban population after Shanghai and is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's largest state-owned companies. Beijing is a major transportation hub in the national highway, expressway, railway and high-speed rail network. Beijing's Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic.
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Benxi
Benxi (Chinese: 本溪; pinyin: Běnxī) is a prefecture-level city located in the east of Liaoning province in Northeast China, south-southeast of Shenyang. Its population is 1,709,538 at the 2010 census whom 959,610 in the built up area It was founded as a metallurgical center in 1915. Benxi Iron and Steel Company ("Bengang") is the largest employer in the city, and used to be the 4th largest steel company in China. The second largest industry in Benxi is coal mining. Benxi has pollution problems due to steel production and coal mining.
The worst coal mining disaster in the world took place on April 26, 1942 in Benxihu Colliery. A coal-dust explosion killed 1,549 miners working that day.
During the disaster of Air France flight AF447, Benxi Iron and Steel Company lost 5 employees, including the executive Chen Chiping who was the wife of Liaoning's provincial governor.
Benxi contains 4 districts and 2 autonomous counties for the Manchu nation:
Within these there are 25 counties, 40 villages and towns, 229 communities and 289 village committees.
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Binhai New Area
Binhai New Area (simplified Chinese: 滨海新区; traditional Chinese: 濱海新區)，also known as Binhai (simplified Chinese: 滨海; traditional Chinese: 濱海), is a major economic development zone within the jurisdiction of Tianjin municipality in China. Binhai New Area is located on the coast, east of Tianjin, and is centered on the Circum-Bohai-Sea Region. Binhai New Area is a new growth area in China. By the end of 2010, 285 Fortune Global 500 companies had invested and established branch offices there. Binhai is intended to be a base for China's advanced industrial and financial reform and innovation. A number of major companies including Rockefeller, TISHMAN SPEYER, Motorola, Airbus have built branches there. For instance, EADS Airbus has already opened an assembly plant for its A320 series airliners, operational since 2009. The Binhai New Area is intended to replicate development seen in Shenzhen and Pudong, Shanghai. It is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the PRC, and experimental reforms are taking place throughout the zone.
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Brazil
Brazili/brəˈzɪl/ (Portuguese: Brasil, IPA: [bɾaˈziw]), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil, listen (help·info)), is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people. It is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the largest lusophone country in the world.
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 km (4,655 mi). It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French overseas region of French Guiana; on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Numerous archipelagos form part of Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks, and Trindade and Martim Vaz. It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile.
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until 1815, when it was elevated to the rank of kingdom and the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was formed. The colonial bond was in fact broken in 1808, when the capital of the Portuguese colonial empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, after Napoleon invaded Portugal.Independence was achieved in 1822 with the formation of the Empire of Brazil, a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system. The country became a presidential republic in 1889, when a military coup d'état proclaimed the Republic, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to the ratification of the first constitution in 1824. Its current Constitution, formulated in 1988, defines Brazil as a Federal Republic. The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities.
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Bucheon
Bucheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Bucheon is a satellite city of Seoul, 25 km away. It is sandwiched between Incheon and Seoul. Manufacturing operations are located in the city.
Bucheon promotes itself as the cultural centre of the Seoul Metropolitan Area. The Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra is located there and an annual international film festival is held in July, called the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFAN.
Bucheon's institutions of higher education include: Bucheon College, Yuhan College, Catholic University of Korea Bucheon campus, and Seoul Theological University.
In 1914, some areas of Incheon City and Bupyeong County were joined together under the name Bucheon. In 1931, Gyenam township (myeon, 계남면) was renamed Sosa township (myeon, 소사면). In 1941, Sosa township promoted to eup (town) status. After independence from Japan, the westernmost area of Bucheon was set apart and joined to Incheon city once again.
January 1, 1963, several districts were combined to form Yeongdeungpo-gu (영등포구) of Seoul Metropolitan City as below.
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Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan de Oro; ( /kəˈɡaɪən deɪ ˈɔəroʊ/ kə-GY-ən day OHR-oh; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Cagayan de Oro; Filipino: Lungsod ng Cagayan de Oro), officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines. It lies along the northern coastline of the island of Mindanao in the country's southern portion.
It is the regional center of Northern Mindanao, and the metropolitan center of Metro Cagayan de Oro. According to the 2010 Census, the city has an estimated population of 602,088 inhabitants.
Cagayan de Oro is known as the "City of Golden Friendship" (Dakbayan sa Bulawanong Panaghigala-ay in Cebuano, as the phrase appears on the city's seal). The name Cagayan de Oro may appear abbreviated as CDO, CDOC, CdeO or Cag. de Oro.
There are also other places in the Philippines with a Cagayán name. One must distinguish Cagayan de Oro from Cagayan province in Northern Luzon and the Cagayan Islands in the Sulu Sea.
The name Cagayán de Oro can be traced back during the arrival of the Spanish Augustinian Recollect friars in 1622, the area around Himologan (now Huluga), was already known as "Cagayan".
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Canada
Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9,900,000 km2 (3,800,000 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy; the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on Britain.
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Changchun
Changchun (Chinese: 长春; pinyin: Chángchūn Manchu: ᠴᠠᠩ ᠴᡠᠨ, Cang cun) is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the center of the Songliao Plain. It is administered as a sub-provincial city with a population of 7,677,089 at the 2010 census under its jurisdiction, including counties and county-level cities. The name, which means "Long Spring", originated from the Jurchen language. The 6 urban districts of Changchun's city proper have a total population of 3,341,700 in 2010 which correspond to the built up area.
Changchun started as a minor trading town. In 1800, Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty selected a small village on the east bank of the Yitong River and named it "Changchun Ting." In 1889, it was promoted as "Changchun Fu".
In May 1898, as Russians were building a railway from Harbin to Lüshun (the southern branch of the Chinese Eastern Railway), Changchun got its first railway station, located in Kuancheng.
After Russia's loss of the southernmost section of this branch as a result of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Kuancheng station (Kuanchengtze, in contemporary spelling) became the last Russian station on this branch. The next station to the south - the new "Japanese" Changchun station, just a short distance to the south - became the first station of the South Manchuria Railway, which now owned all the tracks running farther south, to Lüshun, which they re-gauged to the standard gauge (after a short stint of using the narrow Japanese gauge during the war).
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Changsha
Changsha (simplified Chinese: 长沙; traditional Chinese: 長沙; pinyin: Chángshā; Wade–Giles: Chang-sha) is the capital city of Hunan, in south-central China, located on the lower reaches of Xiang river, a branch of the Yangtze River. Its municipality covers an area of 11,819 sq. kilometers and, according to the 2010 Census, a population of 7,044,118 inhabitants.
Changsha was important from the time of the Qin dynasty (221–207 BC). In AD 750–1100 Changsha was an important commercial city, and its population increased greatly. Under the Qing dynasty, from 1664, it was the capital of Hunan province, and it was a major rice market. It was besieged during the Taiping Rebellion but never fell. Changsha was the site of Mao Zedong's conversion to communism. It was the scene of major battles in the Sino-Japanese War of 1937–45 and was briefly occupied by the Japanese. Rebuilt since 1949, the city is now a major port and a commercial and industrial center.
The origins of the name "Changsha" are lost in antiquity. The name first appears in the 11th century BC, during the reign of King Cheng of the Zhou dynasty, a vassal lord from the Changsha area sent a type of softshell turtle known as "Changsha softshell turtle" (Chinese: 长沙鼈) as tribute to the Zhou king. In the 2nd century AD, historian Ying Shao wrote that the Qin dynasty use of the name Changsha for the area was a continuance of its old name.
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Chengzihe District
Chengzihe District is a district of Jixi, Heilongjiang, China.
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China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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Dailing District
Dailing District (simplified Chinese: 带岭区; traditional Chinese: 帶領區; pinyin: Dàilǐng Qū) is a district of the city of Yichun, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
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Dalian
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Danzhou
Danzhou (Chinese: 儋州; pinyin: Dānzhōu) is a city in the northwest of the Chinese island province of Hainan. It is a County-level city administered directly by the province.
The city's population was 829,567 in 1999.
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Daoli District
Daoli District (Chinese: 道里区; Pinyin: Dàolǐ Qū) is one of the oldest districts in the city of Harbin in the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. It is located on the Songhua River.
Nowadays, Daoli District is also famous because of Zhong Yang Street (Central Street, also known as Kitaiskaia Street), which is one of the main business streets in Harbin.
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Daowai District
Daowai District (simplified Chinese: 道外区; traditional Chinese: 道外區; pinyin: Dàowài Qū) is a district of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
Coordinates: 45°47′31″N 126°38′56″E / 45.79194°N 126.64889°E / 45.79194; 126.64889
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Datong
Coordinates: 40°05′N 113°18′E / 40.083°N 113.3°E / 40.083; 113.3
Datong (Chinese: 大同; pinyin: Dàtóng; Wade–Giles: Ta-t'ung) is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of 1,040 metres (3,410 ft). It has a population of 3,318,057 at the 2010 census of whom 1,447,150 live in the built up area made of 3 out of 4 urban districts (City, Mining and Nanjiao).
Near here was the Beidi kingdom of Tai which was conquered by the Zhou dynasty in 457BC. It bordered on the Hu nomads and traded in horses. Tai was later a commandery or county.
The town was founded as Píngchéng (平城) in 200 BC during the Han Dynasty, after the Battle of Baideng between the Han and the Xiongnu. Located near the Great Wall Pass to Inner Mongolia. It blossomed during the following period and became a stop-off point for Camel Caravans moving from China into Mongolia and beyond. It was sacked at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Pingcheng became the capital of Northern Wei from 398 AD until 494 AD. The famous Yungang Grottoes (云冈石窟 Yúngāng Shíkū) were constructed during the later part of this period (460 – 494 AD).
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Daugavpils
Daugavpils (pronounced [ˈdaʊɡaʊpils] ( listen)) is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some 230 km to its north-west. Daugavpils has a favorable geographical position as it borders Belarus and Lithuania (distances of 33 and 25 km respectively). It is located some 120 km from the Latvian border with Russia. Daugavpils is a major railway junction and industrial centre.
The city is surrounded by many lakes and nature parks.
Historically, several names in various languages have identified Daugavpils. Some are still in use today.
Here is a chronology of name changes:
The city has a moderate continental climate.
As of 1 January 2012, the city had a population of 101,057.
In Daugavpils 55% of the voters supported the proposal to make Russian the second state language in the 2012 referendum.
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Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark, pronounced [ˈkɔŋəʁiːəð ˈdanmɑɡ̊] ( listen)) is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting the country of Denmark in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. The kingdom is a unitary state with some power being devolved from Denmark proper to Greenland and the Faroe Islands; this polity is referred to as the Danish Realm. Denmark proper is the hegemonial area, where judicial, executive, and legislative power resides. The Faroe Islands are defined to be a community of people within the kingdom, and the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.
Denmark is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, located southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland and many islands, most notably Zealand, Funen, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm, as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago.
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Didao District
Didao District (simplified Chinese: 滴道区; traditional Chinese: 滴道區; pinyin: Dīdào Qū) is a district of the city of Jixi, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
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Dong'an District
Dong'an District (simplified Chinese: 东安区; traditional Chinese: 東安區; pinyin: Dōng'ān Qū) is a district of the city of Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
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Dongfang, Hainan
Dongfang (simplified Chinese: 东方; traditional Chinese: 東方; pinyin: Dōngfāng; literally "the East") is one of the 7 county-level cities of Hainan Province, People's Republic of China. It is located on the western coast of Hainan Island facing Vietnam across the Gulf of Tonkin, and in 2004 had a population of 435,000.
Dongfang has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen Aw).Monsoonal influences are strong, and the two seasons are the wet season and the dry season (November to April), where little rainfall occurs (January to March). Rainfall is heaviest and most frequent from August to October, when typhoons may strike, and averages an annual total of 960 millimetres (38 in), lower than many locations on the island. The city receives ample sunshine, amounting to 2560 hours annually.
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Dongning County
Dongning County (simplified Chinese: 东宁县; traditional Chinese: 東寧縣; pinyin: Dōngníng Xiàn; literally "eastern tranqulity") is a county of southeastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Mudanjiang.
The population of the district was 205,016 in 1999.
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Edmonton
Edmonton /ˈɛdməntən/ is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, Canada. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.
The city and its census metropolitan area had populations of 812,201 and 1,159,869 as of the 2011 Census respectively, making it Alberta's second-largest city, Canada's fifth-largest municipality and Canada's sixth-largest metropolitan area by population. Edmonton is the northernmost North American city with a metropolitan population over one million. A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian.
The majority of Edmonton's metropolitan population lives within the City of Edmonton rather than in the surrounding suburban municipalities. Historically, Edmonton was surrounded by few other urban municipalities (Strathcona, Beverly and Jasper Place being the largest) but these were absorbed through amalgamation or annexation. Edmonton annexed a significant amount of land up until the early 1980s, and as a result it has sustained much of the region's suburban growth within its own boundaries.
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Ekhuruleni
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa. The name Ekurhuleni means place of peace in Tsonga. Ekurhuleni is one of the 5 districts of Gauteng province of South Africa and one of the 8 metropolitan municipalities of South Africa. The seat of Ekurhuleni is Germiston. The largest language group among its 2,480,260 people is Zulu (2001 Census). OR Tambo International Airport is in the Kempton Park area of Ekurhuleni. An Integrated Transport Plan has been initiated to allow Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality to confidently develop a transport system within its responsibilities over the next 5 years.
The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:
The following statistics are from the 2001 census.
Ekurhuleni uses an Executive Mayor-Mayoral Committee system. The Executive Mayor is elected by council and selects the 10 member Mayoral Committee to run the government. There is a strong separation of power between the legislative and executive branch of council.
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Fangzheng County
Fangzheng County (simplified Chinese: 方正县; traditional Chinese: 方正縣; pinyin: Fāngzhèng Xiàn) is a county of southern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, under the jurisdiction of the provincial capital of Harbin.
The population of the district was 230,000.
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Finland
Coordinates: 65°N 27°E / 65°N 027°E / 65; 027
Finlandi/ˈfɪnlənd/ ( Finnish: Suomi; Swedish: Finland (help·info)), officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.
Around 5.4 million people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the southern region. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in Helsinki and local governments in 336 municipalities, and an autonomous region of the Åland Islands. About one million residents live in the Greater Helsinki area, which consists of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa, and a third of the country's GDP is produced there. Other larger cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti and Kuopio.
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Foshan
Foshan (Chinese: 佛山; pinyin: Fóshān, pronounced [fwɔ̌ ʂán]), is a city in central Guangdong province in southern China. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km² and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper (year 2000 figures).
It is shown on some older maps as 'Fatshan', which is a phonetic spelling of the city's Cantonese name. Today many areas of Foshan city are occupied mostly by Chinese migrants coming from different provinces of China and speak only Mandarin, while its native dialect is a Foshan variant of Cantonese.
The town of Foshan is many centuries old, and was famous for its porcelain industry. Now, the third largest city in Guangdong, it has become relatively affluent compared to other Chinese cities, and is home to many large private enterprises. Foshan has recently seen a transformation brought by China's booming economy. Foshan is also famous for its martial arts. It contains numerous Wing Chun schools where many come to train and spar.
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Fujian
Coordinates: 25°54′N 118°18′E / 25.9°N 118.3°E / 25.9; 118.3
Fujian (help·info) (Chinese: 福建), formerly romanised as Fukien or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait. The name Fujian came from the combination of Fuzhou and Jianzhou (a former name for Jian'ou) two cities in Fujian, during the Tang Dynasty. With a Han majority, it is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse provinces in China.
Most of Fujian is administered by the People's Republic of China. However, the archipelagos of Kinmen and Matsu are under the control of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Thus, there are two provinces (in the sense of government organizations): the Fujian Province administered by the People's Republic of China and the Fujian Province of the Republic of China.
Recent archaeological discoveries demonstrate that Fujian had entered the Neolithic Age by the middle of the 6th millennium BC. From the Keqiutou site (7450–5590 BP), an early Neolithic site in Pingtan Island located about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Fuzhou, numerous tools made of stones, shells, bones, jades, and ceramics (including wheel-made-ceramics) have been unearthed, together with spinning wheels, a definitive evidence of weaving.
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Fularji District
Fularji (simplified Chinese: 富拉尔基区; traditional Chinese: 富拉爾基區; pinyin: Fùlā'ěrjī Qū) is a district of the city of Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Qiqihar.
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Fushun
Fushun (simplified Chinese: 抚顺; traditional Chinese: 撫順; pinyin: Fǔshùn) is a prefecture level city in Liaoning province, China, about 45 km east from Shenyang, with a population of about 2,138 090 inhabitants at the 2010 census and an area of 11,271 km2, including 713 km2 of the city proper. Fushun is situated on the Hun River or "muddy river" in English. It was formerly called Fouchouen in French. The film The Lover starring Tony Leung Ka Fai described a love story between a young French woman and a young man from Fouchouen. The city was occupied by Russia until 1905 and by Japan until 1945.
Fushun is a highly industrialized area. It has developed as a thriving center for fuel, power and raw materials but is also offering more and more opportunities in textiles and electronics. It is connected by rail with nearby Shenyang and with Dalian. The world's largest artificial pit, known as the Magnificent West Pit, is located not far from the downtown. It is an open-pit coal mine, being in operation since about the 12th century. Fushun has a major aluminum-reduction plant and factories making automobiles, machinery, chemicals, cement, and rubber.
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Fuzhou
Fuzhou (Chinese: 福 州; pinyin: Fúzhōu, [fǔtʂóʊ] ( listen); Fuzhou dialect: Hók-ciŭ) is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong (闽东, lit. East of Fujian) linguistic and cultural area.
Fuzhou's core counties lie on the north (or left) bank of the estuary of Fujian's largest river, the Min River. All along its northern border lies Ningde, and Ningde's Gutian County lies upriver. Fuzhou's counties south of the Min border on Putian, Quanzhou, Sanming and Nanping municipalities. Its population is 7,115,370 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 4,408,076 inhabitants are urban standing around 61.95%, while rural population is at 2,707,294 standing around 38.05%.
In older publications, the name "Fuzhou" was variously romanized as Foochow, Fuchow, Fuh-chau, Fuh-Chow, Hock Chew or Hokchew.
The Yuanhe Maps and Records of Prefectures and Counties, a Chinese geographical treatise published in the 9th century AD, says that Fuzhou's name came from "Mt. Fu", a mountain located northwest of the city. The mountain's name was then combined with -zhou, meaning "settlement" or "prefecture", in a manner similar to many other Chinese cities. During the Warring States Period, the Han Chinese referred to the Fuzhou area as Ye (Chinese: 冶), though they did not conquer the area until the Qin Dynasty. The city's name was changed numerous times between the 3rd and 9th centuries AD before finally settling on Fuzhou in 948.
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Gannan County
Gannan County (Chinese: 甘南县; Pinyin: Gānnán Xiàn) is a county in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, China, about 50 km northwest of the city seat of Qiqihar.
Coordinates: 47°55′N 123°30′E / 47.917°N 123.5°E / 47.917; 123.5
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Gansu
Coordinates: 38°0′N 102°20′E / 38°N 102.333°E / 38; 102.333
Gansu (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 甘肃; traditional Chinese: 甘肅; pinyin: Gānsù; Wade–Giles: Kan-su, Kansu, Kan-suh) is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.
It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east. The Yellow River passes through the southern part of the province.
Gansu has a population of 26 million (2009) and has a large concentration of Hui Chinese, and the historical home, along with Shaanxi of the dialect of the Dungans, who are Hui who migrated to Central Asia. The southwestern corner of Gansu is home to a large Tibetan population. The capital is Lanzhou, located in the southeast part of the province. Gansu is abbreviated as "甘" (Gān) or "陇" (Lǒng), and is also known as Long West or Long Right, in reference to the Long Mountain east of Gansu.
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Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
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Giv'atayim
Giv'atayim (Hebrew: גִּבְעָתַיִם, lit. "two hills") is a city in Israel east of Tel Aviv. It is part of the metropolitan area known as Gush Dan. Givatayim was established in 1922 by pioneers of the Second Aliyah. It has a population of 53,000.
The name of the city comes from the "two hills" on which it was established: Borochov Hill and Kozlovsky Hill. Kozlovsky is the highest hill in the Gush Dan region at 85 meters above sea level. The city expanded in the 1930s so that today it is actually situated on 3 hills, Borochov, Kozlovsky and Rambam Hill.
Archaeological ruins date settlement on the site of what is now Giv'atayim back to the Calcolithic period. The modern town was founded on April 2, 1922 by a group of 22 Second Aliyah pioneers led by David Schneiderman. The group purchased 300 dunams (300,000 square metres (3,200,000 sq ft)) of land on the outskirts of Tel Aviv that became the Borochov neighborhood, the first workers' neighborhood in the country. It was named for Dov Ber Borochov, founder of the Poalei Zion workers' party. Later, another 70 families joined the group, receiving smaller plots. The land was purchased with their private savings, but was voluntarily transferred to the Jewish National Fund, which organized Jewish settlement at the time, in keeping with the pioneers' socialist beliefs.
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Gongnong District
Gongnong District (simplified Chinese: 工农区; traditional Chinese: 工農區; pinyin: Gōngnóng Qū) is a district of the city of Hegang, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
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Greater Khingan
The Greater Khingan Range (simplified Chinese: 大兴安岭; traditional Chinese: 大興安嶺 pinyin: Dà Xīng'ānlǐng; Mongolian: Их Хянганы нуруу; Manchu: ᠠᠮᠪᠠ᠋ ᡥᡳᠨ᠋ᡤᡤᠠᠨ, Amba Hinggan), also called the Greater Hing'an Range or Greater Hinggan Range, is a volcanic mountain range in the northeastern part of the People's Republic of China. The range extends roughly 1,200 km from north to south, narrowing toward the south. It divides the Manchurian plain of northeastern China to the east from the Mongolian Plateau of Inner Mongolia to the west.
The area has an elevation of 1,200 to 1,300 metres, with the highest peak reaches 2,035 metres. The range is much broader in the north (306 km (190 mi)) than it is in the south (97 km (60 mi)). It was formed during the Jurassic Period (roughly 200 to 145 million years ago), and is essentially a tilted fault block; its ancient fault line forms its eastern edge, facing the Northeast Plain. The ranges are markedly asymmetrical, with a sharp eastern face and a more gentle western slope down to the Mongolian Plateau at an elevation of 790–1,000 m (2,590–3,300 ft). The eastern slopes are more heavily dissected by the numerous tributaries of the Nen and Sungari rivers, but generally the mountains are rounded with flat peaks. The ranges are composed largely of igneous rocks (i.e., formed through the solidification of magma).
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Greece
Greecei/ˈɡriːs/ (Greek: Ελλάδα, Ellada, IPA: [eˈlaða] ( listen) historically in Katharevousa and Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, Hellas, IPA: [eˈlas] and [helːás] respectively), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Elliniki Dimokratia, IPA: [eliniˈci ðimokraˈtia]), is a country in Southern Europe, politically considered part of Western Europe.Athens is the capital and the largest city in the country (its urban area also including Piraeus). The population of the country is around 11 million.
Greece has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands (approximately 1,400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).
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Guangdong
Coordinates: 23°24′N 113°30′E / 23.4°N 113.5°E / 23.4; 113.5
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province. It surpassed Henan and Sichuan to become the most populous province in China in January 2005, registering 79 million permanent residents and 31 million migrants who lived in the province for at least six months of the year. The provincial capital Guangzhou and economic hub Shenzhen are amongst the most populous and important cities in China.
Since 1989 Guangdong has topped the total GDP rankings among all provincial-level divisions, with Jiangsu and Shandong second and third in rank. According to provincial annual preliminary statistics, Guangdong's GDP in 2010 reached CNY 4,550 billion, or USD 689.02 billion, making its economy roughly the same size as that of Turkey or Indonesia. Guangdong has the fourth highest GDP per capita among all provinces of mainland China, after Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Liaoning. The province contributes approximately 12% of the PRC's national economic output, and is home to the production facilities and offices of a wide-ranging set of multinational and Chinese corporations. Guangdong also hosts the largest Import and Export Fair in China called the Canton Fair in Guangdong's capital city Guangzhou.
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Guangzhou
Guangzhou (Chinese: 广州; Mandarin pronunciation: [kwɑ̀ŋʈʂóʊ̯]), known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about 120 km (75 mi) north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port. One of the five National Central Cities, it holds sub-provincial administrative status.
Guangzhou is the third largest city in China and southern China's largest city. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 12.78 million. Some estimates place the population of the entire Pearl River Delta Mega City built up area as high as 40 million including Shenzhen (10.36 million), Dongguan (8.22 million) and most parts of Foshan (7.19 million), Jiangmen (4.45 million), Zhongshan (3.12 million) and a small part of Huizhou adjoining Dongguan and Shenzhen, with an area of about 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) (about the size of US state of New Jersey). In 2008 Guangzhou was identified as a Beta World City by the global city index produced by GaWC.
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Guiyang
Guiyang (simplified Chinese: 贵阳; traditional Chinese: 貴陽; pinyin: Guìyáng) is the capital of Guizhou province of Southwest China. It is located in the centre of the province, situated on the east of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wu River. The city has an elevation of about 1,100 meters. It has an area of 8,034 square kilometers. Its population is 4,324,561 at the 2010 census whom 3,037,159 live in the built up area made of 7 urban districts.
The city was first constructed as early as 1283 AD during the Yuan Dynasty. It was originally called Shunyuan (順元), meaning obeying the Yuan (the Mongol rulers).
Originally the area was populated by non-Chinese. The Sui Dynasty (AD 581–618) had a commandery there, and the Tang dynasty (618–907) a prefecture. They were, however, no more than military outposts, and it was not until the Yuan (Mongol) invasion of southwest China in 1279 that the area was made the seat of an army and a "pacification office." Chinese settlement in the area also began at that time, and, under the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, the town became the seat of a superior prefecture named Guiyang.
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Haikou
Hǎikǒu (Chinese: 海口), is the capital and most populous city of Hainan province, People's Republic of China. It is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. The northern part of the city is the district of Haidian Island, which is separated from the main part of Haikou by the Haidian River, a branch of the Nandu.
Administratively, Haikou is a prefecture-level city, comprising four districts, and covering 2,280 square kilometres (880 sq mi). There are 2,046,189 inhabitants in the built up area all living within the 4 urban districts of the city.
Haikou was originally a port city. Today, more than half of the island's total trade still goes through its ports. The city is home to Hainan University, which has its main campus on Haidian Island.
The hanzi characters comprising the city's name, 海口, mean ocean/sea and mouth/port, respectively. Thus, the name "Haikou" is also a word for "seaport". Haikou originally served as the port for Qiongshan, the ancient administrative capital of Hainan island, located some 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) inland to the south east. During its early history Haikou was a part of Guangdong province. In the 13th century it was fortified and became a military post under the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). The port is located west of the mouth of the Nandu River, Hainan's principal river. When Qiongshan was opened to foreign trade under the Treaty of Tianjin in 1858, Haikou started to rival the old administrative city. In 1926, Haikou overtook Qiongshan in population and it was declared a separate administrative city. Haikou was developed as a port during the Sino-Japanese War (1937–45) when the Japanese invaded and occupied Hainan Island from early 1939 to 1945.
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Hailun
Hailun (simplified Chinese: 海伦; traditional Chinese: 海倫; pinyin: Hǎilún) is a city in west-central Heilongjiang province, Northeast China. Administratively, it is a county-level city of Suihua City.
Hailun is located on the Songnen Plain, with the Lesser Khingan mountain range to the west. Its administrative area ranges in latitude from 46° 58' to 47° 52' N, and in longitude from 126° 14' to 127° 45' E.
Hailun has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb/Dwa), with long, bitterly cold, but dry winters, and humid, very warm summers. The monthly daily mean temperature in January, the coldest month, is −21.7 °C (−7.1 °F), and July, the warmest month, averages +21.8 °C (71.2 °F), with an average annual temperature +2.03 °C (35.7 °F). Close to two-thirds of the annual precipitation falls in the months of June to August. Extreme temperatures have ranged from −21.7 to 37.7 °C (-7 to 100 °F).
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Handan
Handan (simplified Chinese: 邯郸; traditional Chinese: 邯鄲; pinyin: Hándān) is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China. It borders Xingtai on the north, Shanxi province on the west, Henan province on the south and Shandong province on the east.
Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of Zhao by Qin except for the Dai Commandery. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang visited the city once and ordered all enemies of his mother to be buried alive.
Handan was still regarded as a commercial centre during the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties (206 BCE–220 CE) but slowly it declined, perhaps because of the numerous battles that ravaged northern China following the Han Dynasty. Handan is now mainly an industrial city. It still has some attractions, most derived from Zhao folklore such as the road into which Lin Xiangru, courier of the precious jade He Shi Bi, backed in order to let his nemesis Lian Po pass first as well as the location in which Lian Po begged for Lin Xiangru's forgiveness.
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Harbin
Harbin (Chinese: 哈尔滨; pinyin: Hā'ěrbīn [xɑ́ɻpín]); Manchu language: 15px, Harbin; Russian: Харбин́ Kharbin listen (help·info)), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, as well as the tenth most populated city in the People's Republic of China. According to the 2010 China census data, the city's municipal area has 5,878,939 inhabitants, while the total population of the sub-provincial city is 10,635,971. Harbin serves as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural and communications hub in Northeast China.
Harbin is originally a Manchu word meaning "a place for drying fishing nets." It is known for its bitterly cold winters and is often called the "Ice City." Lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River, Harbin is well known for its beautiful ice sculptures in winter and its Russian legacy and still plays an important part in Sino-Russian trade today. In the 1920s, the city was considered China's fashion capital as new designs from Paris and Moscow reached there first before arriving in Shanghai.
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Hebei
Coordinates: 39°18′N 116°42′E / 39.3°N 116.7°E / 39.3; 116.7
Hebei (help·info) (Chinese: 河北; pinyin: Héběi; Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "冀" (jì), named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province (zhou) that included what is now southern Hebei. The name Hebei means "north of the river", referring to its location completely above the Yellow River.
In 1928, Hebei was formed after the central government dissolved the province of Chih-li (直隸), which means "Directly Ruled (by the Imperial Court)".
Beijing and Tianjin Municipalities, which border each other, were carved out of Hebei. The province borders Liaoning to the northeast, Inner Mongolia to the north, Shanxi to the west, Henan to the south, and Shandong to the southeast. Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea is to the east. A small part of Hebei, an exclave disjointed from the rest of the province, is wedged between the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin.
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Hefei
Hefei (Chinese: 合肥, p Héféi, w Ho-fei) is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui. Located in the central portion of the province, it borders Huainan to the north, Chuzhou to the northeast, Chaohu to the southeast and Lu'an to the west.
Hefei has an area of 7,048 km² and, as of 2010 Census, a population of 5,702,466 inhabitants. Its built-up area ("metro") is home to 3,352,076 inhabitants encompassing all urban districts.
From the 8th to the 6th century BC, Hefei was the site of many small states, later a part of the Chu kingdom. Many archaeological finds dating from this period have been made. The name Hefei was first given to the county set up in the area under the Han dynasty in the 2nd century BC. During the 4th to the 6th century AD, this crucial border region between northern and southern states was much fought over; its name and administrative status were consequently often changed. During the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) periods, it became the seat of Lu prefecture — a title it kept until the 15th century, when it became a superior prefecture named Luzhou.
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Heihe
Heihe (Chinese: 黑河; pinyin: Hēihé; "Black River") is a city in Heilongjiang, China.
It is located at 50°14′42″N 127°28′54″E / 50.245°N 127.48167°E / 50.245; 127.48167, on the Russian border, on the south bank of the Amur River, across the river from the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk. Heihe has a urban population of about 211,313, while the total population of the prefecture-level city is 1,673,893.
Heihe marks the northeast terminus of the Heihe-Tengchong Line.
Heihe, formerly Aihui or Aigun, is among one of the five oldest cities in Heilongjiang Province, along with Tsitsihar, Yilan, Acheng and Hulan. Human being started to settle in Heihe region as early as the Paleolithic Age. Later it became home to local tribes. During the Qing Dynasty, Heihe was the first place troops sent to Heilongjiang were stationed. The predecessor of today's Heihe was the town established in 1683 some 30 km south of the modern city site (in today's Aihui District) and was known as Aigun, Heilongjiang, or Saghalien Ula. (The two last names both mean "the Black Dragon River" - the name for the Amur River in Chinese and Manchu, respectively). Aigun was the capital (the seat of the Military Governor) of Heilongjiang Province from 1683 to 1690, before the capital was moved to Nenjiang (Mergen). Later the governor office was transferred to Qiqihar. However, Aigun remained the seat of the Deputy Lieutenant-General (Fu dutong), responsible for a large district covering much of the Amur Valley within the province of Heilongjiang as it existed in those days.
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Hengshan District
Hengshan District (simplified Chinese: 恒山区; traditional Chinese: 恒山區; pinyin: Héngshān Qū) is a district of the city of Jixi, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
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Hohhot
Hohhot (Mongolian:
, Chinese: 呼和浩特; pinyin: Hūhéhàotè, abbreviated Hū Shì (Chinese: 呼市); also romanized as Huhehot or Huhhot), is a city in north-central China and the capital of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, serving as the region's administrative, economic, and cultural centre.
The city was founded by Mongol ruler Altan Khan in the late 16th century. It was chosen as the region's administrative centre in 1952, replacing Ulanhot. A city with a rich cultural background, Hohhot is known for its historical sites and temples and is one of the major tourist destinations of Inner Mongolia. It is also nationally known as the home of China's dairy giants Mengniu and Yili, and was declared "Dairy Capital of China" by the China Dairy Industry Association and the Dairy Association of China in 2005.
The name of the city in Mongolian means "Blue City." The color blue in Mongolian culture is associated with the sky, eternity and purity; in Chinese, the name can be translated as Qīng Chéng (Chinese: 青城), literally, "Blue/Green City."
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Hong Kong
Coordinates: 22°16′42″N 114°09′32″E / 22.27833°N 114.15889°E / 22.27833; 114.15889
Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港) is one of two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is known for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong's population is 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other groups. Hong Kong's Han Chinese majority originate mainly from the cities of Guangzhou and Taishan in the neighbouring Guangdong province.
Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and then the New Territories in 1898. It was occupied by Japan during the Pacific War, after which the British resumed control until 1997, when China resumed sovereignty. The region espoused minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism during the colonial era. The time period greatly influenced the current culture of Hong Kong, often described as "East meets West", and the educational system, which used to loosely follow the system in England until reforms implemented in 2009.
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Honggang District
Honggang District (simplified Chinese: 红岗区; traditional Chinese: 紅崗區; pinyin: Hónggǎng Qū) is a district of the city of Daqing, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
Coordinates: 46°19′26″N 124°54′33″E / 46.32381°N 124.90925°E / 46.32381; 124.90925
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Hongxing District
Hongxing District (simplified Chinese: 红星区; traditional Chinese: 紅星區; pinyin: Hóngxīng Qū; literally "red star") is a district of the city of Yichun, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
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Huachuan County
Huachuan County (simplified Chinese: 桦川县; traditional Chinese: 樺川縣; pinyin: Huàchuān Xiàn) is a county of eastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Jiamusi.
The population of the district was 212,323 in 1999.
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Huanan County
Huanan County (simplified Chinese: 桦南县; traditional Chinese: 樺南縣; pinyin: Huànán Xiàn) is a county of eastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Jiamusi.
The population of the district was 426,246 in 1999.
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Hubei
Hubei (help·info) (Chinese: 湖北; pinyin: Húběi; Wade–Giles: Hu-pei; Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting. The provincial capital is Wuhan.
Hubei is officially abbreviated to "鄂" (È), an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin dynasty, while a popular name for Hubei is "楚" (Chǔ), after the powerful state of Chu that existed here during the Eastern Zhou dynasty. It borders Henan to the north, Anhui to the east, Jiangxi to the southeast, Hunan to the south, Chongqing to the west, and Shaanxi to the northwest. The high-profile Three Gorges Dam is located at Yichang, in the west of the province.
By the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC), the territory of today's Hubei was part of the powerful state of Chu. Chu was nominally a tributary state of the Zhou Dynasty, and it was itself an extension of the Chinese civilization that had emerged some centuries before in the north; but it was also culturally unique, and was a powerful state that held onto much of the middle and lower Yangtze River, with power extending northwards into the North China Plain.
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Hulan
Hulan District (simplified Chinese: 呼兰区; traditional Chinese: 呼蘭區; pinyin: Hūlán Qū) is a district of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
Coordinates: 45°53′20″N 126°35′16″E / 45.88889°N 126.58778°E / 45.88889; 126.58778
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Hulan District
Hulan District (simplified Chinese: 呼兰区; traditional Chinese: 呼蘭區; pinyin: Hūlán Qū) is a district of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
Coordinates: 45°53′20″N 126°35′16″E / 45.88889°N 126.58778°E / 45.88889; 126.58778
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Hulin
Hulin (Chinese: 虎林; pinyin: Hǔlín; literally "tiger forest") is a city on the Muling River in southeastern Heilongjiang province, Northeast China. With a population of around 200,000, it is under the administration of Jixi. Nearby are Khanka Lake, 51 kilometres (32 mi) to the southwest, the Usuri River, which forms the Russian border 38 kilometres (24 mi) to the east. The main agricultural products include soybeans, cattle, milk, various organic produces, and lumber.
Hulin has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb), with long, bitterly cold, but dry winters, and warm, humid summers. Highs range from −13.2 °C (8 °F) in January to 26.4 °C (80 °F) in July, and more than 2/3 of the year's precipitation occurs from June to September.
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Huma County
Huma County (simplified Chinese: 呼玛县; traditional Chinese: 呼瑪縣; pinyin: Hūmǎ xiàn; Manchu: Hūmar Siyan; Russian: Кумары) is a county in the far north of the Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. The county seat is located on the right (southwestern) bank of the Amur River, a few kilometers upstream from the fall of the Huma River (formerly also known as Houmar) into the Amur. It is under the administration of the Da Hinggan Ling Prefecture.
The opposite side of the Amur River is in Russia, where there is a village with the same name in Russified form, Kumara (Russian: Кумара)
Kumarsk, the predecessor of the present-day Huma, was a fortified Russian town in the Amur river region, founded in 1652 by Yerofey Khabarov and his companions, during his retreat from Achansk, corresponding to the present-day Khabarovsk, where he was besieged by Manchu and Daur allied forces.
On 13 March 1655, the Komar fortress, defended by the ataman Onufriy Stepanov and his 500 Cossacks, was besieged by a Qing army led by Mingandali (Ch: 明安达理) consisting of 10,000 men. The outnumbered defenders repulsed several assaults. The defeated Manchu lift the siege the following month (on 3 April 1655). The town was ceded to Qing Empire after the treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689.
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Inner Mongolia
Coordinates: 44°N 113°E / 44°N 113°E / 44; 113
Inner Mongolia (Mongolian: s
, Öbür Monggol and c Өвөр Монгол, Övör Mongol; Chinese: 内蒙古; pinyin: Nèi Měnggǔ, but officially romanized to Nei Mongol) is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation. Its capital is Hohhot and the largest city is Baotou.
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was established in 1947 on the area of former Republic of China provinces of Suiyuan, Chahar, Rehe, Liaobei and Xing'an along with the northern parts of Gansu and Ningxia. It is the third-largest subdivision of China spanning about 1,200,000 km² (463,000 sq mi) or 12% of China's total land area. It has a population of about 24 million as of 2004. The majority of the population in the region are Han Chinese, with a substantial Mongol minority. The official languages are Chinese and Mongolian, the latter written in the Mongolian script, as opposed to the Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet used in the state of Mongolia.
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Israel
Coordinates: 31°N 35°E / 31°N 35°E / 31; 35
Israel, officially the State of Israel ( /ˈɪzriːəl/ or /ˈɪzreɪəl/; Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Medīnat Yisrā'el, IPA: [me̞diˈnät jisʁäˈʔe̞l] ( listen); Arabic: دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل, Dawlat Isrāʼīl, IPA: [dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl]), is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on the southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south, and it contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel is defined as a Jewish and Democratic State in its Basic Laws and is the world's only Jewish-majority state.
Following the adoption of a resolution by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 29 November 1947 recommending the adoption and implementation of the United Nations plan to partition Palestine, on 14 May 1948 David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization and president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel, a state independent from the British Mandate for Palestine. Neighboring Arab states invaded the next day in support of the Palestinian Arabs. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied the West Bank, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Portions of these territories, including east Jerusalem, have been annexed by Israel, but the border with the neighboring West Bank has not yet been permanently defined.[neutrality is disputed] Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have so far not resulted in peace.
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Japan
Japan
i/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国 
Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.
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Jiagedaqi District
Jiagedaqi (Oroqen: Jagdaqi area with Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litvin; simplified Chinese: 加格达奇区; traditional Chinese: 加格達奇區; pinyin: Jiāgédáqí Qū) is a district and the seat of Da Hinggan Ling Prefecture, Northeast China. Its physical location is in Inner Mongolia, however, it is under the jurisdiction of Heilongjiang Province.
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Jianhua District
Jianhua District (simplified Chinese: 建华区; traditional Chinese: 建華區; pinyin: Jiànhuá Qū; literally "Build China") is a district of the city of Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
The area of the district is 81 square km, and holds a population of 220,000.
Coordinates: 47°19′26″N 124°05′23″E / 47.32389°N 124.08972°E / 47.32389; 124.08972
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Jianshan District
Jianshan District (simplified Chinese: 尖山区; traditional Chinese: 尖山區; pinyin: Jiānshān Qū) is a district and the seat of the city of Shuangyashan, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
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Jiayin County
Jiayin County (simplified Chinese: 嘉荫县; traditional Chinese: 嘉蔭縣; pinyin: Jiāyīn Xiàn) is a county of eastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun and the county seat lies on the southern (right) bank of the Amur River.
The population of the district was 77,929 in 1999.
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Jidong County
Jidong County (simplified Chinese: 鸡东县; traditional Chinese: 雞東縣; pinyin: Jīdōng Xiàn; literally "East of Jixi") is a county of southeastern Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. It is under the administration of Jixi City and is the location of Jixi Xingkaihu Airport.
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Jiguan District
Jiguan District (simplified Chinese: 鸡冠区; traditional Chinese: 雞冠區; pinyin: Jīguān Qū) is a district and the seat of the city of Jixi, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
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Jilin City
Jilin City (Chinese: 吉林市; pinyin: Jílín Shì, Manchu: ᡤᡳᡵᡳᠨ ᡥᠣᡨᠣᠨ, Girin Hoton) is the second-largest city and former capital of Jilin province in Northeast China. As of the 2010 census, 4,414,681 people resided within its administrative area of 27,120 square kilometres (10,470 sq mi) and 1,975,803 in its built-up area consisting of 4 urban districts. A prefecture-level city, it is the only major city in China that shares its name with its province.
Jilin City is also known as the River City because of the Songhua River surrounding much of the city. In 2007, it hosted the Asian Winter Games.
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Jinan
Coordinates: 36°40′N 116°59′E / 36.667°N 116.983°E / 36.667; 116.983
Jinan (Chinese: 济南; pinyin: Jǐnán; Mandarin pronunciation: [t͡ɕi˧˩nan˧˥];) is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub. The city, which holds sub-provincial administrative status, is located in north-western Shandong about 400 kilometres (250 mi) south of the national capital of Beijing, it borders Liaocheng to the southwest, Dezhou to the northwest, Binzhou to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Laiwu to the southeast, and Tai'an to the south.
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Jinshantun District
Jinshantun District (simplified Chinese: 金山屯区; traditional Chinese: 金山屯區; pinyin: Jīnshāntún Qū) is a district of the city of Yichun, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
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Jixian County
Jixian County (simplified Chinese: 集贤县; traditional Chinese: 集賢縣; pinyin: Jíxián Xiàn) is a county of eastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Shuangyashan.
The population of the district was 305,051 in 1999.
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Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately 3.5 million.
The city covers an area of 15 km². The altitude averages 1,289 m/4,282 ft. above sea level. The city is located in the western extremity of China, near the border with Tajikistan.
The modern Chinese name is 喀什 (Kāshí), a shortened form of the longer and less-frequently used (simplified Chinese: 喀什噶尔; traditional Chinese: 喀什噶爾; pinyin: Kāshígé’ěr). Ptolemy (AD 90-168), in his Geography, Chapter 15.3A, refers to Kashgar as “Kasia”. The name is Middle Iranic in its origin, meaning "Kush Mountains" (from gar/ghar, "mountain", and Kush/Kâsh, being the same as the ethnonym of the Kushan Empire and the Hindukush mountains in the neighboring Afghanistan.
An early Chinese name was 疏勒 (now Shule County), variously romanized as Su-leh, Sulei, Shule, Shu-le', She-le, Shu-lo or Sha-le, which perhaps represents either an original Solek or Sorak.[citation needed]
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Kedong County
Kedong County ( simplified Chinese: 克东县; traditional Chinese: 克東縣; pinyin: Kèdōng Xian ) is a county in Qiqihar in the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 20.83 km² and a population of about 280,000.
Kedong County include four towns and three townships.
Towns: Kedong, Yugang, Baoquan, Qianfeng Townships: Jincheng, Runjin, Changsheng
Coordinates: 48°00′N 126°20′E / 48°N 126.333°E / 48; 126.333
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Kefalonia
The island of Cephalonia, also known as Kefalonia, Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek: Κεφαλληνία; Modern Greek: Κεφαλονιά or Κεφαλλονιά; Italian: Cefalonia), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of 781 km². It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. The capital of Cephalonia is Argostoli.
The size of the island is ca. 780 km2 (300 mi2), and the present population density is 55 people per km2 (140/mi2). The town of Argostoli has one-third of the island's inhabitants. Lixouri is the second major settlement, and the two towns together account for almost two-thirds of the prefecture's population.
Cephalonia is in the heart of an earthquake zone, and dozens of minor or unrecorded tremors occur each year. In 1953, a massive earthquake almost destroyed all settlement on the island, leaving only Fiscardo in the north untouched.
Among important natural features are the Melissani and the Drogarati caves.
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Keshan County
Keshan County is a county in Heilongjiang, China, about 100 km northeast of Qiqihar. It is named from a city-shaped extinct volcano, which has a name of Erkeshan in its territory. Its total area is 3,632 square kilometres (1,402 sq mi), with a population of 460,000. Post Code: 161610. The government of Keshan county is located in Keshan Town.
Coordinates: 48°11′N 125°44′E / 48.183°N 125.733°E / 48.183; 125.733
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Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk (Russian: Хабаровск; IPA: [xɐˈbarəfsk]) is the largest city and the administrative center of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. It is located 30 kilometers (19 mi) from the Chinese border. It is the second largest city in the Russian Far East, after Vladivostok. The city became the administrative center of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia in 2002. Population: 577,668 (2010 Census preliminary results); 583,072 (2002 Census); 600,623 (1989 Census).
The city lies at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about 800 kilometers (500 mi) north of Vladivostok and is accessible from there by an overnight train running along the Trans-Siberian Railway. Rail distance from Moscow is 8,523 kilometers (5,296 mi).
The lands near the confluence of the Ussuri and the Amur Rivers, where today's Khabarovsk stands, have been populated by many centuries by Tungusic people, probably related to the Jurchens of the past and/or the Nanais of the present day. Chinese expeditions reached this area as early as the first half of the 15th century, when the fleets of the Ming eunuch Yishiha sailed several times from Jilin City all the way to Tyr on the lower Amur.
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Kobe
Kobe (神戸市, Kōbe-shi?, Japanese pronunciation: [koːbe]), is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately 30 km (19 mi) west of Osaka. With a population of about 1.5 million, the city is part of the Keihanshin (Keihanshin) metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kyoto.
The earliest written records regarding the region come from the Nihon Shoki, which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in AD 201. For most of its history the area was never a single political entity, even during the Tokugawa Period, when the port was controlled directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kobe did not exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. Its name comes from "kanbe" (神戸?), an archaic title for supporters of the city's Ikuta Shrine. Kobe became one of Japan's 17 designated cities in 1956.
Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the West following the end of the policy of seclusion and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port city. While the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake diminished much of Kobe's prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth busiest container port. Companies headquartered in Kobe include ASICS, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Kobe Steel, as well as over 100 international corporations with Asia or Japan headquarters in the city such as Procter & Gamble, Boehringer-Ingelheim and Nestlé. The city is the point of origin and namesake of Kobe beef as well as the site of one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, Arima Onsen.
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Krasnodar
Krasnodar (Russian: Краснода́р; IPA: [krəsnɐˈdar]) is a city in Southern Russia, located on the Kuban River about 148 kilometers (92 mi) northeast of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Krai (also known as Kuban). Population: 744,933 (2010 Census preliminary results); 646,175 (2002 Census); 620,516 (1989 Census).
It was founded on January 12, 1794 (Gregorian calendar) as Yekaterinodar (Екатеринода́р). The original name meant "Catherine's Gift" simultaneously in recognition of Catherine the Great's grant of land in the Kuban region to the Black Sea Cossacks (later the Kuban Cossacks) and in recognition of Saint Catherine, the Martyr, who is considered to be the patron of the city. After the October Revolution, Yekaterinodar was renamed Krasnodar (December 1920). There is meaning for the new communist name of the city: Krasno- (Красно-), meaning 'red' (especially relevant considering the political atmosphere of the time); and -dar (-дар), meaning 'gift'. Thus, the city's name means red gift (i.e. 'gift of the reds').
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Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk (Russian: Красноярск; IPA: [krəsnɐˈjarsk]) is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk and Omsk, with a population of 973,891 (2010 Census preliminary results). Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of aluminium.
The city is notable for its nature landscapes; author Anton Chekhov judged Krasnoyarsk the most beautiful city in Siberia.
The total area of the city, including suburbs and the river, is 348 square kilometers (134 sq mi).
The Yenisei River flows from west to east through the city. Due to the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric dam 32 kilometers (20 mi) upstream, the Yenisei never freezes in winter and never exceeds +14 °C (57 °F) in summer through the city. Near the city center, its elevation is 136 meters (446 ft) above sea level. There are several islands in the river, the largest of which are Tatyshev and Otdyha Isles, used mainly for recreation.
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Kunming
Kunming (Chinese: 昆明, pinyin: Kūnmíng; UN/LOCODE:CNKMG) is the capital and largest city of Yunnan (云南) Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou (云南府, Yúnnánfǔ) until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government. It is also home to several universities, museums, galleries and other important economic, cultural, and educational institutions. The headquarters of many of Yunnan's large businesses are in Kunming as well. It was important during World War II as a Chinese military center, American air base, and transport terminus for the Burma Road. Located in the middle of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Kunming is located at an altitude of 1,900 m above sea level and at a latitude just north of the Tropic of Cancer. It covers an area of 21,473 square kilometres (8,291 sq mi) and its urban area covers 2,081 km2 (803 sq mi). Kunming has population of 6,432,212 including 3,055,000 in the urban area and is located at the northern edge of the large Lake Dian, surrounded by temples and lake-and-limestone hill landscapes.
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Lanxi County
Lanxi County (simplified Chinese: 兰西县; traditional Chinese: 蘭西縣; pinyin: Lánxī Xiàn) is a county of western Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Suihua.
The population of the district was 466,725 in 1999.
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Lanzhou
Lanzhou (simplified Chinese: 兰州; traditional Chinese: 蘭州; pinyin: Lánzhōu; Postal map spelling: Lanchow) is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country. Lanzhou is home to 3,616,163 inhabitants at the 2010 census and 2,177,130 in the built-up area (urban) on 1,088 km².
Originally in the territory of the Western Qiang peoples, Lanzhou became part of the territory of Qin (state) in the 6th century BC.
In 81 BC, under the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), it was taken from the Huns' Huandi Chanyu and made the seat of Jincheng commandery (jùn), and later of the Jincheng county (xiàn), later renamed Yunwu. The city used to be called the Golden City, and since at least the first millennium BC it was a major link on the ancient Northern Silk Road, and also an important historic Yellow River crossing site. To protect the city, the Great Wall of China was extended as far as Yumen.
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Latvia
Latviai/ˈlætviə/ (Latvian: Latvija), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republika), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (border length 343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), to the east by the Russian Federation (276 km), to the southeast by Belarus (141 km), and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden. With 2,067,887 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) it is one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the European Union. The capital of Latvia is Riga. The official language is Latvian and the currency is called Lats (Ls). The country has a temperate seasonal climate.
The Latvians are a Baltic people, culturally related to the Lithuanians. Together with the Finno-Ugric Livs (or Livonians), the Latvians are the indigenous people of Latvia.Latvian is an Indo-European language and along with Lithuanian the only two surviving members of the Baltic branch. Indigenous minority languages are Latgalian and the nearly extinct Finno-Ugric Livonian language. In terms of geography, territory and population Latvia is the middle of three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia share a long common history: historical Livonia, times of German (Teutonic Order), Polish-Lithuanian, Swedish, Russian, Nazi German and Soviet rule, 13th century Christianization and 16th century Protestant Reformation. Both countries are home to a large number of ethnic Russians (26.9% in Latvia and 25.5% in Estonia) of whom some are non-citizens. Latvia is historically predominantly Protestant, except for the region of Latgalia in the southeast which is historically predominantly Roman Catholic.
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Lesser Khingan
Lesser Khingan (Chinese: 小兴安岭; pinyin: Xiǎo Xīng'ān Lǐng; Russian: Малый Хинган, Maly Khingan) is a mountain range in China's Heilongjiang Province and the adjacent parts of Russia's Amur Oblast and Jewish Autonomous Oblast.
In China, the Khingan mountains are divided into the higher and lesser Khingan.The Lesser Khingan mountain range runs roughly from the northwest to the southeast and separates the valley of the Amur (Heilongjiang) River from that of the Nenjiang River. The mountain range then turns toward the east and north-east, entering Russia. The Amur/Heilongjiang, which is a border river, forms a gorge when crossing the mountain range.
Coordinates: 48°47′30″N 127°12′30″E / 48.79167°N 127.20833°E / 48.79167; 127.20833
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Lhasa
Lhasa ( /ˈlɑːsə/, Tibetan: ལྷ་ས་གྲོང་ཁྱིར།, ZYPY: Lhasa Chongkyir, [l̥ásə] or [l̥ɜ́ːsə]; simplified Chinese: 拉萨; traditional Chinese: 拉薩; pinyin: Lāsà; sometimes spelled Lasa) is the administrative capital and a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. It is the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining, and at an altitude of 3,490 metres (11,450 ft), Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world. The city contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist sites such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang temple and Norbulingka palaces, many of which are located in Chengguan District, the city seat.
Lhasa literally means "place of the gods". Ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was called Rasa, which either meant "goats' place", or, as a contraction of rawe sa, a "place surrounded by a wall," or 'enclosure', suggesting that the site was originally a hunting preserve within the royal residence on Marpori Hill. Lhasa is first recorded as the name, referring to the area's temple of Jowo, in a treaty drawn up between China and Tibet in 822 C.E.
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Lianyungang
Lianyungang (simplified Chinese: 连云港; traditional Chinese: 連雲港; pinyin: Liányúngǎng) is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. It borders Yancheng to its southeast, Huai'an and Suqian to its south, Xuzhou to its southwest, and the province of Shandong to its north. Its name derives from Lian Island (formally Dongxilian Island) the largest island in Jiangsu Province which lies off its coastline, and Yuntai Mountain, the highest peak in Jiangsu Province, a few miles from its town center, and the fact that it is a port.
Lianyungang (as Yuntai Mountain) was known in the West as Haichow (Wade-Giles romanization). This was one of the four original ports opened up for foreign trade in the 1680s by the Qing Dynasty Government. The others were Ningbo, Xiamen and Guangzhou.
Lianyungang is situated between 118°24' and 119°48' east longitude and 34°11' and 35°07' north latitude. Lianyungang covers an area of 7,777 km².
The temperature in Lianyungang can reach average highs of 30°C in the summer and drop to as low as -4°C in the winter. The vast majority of precipitation occurs between June and August, where it can measure up to 278mm of rainfall on average. Winter precipitation is quite low, making snowfall both rare and short-lived.
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Liaoning
Coordinates: 41°06′N 122°18′E / 41.1°N 122.3°E / 41.1; 122.3
Liaoning (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 辽宁; traditional Chinese: 遼寧; pinyin: Liáoníng; Manchu: ᠯᡳᠶᠣᠣ ᠨᡳᠩ, Liyoo ning) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" (pinyin: liáo), a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace". The modern province was established in 1907 as Fengtian province (奉天 pinyin: Fèngtiān; Postal map spelling: Fengtien; Manchu: ᠠᠪᡴᠠᡳ ᡳᠮᡳᠶᠠᠩᡤᠠ, Abkai imiyangga) and the name was changed to Liaoning in 1929. Under the Japanese puppet Manchukuo regime, the province reverted to its 1907 name, but the name Liaoning was restored in 1945.
Liaoning is located in the southern part of the Northeast, and is often called "the Golden Triangle" because of its superior geographical location, with the Yellow Sea (Korea Bay) and the Bohai Sea in the south, North Korea in the southeast, Jilin province to the northeast, Hebei province to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the northwest. The Yalu River marks the border between North Korea and the province. It empties into the Korea Bay between Dandong, Liaoning and Sinŭiju, North Korea.
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Lindian County
Lindian County (Chinese: 林甸县) is a county of roughly 10,000 inhabitants in the northeastern area of China, within the province Heilongjiang and in Daqing. It is famous or being the "Number Two Hot Spring City" in China.
Lindian is the name both for a Chinese country and for the main town of the county.
Lindian County is divided into two towns and six townships, among which, the Town of Lindian serves as the political and transportation center of the county.
Geographically, Lindian county is located form 124°18'E to 125°21'E and 46°44'N to 47°29'N with a total area of 3746 square kilometers including 1160 square kilometers cultivated land.
The county has a total and agricultural population of 260,000 and 198,000, respectively. Ninety nine percent of the total population is Han people and peoples of eleven other ethnic groups such as Mongolian, Hui, Manchu and Korean are living mixed with them. The natural growth rate of its population is below 0.41 percent.
Lying on the alluvial plain of Songhua-Nen and with the Wuyuer River and Shuangyang River flowing across its land, Lindian County possesses 210 square kilometers of water surface and 2100 square kilometers of wetland. It covers part of Zhalong Nature Reserve, which is listed in the World Important Wetland Contents in 1992 by the United Nations, and also owns Xiaoheishan Natural Reserve. In the reserve regions are dwelling 13 different types of cranes including the rare red-crowned crane and 181 other water birds such as swans, wild goose, white storks and mandarin ducks.
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Linkou County
Linkou County (Chinese: 林口县; pinyin: Línkǒu Xiàn) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Mudanjiang.
The population of the district was 434,101 in 1999.
Coordinates: 45°21′N 130°08′E / 45.35°N 130.133°E / 45.35; 130.133
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Lishu District
Lishu District (simplified Chinese: 梨树区; traditional Chinese: 梨樹區; pinyin: Líshù Qū) is a district of the city of Jixi, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
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Longfeng District
Longfeng District (simplified Chinese: 龙凤区; traditional Chinese: 龍鳳區; pinyin: Lóngfèng Qū) is a district of the city of Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Daqing.
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Longjiang County
Longjiang (simplified Chinese: 龙江; traditional Chinese: 龍江; pinyin: Lóngjiāng) is a county in Qiqihar in the northern province of Heilongjiang of the People's Republic of China. It is the home of astronaut Zhai Zhigang.
The county has an area of 61.97 km² and a population of approximately 600,000.
Coordinates: 47°19′49″N 123°11′01″E / 47.33028°N 123.18361°E / 47.33028; 123.18361
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Longsha District
Longsha District (simplified Chinese: 龙沙区; traditional Chinese: 龍沙區; pinyin: Lóngshā Qū) is a district of the city of Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
Coordinates: 47°19′03″N 123°57′27″E / 47.3175°N 123.9575°E / 47.3175; 123.9575
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Luobei County
Luobei County (simplified Chinese: 萝北县; traditional Chinese: 蘿北縣; pinyin: Luóběi Xiàn) is a county of eastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Hegang.
The population of the district was 231,620 in 1999.
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Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou (simplified Chinese: 旅顺口; traditional Chinese: 旅順口; pinyin: Lǚshùnkǒu) is a district in the municipality of Dalian, People's Republic of China. Also called Lüshun City or (more literally) Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun.
Lüshunkou is located at the extreme southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. It has an excellent natural harbour, the possession and control of which became a casus belli of the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). Japanese and then Soviet administration would continue until 1953. During the first decade of that period, it was world famous and was more significant than the other port on the peninsula, Dalian proper. In Western diplomatic, news, and historical writings, it was known as Port Arthur, and during the period when the Japanese controlled and administered the Liaodong (formerly Liaotung) Peninsula it was called Ryojun (旅順), the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters in the city's name.
Downtown Dalian is some 40 miles farther up the coast, sprawling around the narrowest neck of the Liaodong Peninsula, whereas Lüshun occupies its southern tip. (See Landsat Map below Zoomed – Lushun City surrounds the lake-like structure clearly visible near the peninsular tip—the lake-like feature is the inner natural harbour of the port, a very well-sheltered and fortifiable harbor to 19th century eyes.)
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Macau
Coordinates: 22°10′N 113°33′E / 22.167°N 113.55°E / 22.167; 113.55
Macau (Chinese: 澳門), also spelled Macao ( /məˈkaʊ/), is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong-Kong which is to the east, bordering Guangdong province to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south.
The territory's economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, but also includes manufacturing.
Macau is a former Portuguese colony, and is both the first and last European colony in China. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover on 20 December 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operates with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer. Macau was first lent by the Chinese empire as a trading port in the 16th century, and had to administer the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty. In 1887, Macau became a colony of the Portuguese empire and its sovereignty transferred to the Portuguese.
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Mashan District
Mashan District (simplified Chinese: 麻山区; traditional Chinese: 麻山區; pinyin: Máshān Qū) is a district of the city of Jixi, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of the Jixi city.
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Meixi District
Meixi District (simplified Chinese: 美溪区; traditional Chinese: 美溪區; pinyin: Měixī Qū) is a district of the city of Yichun, Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
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Mingshui County
Mingshui County (明水县; pinyin: Míngshuǐ Xiàn) is a county of Heilongjiang Province, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Suihua. Its population was 336,649 as of 1999.
Coordinates: 47°11′N 125°53′E / 47.183°N 125.883°E / 47.183; 125.883
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Minneapolis
Minneapolis (pronunciation:i/ˌmɪniːˈæpəlɪs/), nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City", is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States. Its name is attributed to the city's first schoolteacher, who combined mni, the Dakota word for water, and polis, the Greek word for city.
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the city of Minneapolis is 382,578. Minneapolis lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, the state's capital. Known as the Twin Cities, Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with approximately 3.3 million residents. The city is abundantly rich in water, with over twenty lakes and wetlands, the Mississippi river, creeks and waterfalls, many connected by parkways in the Chain of Lakes and the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. Among cities of similar densities, Minneapolis has the most dedicated parkland. It was once the world's flour milling capital and a hub for timber, and today is the primary business center between Chicago and Seattle, with Minneapolis proper containing the fifth highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies. It has cultural organizations that draw creative people and audiences to the city for theater, visual art, writing, and music. The community's diverse population has a long tradition of charitable support through progressive public social programs and VOLAGs, as well as private and corporate philanthropy.
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Mishan
Mishan (密山市) is a Chinese city in the province of Heilongjiang. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Jixi.
From 698 to 936, the kingdom of Balhae occupied northern Korea and parts of Manchuria and Primorsky Krai, consisting of the Nanai, the Udege, and descendants of the Tungus-speaking people and the people of the recently fallen Goguryeo kingdom of Korea. The vicinity of Tongjiang was settled at this moment by Funie Mohe tribes (Hanja/Hanzi : 拂涅靺鞨 pinyin :Fúniè Mòhé Hangul : 불열말갈). These tribes were submitted to Balhae Kingdom under King Mun's reign (737-793).
Later, King Seon (r.818-830), administrated their territories by creating a prefecture in the neighbourhood : The Dongpyong Prefecture (Hanja :東平府 Hangul : 동평부) with Yiju (Hanja :伊州 Hangul : 이주), present-day Dangbi (Hanzi : 当壁 pinyin :Dāngbì ) as its administrative centre.
Coordinates: 45°32′47″N 131°52′40″E / 45.5464694444°N 131.877822222°E / 45.5464694444; 131.877822222
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Mohe County
Mohe County (simplified Chinese: 漠河县; traditional Chinese: 漠河縣; pinyin: Mòhé Xiàn) is the northernmost county in China, located in the Northeast's Heilongjiang province. The county is named after the Mohe, a Tungusic people of ancient Manchuria. A village, the northernmost settlement in China, at the latitude of 53° 29' N known as China's "Arctic Village" (北极村) lies in this county, on the Amur River, which forms the border with Russia. Here, the astronomical phenomenon of aurora borealis attracts domestic and foreign tourists to this village.
Mohe is located in the far northwest of Heilongjiang, the northernmost province of China. It is located at latitude 52° 10'−53° 33' N and 121° 07'−124° 20' E. It forms a border with Russia's Amur Oblast and Zabaykalsky Krai, where the Amur River flows for 245 kilometres (152 mi). The county spans 150 kilometres (93 mi) from north to south and has a total area of 18,233 square kilometres (7,040 sq mi), occupying 21.6% of the prefecture's (Da Hinggan Ling) area and 3.9% of the provincial (Heilongjiang) area. This creates a population density of only 4.64 persons/km2 (12.0 persons/sqmi).
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Mulan County
Mulan County (simplified Chinese: 木兰县; traditional Chinese: 木蘭縣; pinyin: Mùlán Xiàn) is a county of southern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, under the jurisdiction of the provincial capital, Harbin. The county is not related to the legendary person Hua Mulan.
The population of the district was 256,302 in 1999.
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Nancha District
The district of Nancha (南岔区 ; pinyin : Nánchà Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.
Coordinates: 47°02′10″N 129°14′45″E / 47.03611°N 129.24583°E / 47.03611; 129.24583
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Nanchang
Nanchang (Chinese: 南昌; pinyin: Nánchāng) is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. It is located in the north-central portion of the province. As it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake, it is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites. Owing to its central location relative to the Yangtze and Pearl River Delta regions, it is a major railroad hub in Southern China.
The modern Jiangxi area – including Nanchang – was first incorporated into Chinese territory during the Qin dynasty, when it was conquered from the Baiyue peoples and organized as Jiujiang Commandery (Chinese: 九江郡). In 201 BC, during the Han dynasty, the city was given the Chinese name Nanchang and became the administrative seat of Yuzhang Commandery (Chinese: 豫章郡), and was governed by Guan Ying (Chinese: 灌嬰), one of Emperor Gaozu of Han's generals. The name Nanchang means "southern flourishing", and is from a motto of developing what is now southern China that is traditionally attributed to Emperor Gaozu himself.
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Nanjing
Nanjing (Chinese: 南京; pinyin: Nánjīng; Wade–Giles: Nan-ching) is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions. Its present name means "Southern Capital" and was widely romanized as Nankin and Nanking until the Pinyin language reform, after which Nanjing was gradually adopted as the standard spelling of the city's name in most languages that use the Roman alphabet.
Located in the lower Yangtze River drainage basin and Yangtze River Delta economic zone, Nanjing has long been one of China's most important cities. It is recognized as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. It was the capital of Sun Quan's Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period and the capital of the Republic of China prior to its flight to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War. Nanjing is also one of the fifteen sub-provincial cities in the People's Republic of China's administrative structure, enjoying jurisdictional and economic autonomy only slightly less than that of a province. Nanjing has long been a national center of education, research, transport networks, and tourism. The city will host the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics.
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Nanning
Nanning (simplified Chinese: 南宁; traditional Chinese: 南寧; pinyin: Nánníng, Zhuang: Namzningz, meaning 'South Tranquility') is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.
A county seat called Jinxing was first established at the site in AD 318. This became the administrative seat of a commandery. Nanning was once the territory of the Baiyue people and became the capital of Jinxing Prefecture which was separated from Yulin Prefecture of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
In 589 the Jinxing commandery was dissolved, and the county was renamed Xuanhua. Under the Tang dynasty (618–907) the prefecture of Yong (邕州Yongzhou) was established there; it was garrisoned to control the non-Chinese districts in Guangxi and on the Yunnan–Guizhou provincial border. In the mid-9th century the Tang and the Yunnan state of Nanzhao fought over it, and after 861 it was briefly occupied by Nanzhao. It remained a frontier prefecture throughout the Song dynasty (960–1279), being the scene of a rebellion led by Nong Zhigao in 1052 and thereafter a garrison town.
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Nantong
Nantong (Chinese: 南通; pinyin: Nántōng; former names: Nan-t'ung, Nantung, Tongzhou, or Tungchow; Qihai dialect: [nie tʰoŋ]) is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, near the river mouth, Nantong is a vital river port bordering Yancheng to the north, Taizhou to the west, Suzhou and Shanghai to the south across the river, and the East China Sea to the east. The population is 7,282,835 at the 2010 census whom 1,994,708 live in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.
The prefecture-level city of Nantong administers 8 county-level divisions, including 3 districts and 3 county-level cities and 2 counties.
These are further divided into 146 township-level divisions.
Because the coast of the East China Sea is constantly moving eastward as the Yangtze River adds silt to its delta, the distance between Nantong and the seashore is getting farther than the one in ancient times. From the time of the Han dynasty through to the Tang dynasty, what is now called Nantong was a minor county subordinate to Yangzhou. By 958 AD a city of sufficient importance had developed for a new, independent prefecture called Tongzhou ("Opening Prefecture", possibly from its position near the mouth of the Yangtse) to be created. The increasing wealth of Yangzhou caused Tongzhou to be once again eclipsed as an administrative centre in 1368. When Tongzhou finally regained prefecture status in 1724, it was renamed Nantong ("Southern Tong") to avoid confusion with another Tongzhou, located near Beijing.
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Nehe City
Nehe (simplified Chinese: 讷河; traditional Chinese: 訥河; pinyin: Nèhé) is a county-level city of western Heilongjiang in Northeast China, It is located near the border with Inner Mongolia to the west and is under the administration of Qiqihar City, 144 kilometres (89 mi) to the north-northeast.
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Nen River
Nen River or Nenjiang (Chinese: 嫩江; pinyin: Nèn Jiāng, Wade-Giles: Nun-Chiang), or Nonni (Manchu:
; von Möllendorff transcription: Non ula) is a river in Northeast China. The Nen River flows through the northern part of Heilongjiang Province and the northeastern section of Inner Mongolia, some parts of the river forming the border between the two regions. At 1370 kilometres (850 mi) in length, the Nen River is the longest tributary of the Songhua River.
The Nen River flows in the general southern direction in a wide valley between the Greater Khingan and the Lesser Khingan mountain ranges in the west and east, respectively, and meets the Second Songhua River near Da'an[disambiguation needed
] to form the Songhua River .
The river is prone to flooding, as occurred most recently in 1998 and 2005.
Major tributaries of the Nen River include:
During the Qing Dynasty the Nenjiang provided an important communication route between southern Manchuria and the cities of Qiqihar and Mergen, both of which served at various points as capitals of the Qing Heilongjiang. A portage road connected the upper reaches of the Nenjiang with Aigun on the Amur as well.
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Nianzishan District
The district of Nianzishan (碾子山区 ; pinyin : Niǎnzishān Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Qiqihar.
Coordinates: 47°30′27″N 122°53′15″E / 47.50745°N 122.887398°E / 47.50745; 122.887398
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Ningbo
Ningbo (Chinese: 宁波; pinyin: Níngbō (help·info); Ningbo dialect: Nyin-poh/Nyin-pou (help·info)) is a seaport city in the northeast of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status and separate state-planning status, as of the 2010 census, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants, 3,491,000 of whom reside in the urban area which comprises 6 districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay, facing the East China Sea to the east. Ningbo borders Shaoxing to the west and Taizhou to the south, and is separated from Zhoushan by a narrow body of water.
The first character in the city's name (宁 or 寧) means "serene", while its second character (波) translates to "waves". Together, the name literally means "Serene Waves". The city is abbreviated Yǒng (甬), after the Yong Hill (甬山), a prominent coastal hill near the city, like the Yong River (甬江) that flows through Ningbo. The abbreviation Ning is used more commonly for Nanjing.
It was once named "明州" (Míngzhōu). The character Ming (明) was composed by two parts, representing two lakes inside the city wall, i.e., the Sun Lake (日湖) and the Moon Lake (月湖), but only Moon Lake remains.
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Norway
Norwayi/ˈnɔrweɪ/ (Norwegian: Norge (Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
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Philippines
The Philippinesi/ˈfɪlɨpiːnz/ FI-lə-peenz (Filipino: Pilipinas [ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs]), officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas) is a sovereign country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila.
With an estimated population of about 98 million people, the Philippines is the 7th most populated Asian country and the 12th most populated country in the world. An additional 12.5 million Filipinos live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants. They were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples who brought with them influences from Malay, Hindu, and Islamic societies. Trade introduced Chinese cultural influences which remain to this day.
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Pingfang District
Pingfang District (Chinese: 平房区; pinyin: Píngfáng Qū) is a district in the outskirts of Harbin, China (in the 1930s and 1940s a part of the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo). It was the headquarters of the Japanese Biological Warfare Unit 731 during the Japanese invasion of China and World War II. It had an airport, railway and dungeons. Most of Pingfang was burnt by the Japanese to destroy evidence but the incinerator where the remains of victims were burnt remains and is still in use as part of a factory.
Pingfang is an industrial center of Harbin now. Hafei (a factory producing helicopters, small airplanes, minivans, and cars), Dongan (a factory producing aircraft and automobile engines), and Northeast Light Alloy Processing Plant are the three major manufacturers there.
Coordinates: 45°36′N 126°38′E / 45.6°N 126.633°E / 45.6; 126.633
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Ploieşti
Ploiești (Romanian pronunciation: [ploˈjeʃtʲ]; older spelling: Ploești) is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located 56 km (35 mi) north of Bucharest.
According to the 2011 Romanian census, there were 197,542 people living within the city of Ploiești, making it the 9th most populous city in Romania.
WWII refineries
(monthly metric tonnes):
The town was established in 1596, during the reign of Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave). It rapidly flourished as a center for trade and handicraft manufacturing in the 17th and 18th centuries. The road connecting Ploieşti to Braşov was opened in 1864, and the railway arrived in 1882. Many schools and hospitals were built around this time.
In the mid-19th century, the Ploieşti region was one of the world's leading oil extraction and refinery sites. The city is also remembered as the site of the self-styled Republic of Ploieşti, a short-lived 1870 revolt against the Romanian monarchy.
Although badly damaged after the November 1940 earthquake, the city was a significant source of oil for Nazi Germany. A target of the Oil Campaign of World War II, Ploieşti was attacked repeatedly, such as during the HALPRO raid, and Operation Tidal Wave. Ploieşti was captured by Soviet troops in August 1944.
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Poland
Polandi/ˈpoʊlənd/ (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska; Kashubian: Pòlskô Repùblika; Silesian: Polsko Republika), is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi), making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and the sixth most populous member of the European Union, being its most populous post-communist member. Poland is a unitary state made up of 16 voivodeships. Poland is a member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Economic Area, International Energy Agency, Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, International Atomic Energy Agency, G6, Council of the Baltic Sea States, Visegrád Group, Weimar Triangle and Schengen Agreement.
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Pudong
Pudong (Chinese: 浦东; pinyin: Pǔdōng, lit "Huangpu East Bank") is an area of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from the historic city center of Shanghai in Puxi. Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial and commercial hub. It is principally administered as the Pudong New Area, a district of Shanghai.
Pudong is home to the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone and the Shanghai Stock Exchange and many of Shanghai's best-known buildings, such as the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jin Mao Building, the Shanghai World Financial Center. It is also the site of the future Shanghai Tower. These modern skyscrapers face directly across from Puxi's historic Bund, the remnant of Shanghai's former concessions.
Pudong refers to the land in the east of Huangpu River. Originally, the area was mainly farmland and countryside with some warehouses and wharfs near the shore. The parts closest to Puxi were administered by its districts, including Huangpu, Yangpu, and the former Nanshi District. The rest of the area was administered by Chuansha County.
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Qiezihe District
The district of Qiezihe (茄子河区 ; pinyin : Qiézihé Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Qitaihe.
Coordinates: 45°47′07″N 131°04′06″E / 45.78528°N 131.06833°E / 45.78528; 131.06833
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Qing'an County
Qing'an County (simplified Chinese: 庆安县; traditional Chinese: 慶安縣; pinyin: Qìng'ān Xiàn) is a county of west-central Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Suihua.
The population of the district was 366,985 in 1999.
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Qingdao
Qingdao (help·info) (Chinese: 青岛; pinyin: Qīngdǎo; Mandarin pronunciation: [tɕʰíŋtɑ̀ʊ̯]; German: Tsingtau) also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million (2010 census) in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.
It borders Yantai to the northeast, Weifang to the west and Rizhao to the southwest. The character 青 (qīng) in Chinese means "green" or "lush", while the character 岛 (dǎo) means "island". Qingdao is administered at the sub-provincial level.
Lying across the Shandong Peninsula while looking out to the Yellow Sea, Qingdao is a major seaport, naval base, and industrial centre. It is also the site of the Tsingtao Brewery. The world's longest sea bridge, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge, links the main urban area of Qingdao with Huangdao district, straddling the Jiaozhou Bay sea areas. In 2009, Qingdao was named China's most livable city.
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Qinggang County
Qinggang County (simplified Chinese: 青冈县; traditional Chinese: 青岡縣; pinyin: Qīnggāng Xiàn) is a county of western Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Suihua.
The population of the district was 426,961 in 1999.
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Qionghai
Qionghai (simplified Chinese: 琼海; traditional Chinese: 瓊海; pinyin: Qiónghǎi) is one of the 7 county-level cities of Hainan province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the east of the island at the mouth of the Wanquan River, 86 kilometres (53 mi) from the provincial capital of Haikou. It has an area of 1,692 square kilometres (653 sq mi) and in 2010, it had a population of 483,217.
The seat of government is at Jiaji (simplified Chinese: 嘉积; traditional Chinese: 嘉積; pinyin: Jiājī), previously Jiaji Town (simplified Chinese: 嘉积镇; traditional Chinese: 嘉積鎮; pinyin: Jiājī-zhèn), often now referred to simply as Qionghai. Bo'ao, seat of the Boao Forum for Asia, belongs to Qionghai city.
Qionghai has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am).Monsoonal influences are strong, with a relatively lengthy wet season and a pronounced dry season (January to March). Rainfall is heaviest and most frequent from August to October, when typhoons may strike, and is otherwise still common throughout the year, averaging an annual total of 2,060 millimetres (81 in). Humidity is consistently very high.
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Qiqihar
Qiqihar (simplified Chinese: 齐齐哈尔; traditional Chinese: 齊齊哈爾; pinyin: Qíqíhāěr; Manchu: Cicigar ᠴᡳᠴᡳᡤᠠᡵ; formerly Tsitsihar) is a major city in the Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. The municipal area has 1,514,188 inhabitants, while the total population of the prefecture-level city is 5,367,003 at the 2010 census. These are mainly Han Chinese, though the city is also home to thirty-four minorities including Manchu, Daur, and Mongolians. Close to Qiqihar are numerous wetlands and the Zhalong Nature Reserve, famous in China for being home to numerous red-crowned cranes.
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Qitaihe
Qitaihe (Chinese: 七台河; pinyin: Qītáihé) is a prefecture-level city in Heilongjiang province. Lying in the eastern part of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China and covering an area 6,223 square kilometers, Qitaihe is the smallest city among 13 prefecture and prefecture-level cities in this province. Qitaihe also has the second smallest population of the cities in Heilongjiang. At the 2010 census, its total population was 920,419, while 620,935 live in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.
Qitaihe's history can be stretched back to 3,000 years ago during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, when it was inhabited by the ancient Sushen group, the ancestors of the Manchu. In 1910, coal resources was found in Qitaihe. However, coal mining industry did not really start until The CPC Committee of Heilongjiang Province ordered Hegang Mining Bureau to take charge of the Extractive industries in Boli County in 1958. Qitaihe began its development. On Jan 26, 1961, Boli Mining Bureau was established. The CPC Central Committee and State Council approved to establish Qitaihe District(七台河特区) as a pilot of the combination of enterprise management and government administration. In 1970, Qitaihe District was changed into Qitaihe City(County-level), which is under the jurisdiction of Jiamusi. In 1983, Qitaihe was designated a Prefecture-level city, and Boli County was put into Qitaihe's jurisdiction.
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Ranghulu District
The district of Ranghulu (让胡路区 ; pinyin : Rànghúlù Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Daqing.
Coordinates: 46°34′16″N 124°54′27″E / 46.5711°N 124.9074°E / 46.5711; 124.9074
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Raohe County
Raohe County (simplified Chinese: 饶河县; traditional Chinese: 饒河縣; pinyin: Ráohé Xiàn) is a county of far eastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Shuangyashan.
The population of the district was 136,195 in 1999.
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Romania
Romania (i/roʊˈmeɪniə/ roh-MAY-nee-ə; dated: Roumania; or Rumania;Romanian: România [romɨˈni.a] ( listen)) is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Romania shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and Moldova to the northeast and east, and Bulgaria to the south.
At 238,400 square kilometers (92,000 sq mi), Romania is the ninth largest country of the European Union by area, and has the seventh largest population of the European Union with over 19 million people. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, the tenth largest city in the EU with about two million people.
The Kingdom of Romania emerged when the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were united under Prince Alexander Ioan Cuza in 1859. Independence from the Ottoman Empire was declared on 9 May 1877, and was internationally recognized the following year. At the end of World War I, Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia united with the Kingdom of Romania. Greater Romania emerged into an era of progression and prosperity that would continue until World War II. By the end of the War, many north-eastern areas of Romania's territories were occupied by the Soviet Union, and Romania forcibly became a socialist republic and a member of the Warsaw Pact.
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Russia
Russiai/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.
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Salvador, Brazil
Salvador (Portuguese pronunciation: [sawvaˈdoʁ], Saviour; historic name: Cidade de São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, in English: "City of the Holy Saviour of the Bay of all Saints") is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first colonial capital of Brazil, the city is one of the oldest in the Americas. For a long time, it was simply known as Bahia, and appears under that name (or as Salvador da Bahia, Salvador of Bahia so as to differentiate it from other Brazilian cities of the same name) on many maps and books from before the mid-20th century. Salvador is the third most populous Brazilian city, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
The city of Salvador is notable in Brazil for its cuisine, music and architecture, and its metropolitan area is the wealthiest in Brazil's Northeast. The African influence in many cultural aspects of the city makes it the center of Afro-Brazilian culture. This reflects a situation in which African-associated cultural practices are celebrated. The historical center of Salvador, frequently called the Pelourinho, is renowned for its Portuguese colonial architecture with historical monuments dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
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Sanya
Sanya (simplified Chinese: 三亚; traditional Chinese: 三亞; pinyin: Sānyà) is the southernmost city in the People's Republic of China and one of the two prefecture-level cities in Hainan Province. According to the 2010 Census, the population of Sanya is of 685,408 inhabitants, living in an area of 1,919.58 km². The city is renowned for its tropical climate and has emerged as a popular tourist destination, also serving as the training site of the Chinese national beach volleyball team. Sanya is home to small concentrations of Utsul people.
The ancient name of Sanya is Yazhou (崖州), which literally means "cliff prefecture". Its history can be dated back to the Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BC). Since then, it has always been within the territory of the Chinese dynasties. Due to its remoteness, Sanya is sometimes called Tianya Haijiao (天涯海角), meaning "the end of the sky and ocean". Some prime ministers in various dynasties were exiled there and the Buddhist monk Jianzhen accidentally sailed there and used the place as one of his harbors for his missionary journey to Japan.
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Sartu District
The district of Sartu (Mongolian: where the moon rise; 萨尔图区, pinyin : Sà'ěrtú Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Daqing.
Coordinates: 46°30′37″N 125°04′18″E / 46.5102°N 125.07165°E / 46.5102; 125.07165
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Shaanxi
Shaanxi (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 陕西; traditional Chinese: 陝西; pinyin: Shǎnxī; Wade–Giles: Shan-hsi; Postal map spelling: Shensi) is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province. Shaanxi is the historical home, along with Gansu of the dialect of the Dungans, of the Hui people, who emigrated out of China to Central Asia.
By regular Hanyu Pinyin rules, if tone marks are not written, both Shaanxi and the neighbouring province of Shanxi, to the east of Shaanxi, should be spelled "Shanxi"; the difference is in tone: Shānxī (山西) and Shǎnxī (陕西). To make the difference clear without tonal marks, the spelling "Shaanxi" was contrived (following the romanization system of Yuen Ren Chao) for the province of Shǎnxī, while "Shanxi" is used for the province of Shānxī. Shaanxi is the official spelling on Chinese Government's official web portal. This makes "Shaanxi" the only name of Chinese provinces that has not been romanized according to pinyin rules.
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Shandong
Coordinates: 36°24′N 118°24′E / 36.4°N 118.4°E / 36.4; 118.4
Shandong (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 山东; traditional Chinese: 山東; pinyin: Shāndōng; Wade–Giles: Shan1-tung1) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese Buddhism, and Confucianism. Shandong's Mount Tai is the most revered mountain of Taoism and one of the world's sites with the longest history of continuous religious worship. The Buddhist temples in the mountains to the south of the provincial capital of Jinan were once among the foremost Buddhist sites in China. The city of Qufu is the birthplace of Confucius, and was later established as the center of Confucianism. Shandong's location at the intersection of ancient as well as modern north-south and east-west trading routes have helped to establish it as an economic center. After a period of political instability and economic hardship that began in the late 19th century, Shandong has emerged as one of the most populous (95,793,065 inhabitants at the 2010 Census) and most affluent provinces in the People's Republic of China (GDP of 3.94 trillion CNY in 2010).
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Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the largest city proper by population in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities of the PRC, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010. It is a global city, with influence in commerce, culture, finance, media, fashion, technology, and transport. It is a major financial center and the busiest container port in the world.
Located in the Yangtze River Delta in eastern China, Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River in the middle portion of the Chinese coast. The municipality borders Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces to the west, and is bounded to the east by the East China Sea.
Once a fishing and textiles town, Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century due to European recognition of its favorable port location and economic potential. The city was one of several opened to foreign trade following the British victory over China in the first opium war and the subsequent 1842 Treaty of Nanking which allowed the establishment of the Shanghai International Settlement. The city then flourished as a center of commerce between east and west, and became the undisputed financial hub of the Asia Pacific in the 1930s. However, with the Communist Party takeover of the mainland in 1949, the city's international influence declined. In the 1990s, the economic reforms introduced by Deng Xiaoping resulted in an intense re-development of the city, aiding the return of finance and foreign investment to the city.
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Shangzhi
Shangzhi (Chinese: 尚志市; Hanyu Pinyin: shàngzhì shì) is a county-level city located in the southeast of Heilongjiang province, China. It is 127 kilometres away from the provincial capital Harbin and has an area of approximately 9,000 square kilometres. The town has a population of around 120,000 and the whole county has approximately 600,000 inhabitants.
The city of Shangzhi was once called Zhuhe (珠河). It was developed during the years of Emperor Guangxu in the late Qing dynasty, and was renamed to Shangzhi to commemorate the anti-Japanese war hero Zhao Shangzhi in 1946.
The most famous place in Shangzhi is the Yabuli (亚布力 yàbùlì) Skiing Centre - the largest in Asia and 3rd largest in the world.[citation needed]
Coordinates: 45°13′N 127°58′E / 45.217°N 127.967°E / 45.217; 127.967
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Shantou
Shantou (simplified Chinese: 汕头; traditional Chinese: 汕頭; pinyin: Shàntóu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sòaⁿ-thâu), also known as Swatow or Suátao, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, with a total population of 5,391,028 as of 2010 and an administrative area of 2,064 square kilometres (797 sq mi). With it and the immediately surrounding cities of Jieyang and Chaozhou, the metropolitan region – known as Chaoshan – covers an area of 10,404 square kilometres (4,017 sq mi), and had a permanent population of 13,937,897 at the end of 2010.
It is the fourth-largest most populated area in China, after Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.
Shantou, a city significant in 19th-century Chinese history as one of the treaty ports established for Western trade and contact, was one of the original Special Economic Zones of the People's Republic of China established in the 1980s, but failed to blossom like other cities such as Shenzhen, Xiamen and Zhuhai. However, it remains as Eastern Guangdong's economic centre, and is home to Shantou University, a member of the “Project 211” group.
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Shanxi
Coordinates: 37°42′N 112°24′E / 37.7°N 112.4°E / 37.7; 112.4
Shanxi (help·info) (Chinese: 山西; pinyin: Shānxī; Wade–Giles: Shan-hsi; Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" (pinyin: Jìn), after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period.
The name Shanxi literally means "mountain's west", which refers to the province's location west of the Taihang Mountains. Shanxi borders Hebei to the east, Henan to the south, Shaanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the north and is made up mainly of a plateau bounded partly by mountain ranges. The capital of the province is Taiyuan.
Shanxi, the territory of state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period (722 BC - 403 BC), underwent a three-way split into the states of Han, Zhao and Wei in 403 BC, the traditional date taken as the start of the Warring States Period (403 BC - 221 BC). By 221 BC all of these states had fallen to the state of Qin, which established the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC).
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Shenzhen
Shenzhen (Mandarin pronunciation: [ʂə́ntʂə̂n]) is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones (SEZs). It currently also holds sub-provincial administrative status, with powers slightly less than a province.
Shenzhen's modern cityscape is the result of the vibrant economy made possible by rapid foreign investment since the institution of the policy of "reform and opening" establishment of the SEZ in the late 1979, before which it was only a small village. Both Chinese and foreign nationals have invested enormous amount of money in the Shenzhen SEZ. More than US$30 billion in foreign investment has gone into both foreign-owned and joint ventures, at first mainly in manufacturing but more recently in the service industries as well. Shenzhen is now reputedly considered as one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
Being southern mainland China's major financial centre, Shenzhen is home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange as well as the headquarters of numerous high-tech companies. Shenzhen is also the third-busiest container port in China, after Shanghai and Hong Kong.
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Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang (Chinese: 石家庄; pinyin: Shíjiāzhuāng) is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about 280 kilometres (170 mi) south of Beijing. Shijiazhuang Prefecture contains the 5 districts of Shijiazhuang urban area, the Jingxing Mining District, five county-level cities, and twelve counties.
At the 2010 census, it has a total population of 10,163,788, with 2,604,930 in the urban area in 2010 and 3,833,606 in its built up area (metro) made of 5 urban districts plus Luquan city, Zhengding and Luancheng counties. Gaocheng county is about to be part of Shijiazhuang built up area while its urbanisation is still growing.
Shijiazhuang is a newly industrialised city. It experienced dramatic growth after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The population of the metropolitan area has more than quadrupled in only 30 years. It is a central hub of transportation routes. The city is home to a large garrison of military troops ready to protect Beijing if required. It has a number of PLA colleges and universities.
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Shuangcheng
Shuangcheng (simplified Chinese: 双城; traditional Chinese: 雙城; pinyin: Shuāngchéng) is the south of Heilongjiang province in Northeast China and is administratively a county-level city under the administration of Harbin. It sits approximately 42 kilometres (26 mi) south-southwest of downtown Harbin.
Coordinates: 45°23′N 126°19′E / 45.383°N 126.317°E / 45.383; 126.317
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Shuangyashan
Shuangyashan (simplified Chinese: 双鸭山; traditional Chinese: 雙鴨山; pinyin: Shuāngyāshān Manchu: ᡧᡠᠸᠠᠩ ᠶᠠ ᡧᠠᠨ) is a coal mining prefecture-level city located in the eastern part of China's Heilongjiang province, about 100 km south of the Russian border. The city's name means a pair-of-ducks mountains and refers to two peaks northeast of the city. In 2007 it had a GDP of RMB 20,6 billion with a 14,2% growth rate.
Shuangyashan was given its name in AD 1384 during the Ming Dynasty. However, few people lived in the area before coal was discovered there in 1914. In 1928 a major coal mining operation was established on the site and in 1946 the area was first designated a county. Shuangyashan was established as a special mining district in 1954 and officially designated a city by the CPC Central Committee and State Council in 1956.
Shuangyashan is rich in coal, magnetite and marble. The proven coal reserves in the city total 11 billion tons, ranking first out of 13 prefecture and prefecture-level cities in the province. The magnetite reserves in Shuangyashan exceed 120 million tons, ranking first in Heilongjiang Province.
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Siberia
Coordinates: 60°0′N 105°0′E / 60°N 105°E / 60; 105
Siberia (/saɪˈbɪəriə/; Russian: Сиби́рь, tr. Sibir'; IPA: [sʲɪˈbʲirʲ] ( listen)) is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union (USSR) from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th to 19th centuries.
Encompassing much of the Eurasian Steppe, the territory of Siberia extends eastward from the Ural Mountains to the watershed between the Pacific and Arctic drainage basins, and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan and the national borders of Mongolia and China. Siberia makes up about 77% of Russia's territory (13.1 million square kilometres), but has only 28% (40 million people) of Russia's population.
Some sources say that the word Siberia originates from the Turkic for "sleeping land". Another version is that this name was the ancient tribal name of the Sabirs, Turkic nomads later assimilated to Siberian Tatars. The modern usage of the name appeared in the Russian language after the conquest of the Siberian Khanate.
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Sichuan
Coordinates: 30°N 103°E / 30°N 103°E / 30; 103
Sichuan (help·info) (Chinese: 四川, known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan) is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, "四川", is an abbreviation of "四川路" (Sì Chuānlù), or "Four circuits of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from "川峡四路" (Chuānxiá Sìlù), or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Northern Song Dynasty.
The province and its vicinity were the cradle of unique local civilizations, which can be dated back to at least the fifteenth century BC (coinciding with the later years of the Shang Dynasty). Beginning from the ninth century BC, Shu (today Chengdu) and Ba (today Chongqing City) emerged as cultural and administrative centers where two rival kingdoms were established.
Shu's existence was unknown until an archaeological discovery in 1986 at a small village named Sanxingdui (三星堆) in Guanghan County. It is believed to be an ancient city of the Shu Kingdom, where excavations have yielded invaluable archaeological information.
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Sifangtai District
The district of Sifangtai (四方台区 ; pinyin : Sìfāngtái Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Shuangyashan.
Coordinates: 46°35′43″N 131°20′32″E / 46.59528°N 131.34222°E / 46.59528; 131.34222
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Songbei
Songbei (simplified Chinese: 松北区; traditional Chinese: 松北區; pinyin: Sōngběi Qū) is a district of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. Its name literally means "north of Song", referring to its position north of the Songhua River which runs through the city.
Coordinates: 45°48′30″N 126°33′46″E / 45.80833°N 126.56278°E / 45.80833; 126.56278
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Songbei District
Songbei (simplified Chinese: 松北区; traditional Chinese: 松北區; pinyin: Sōngběi Qū) is a district of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. Its name literally means "north of Song", referring to its position north of the Songhua River which runs through the city.
Coordinates: 45°48′30″N 126°33′46″E / 45.80833°N 126.56278°E / 45.80833; 126.56278
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Songling District
The district of Songling (松岭区 ; pinyin : Sōnglǐng Qū) is an administrative subdivision which, although administered by Daxing'anling Prefecture, in the province of Heilongjiang, forms part of the Oroqin Autonomous Banner in Inner Mongolia, which is not an official administrative entity.
Coordinates: 50°15′N 123°34′E / 50.25°N 123.567°E / 50.25; 123.567
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South Africa
Coordinates: 30°S 25°E / 30°S 25°E / -30; 25
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It is divided into nine provinces and has 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline. To the north of the country lie the neighbouring territories of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an enclave surrounded by South African territory.
South Africa is multi-ethnic and has diverse cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin: South African English and Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and Coloured South Africans. Though English is commonly used in public and commercial life, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. All ethnic and language groups have political representation in the country's constitutional democracy comprising a parliamentary republic; unlike most parliamentary republics, the positions of head of state and head of government are merged in a parliament-dependent President.
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South Korea
South Korea ( listen), officially the Republic of Korea (Hangul: 대한민국; Hanja: 大韓民國; Daehan Minguk listen), is a sovereign state in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name "Korea" is derived from Goryeo, a dynasty which ruled in the Middle Ages (an initial "G" in Korean is pronounced like an English "K").
Its neighbors are China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the Korea Strait to the south. South Korea lies in the north temperate zone with a predominantly mountainous terrain. It covers a total area of 99,392 square kilometers and has a population of almost 50 million. The capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of 9,794,304.
Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the Lower Paleolithic period.Korean history begins with the founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by the legendary Dan-gun. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under Silla 668 AD, Korea went through the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon Dynasty as one nation until the end of the Korean Empire in 1910, when it was annexed by Japan. After liberation and occupation by Soviet and U.S. forces at the end of World War II, the nation was divided into North and South Korea. The latter was established in 1948 as a democracy, though political turmoil and times of military rule and martial law characterized much of the period until the foundation of the Sixth Republic in 1987.
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Soviet Union
The Soviet Union (Russian: Советский Союз, tr. Sovetsky Soyuz), officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR; Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик, tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik; IPA: [sɐˈjus sɐˈvʲetskʲɪx sətsɨəlʲɪˈstʲitɕɪskʲɪx rʲɪsˈpublʲɪk] ( listen); abbreviated СССР, SSSR), was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.
The Soviet Union was a single-party state ruled by the Communist Party from its foundation until 1990. A union of 15 subnational Soviet republics, the Soviet state was structured under a highly centralized government and economy.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 caused the downfall of the Russian Empire. Following the Russian Revolution, there was a struggle for power between the Bolshevik party, led by Vladimir Lenin, and the anti-communist White movement. In December 1922, the Bolsheviks won the civil war, and the Soviet Union was formed with the merger of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.
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Suibin County
Suibin County (simplified Chinese: 绥滨县; traditional Chinese: 綏濱縣; pinyin: Suíbīn Xiàn) is a county of eastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Hegang.
The population of the district was 182,414 in 1999.
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Suifenhe
Suifenhe (simplified Chinese: 绥芬河; traditional Chinese: 綏芬河; pinyin: Suífēnhé; Wade–Giles: Sui-fen-ho), is a city in southeastern Heilongjiang province, Northeast China, located situated where the former Chinese Eastern Railway crosses the border with Russia's Primorsky Krai.
The city shares its name with the Suifen River.
Suifenhe and the surrounding border areas were scenes of vicious combat when the Soviet Union invaded Japanese-occupied Manchuria in August 1945.
Suifenhe has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb), with long, very cold, but dry winters, and warm, humid summers. Daily mean temperatures range from −16.6 °C (2.1 °F) in January to 19.6 °C (67.3 °F) in July, and the annual average is 2.86 °C (37.1 °F). Precipitation is light in the winter, and more than 2/3 of the year's precipitation occurs from June to September.
The train station on the opposite side of the border is Grodekovo, in the town of Pogranichny. As of December 2009, Russian train schedule sites show the existence of the passenger train no. 401, making the 26-km trip between Suifenhe and Grodekovo twice a week; however, the twice-a-week trains no. 006, Khabarovsk-Harbin, and no. 967, Vladivostok-Harbin only have a scheduled stop in Grodekovo and not in Suifenhe.
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Suihua
Suihua (simplified Chinese: 绥化; traditional Chinese: 綏化; pinyin: Suīhuà) is a prefecture-level city in west-central Heilongjiang province of Northeast China, adjacent to Yichun to the east, Harbin, the provincial capital, to the south, Daqing to the west and Heihe to the north. It is in the southern half of Heilongjiang.
It has 5,416,439 inhabitants at the 2010 census, of whom 877,682 live in the metro area made of Beilin District.
Suihua's history can be streched back to over 10,000 years ago. As early as in the Paleolithic Age, human beings started living in this area. The Sushen people, the ancestors of the Manchu, inhabited in this region During the Xia Dynasty and Shang Dynasty. During the Yuan Dynasty, agriculture developed rapidly in Suihua.
Suihua has been inhabited by many ethnic minority groups, such as Mongols and Koreans since the Ming Dynasty.
Suihua has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa/Dwb), with long, bitterly cold, but dry winters, and humid, very warm summers. Average daily highs range from −15 °C (5 °F) in January to 28 °C (82 °F) in July. The average temperature in Suihua is between 1.3-4℃.
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Suileng County
Suileng County (simplified Chinese: 绥棱县; traditional Chinese: 綏棱縣; pinyin: Suíléng Xiàn) is a county of west-central Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Suihua.
The population of the district was 315,306 in 1999.
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Sunwu County
Sunwu County (simplified Chinese: 孙吴县; traditional Chinese: 孫吳縣; pinyin: Sūnwú Xiàn) is a county of Heihe City in the north of Heilongjiang province of Northeast China. It is on the bank of Amur River, which is the China-Russia border. The length of border line within Sunwu county is 36 km.
Sunwu County is surrounded by Lesser Khingan Mountains, and its forest coverage is 45%. The urbanization level is 40%.
Official site of Sunwu County
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Suzhou
Suzhou (Chinese: 苏州; pinyin: Sūzhōu; Suzhou dialect: [səu tsøʏ]), previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part of the Yangtze River Delta region. Administratively, Suzhou is a prefecture-level city with an urban population of over 4 million expanding to over 10 million in the administrative area.
Originally founded in 514 BCE, Suzhou has over 2,500 years of rich history, and relics of the past are abundant to this day. The city's canals, stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens have contributed to its status as one of the top tourist attractions in China. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it has also been an important centre for China's silk industry. The classical gardens in Suzhou were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997 and 2000. Suzhou is often dubbed the "Venice of the East" or "Venice of China".
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Sverdlovsk Oblast
Sverdlovsk Oblast (Russian: Свердло́вская о́бласть, Sverdlovskaya oblast) is a federal subject (an oblast) of Russia located in the Urals Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Yekaterinburg formerly known as Sverdlovsk. Population: 4,297,747 (2010 Census).
Most of the oblast lies on the eastern slopes of the Middle and North Urals and the Western Siberian Plain. Only in the southwest does the oblast stretch onto the western slopes of the Ural Mountains.
The highest mountains all rise in the North Urals (Konzhakovsky Kamen at 1,569 m and Denezhkin Kamen at 1,492 m). The Middle Urals is mostly hilly country with no discernible peaks; the mean elevation is closer to 300–500 m above the sea level. Principal rivers include the Tavda, the Tura, the Chusovaya, and the Ufa, the latter two being tributaries of the Kama.
Sverdlovsk Oblast borders with, clockwise from the west, Perm Krai, the Komi Republic, Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Tyumen Oblast, Kurgan, and Chelyabinsk Oblasts, and the Republic of Bashkortostan.
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Tahe County
Tahe County (simplified Chinese: 塔河县; traditional Chinese: 塔河縣; pinyin: Tǎhé Xiàn) is a county in the far north of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of Daxing'anling Prefecture.
The population of the district was 106,732 in 1999.
Tahe County has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dwc) with short, warm, wet summers and long, brutally cold and dry winters. Monsoonal influences are strong, as 75% of the annual precipitation occurs from June to September. Although snowfall is extremely light, totalling only a few centimetres during the winter, it does not melt until May. The region is in the discontinuous permafrost zone, which severely limits land use possibilities since only exposed areas thaw fully during the summer, and fishing is the most important economic activity.
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Tailai County
Tailai County (simplified Chinese: 泰来县; traditional Chinese: 泰來縣; pinyin: Tàilái Xiàn) is a county of western Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Qiqihar.
The population of the district was 322,562 in 1999.
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Taiyuan
Taiyuan (Chinese: 太原; pinyin: Tàiyuán [tʰâɪɥǎn]) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River leaves the mountains.
From around 859BC the area was held by the Rong people. In 662 they were driven out by the Beidi.
Taiyuan was an ancient capital, constructed by Zhaojianzi (simplified Chinese: 赵简子; traditional Chinese: 趙簡子) in 497 BC, named Jinyang (t 晉陽, s 晋阳). It served as the capital of Zhao. It was renamed Taiyuan following its conquest by the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC. Under the later Han dynasty, it was the capital of Bing Province (Bingzhou). For a time in the 6th century, the city was a secondary capital of Eastern Wei and Northern Qi states, growing into a fairly large city and also becoming a center of Buddhism. A new city was built in AD 562, which was later linked to the old city during the Tang Dynasty in AD 733. From that time until the middle of the Tang dynasty (618–907), the construction of the cave temples at Tianlong Mountain just southwest of the city, continued. The dynastic founder of the Tang began his conquest of the empire with Taiyuan as a base and using the support of its local aristocracy. It was periodically designated as the Tang's northern capital and grew into a heavily fortified military base.
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Tangshan
"唐山"redirects here. For an alternative name of China, see Names of China#Tang
Tangshan (Chinese: 唐山; pinyin: Tángshān shì) is a largely industrial prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has become known for the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and killed at least 255,000 residents. The city has since been rebuilt and has become a tourist attraction.
Tangshan's prefecture population was 7,577,284 at the 2010 census, with over 3 million in the 6 core districts.
Tangshan is named after Dacheng Mountain (which is also named Mountain Tang[Tangshan in Chinese]) in the middle of Tangshan city.
In 645 A.D., Li Shimin-emperor of Tang Dynasty and his army stationed at Dacheng Mountain on his way back from Korean Peninsula. Unfortunately, Caofei-his beloved concubine died here. In order to commemorate his Caofei, he named the mountain with the name of the state—Tang. Later, the name of the mountain became the name of the city.
Tangshan is a place with a long history, where there were ancient humans living as early as 4 million years ago. Tangshan was in the territory of Guzhu Kingdom (1600 B.C.) in the time of the Shang Dynasty; and then became a part of Yan Kingdom (one of the seven Warring States, 403 B.C--221 B.C.), and in the Han Dynasty was included to Youzhou . It was under the jurisdiction of Yongping Province and Zunhua State successively in the Qing Dynasty.
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Tangwanghe District
The district of Tangwanghe (汤旺河区 ; pinyin : Tāngwànghé Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.
Coordinates: 48°27′17″N 129°34′16″E / 48.45472°N 129.57111°E / 48.45472; 129.57111
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Tangyuan County
Tangyuan County (Chinese: 汤原县; pinyin: Tāngyuán Xiàn) is a county of the prefecture-level city of Jiamusi, province of Heilongjiang, China.
The population of the district was 266,698 in 1999.
Coordinates: 46°54′N 129°55′E / 46.9°N 129.917°E / 46.9; 129.917
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Taoshan District
The district of Taoshan (桃山区 ; pinyin : Táoshān Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Qitaihe.
Coordinates: 45°46′04″N 131°01′04″E / 45.76778°N 131.01778°E / 45.76778; 131.01778
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Tianjin
Tianjin (help·info) (Chinese: 天津; pinyin: Tiānjīn; Mandarin pronunciation: [tʰjɛ́ntɕín]; Tianjinese: /tʰiɛn˨˩tɕin˨˩/~[tʰjɛ̃̀ɦɪ̀ŋ]; Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government. Tianjin borders Hebei Province and Beijing Municipality, bounded to the east by the Bohai Gulf portion of the Yellow Sea.
As a dual-core city, Tianjin is divided into the old city and the Binhai New Area. Binhai New Area is a new growth pole in China, and it maintains an annual growth rate of nearly 30% of the GDP. As of the end of 2010, 285 Fortune Global 500 companies have established branch offices in Binhai. It is a base of China's advanced industry, financial reform, and innovation.
In terms of urban population, it is the sixth-largest city of the People's Republic of China, and its urban land area (Binhai New Area is not included) ranks fifth in the nation after Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou. Tianjin's urban area is located along the Hai River, which connects to the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers via the Grand Canal in Tianjin. Tianjin was once home to foreign concessions in the late Qing Dynasty and early Kuomintang (KMT) era. The municipality incorporates the coastal region of Tanggu, home to the Binhai New Area and the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA).
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Tiefeng District
The district of Tiefeng (铁锋区 ; pinyin : Tiěfēng Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Qiqihar.
Coordinates: 47°20′29″N 123°56′44″E / 47.34139°N 123.94556°E / 47.34139; 123.94556
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Tieli
Tieli (Chinese: 铁力) is a Chinese county-level city in Yichun prefecture, Heilongjiang province. It has approximately 273,000 inhabitants.
Coordinates: 46°57′N 128°03′E / 46.95°N 128.05°E / 46.95; 128.05
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Tientsin
Tianjin (help·info) (Chinese: 天津; pinyin: Tiānjīn; Mandarin pronunciation: [tʰjɛ́ntɕín]; Tianjinese: /tʰiɛn˨˩tɕin˨˩/~[tʰjɛ̃̀ɦɪ̀ŋ]; Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government. Tianjin borders Hebei Province and Beijing Municipality, bounded to the east by the Bohai Gulf portion of the Yellow Sea.
As a dual-core city, Tianjin is divided into the old city and the Binhai New Area. Binhai New Area is a new growth pole in China, and it maintains an annual growth rate of nearly 30% of the GDP. As of the end of 2010, 285 Fortune Global 500 companies have established branch offices in Binhai. It is a base of China's advanced industry, financial reform, and innovation.
In terms of urban population, it is the sixth-largest city of the People's Republic of China, and its urban land area (Binhai New Area is not included) ranks fifth in the nation after Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou. Tianjin's urban area is located along the Hai River, which connects to the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers via the Grand Canal in Tianjin. Tianjin was once home to foreign concessions in the late Qing Dynasty and early Kuomintang (KMT) era. The municipality incorporates the coastal region of Tanggu, home to the Binhai New Area and the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA).
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Tonghe County
The County (xian) of Tonghe (通河县 ; pinyin : Tōnghé Xiàn) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, in Manchuria, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Harbin.
The population of the district was 234,662 in 1999.
Coordinates: 46°10′N 128°51′E / 46.167°N 128.85°E / 46.167; 128.85
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Tsitsihar
Qiqihar (simplified Chinese: 齐齐哈尔; traditional Chinese: 齊齊哈爾; pinyin: Qíqíhāěr; Manchu: Cicigar ᠴᡳᠴᡳᡤᠠᡵ; formerly Tsitsihar) is a major city in the Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. The municipal area has 1,514,188 inhabitants, while the total population of the prefecture-level city is 5,367,003 at the 2010 census. These are mainly Han Chinese, though the city is also home to thirty-four minorities including Manchu, Daur, and Mongolians. Close to Qiqihar are numerous wetlands and the Zhalong Nature Reserve, famous in China for being home to numerous red-crowned cranes.
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Tumxuk
Tumxuk or Tumushuke (Chinese: 图木舒克, Pinyin: Túmùshūkè; Uyghur: تۇمشۇق, ULY: Tumshuq, UPNY: Tumxuk̡?; also known as Tumushuk, Tumshuq, etc.) is a sub-prefecture-level city in the northern part of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in the People's Republic of China, it is located in western Xinjiang, surrounded by Kaxgar Prefecture.
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
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Wangkui County
Wangkui County (simplified Chinese: 望奎县; traditional Chinese: 望奎縣; pinyin: Wàngkuí Xiàn) is a county of western Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Suihua.
The population of the district was 453,404 in 1999.
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Wanning
Wanning (simplified Chinese: 万宁; traditional Chinese: 萬寧; pinyin: Wànníng) is a county-level city in the southeast of Hainan Province, China, with an estimated population of 65,871 (2006).
Wanning lies on the east of the island and administers many small towns. It was promoted from a county to a city on August 5, 1996.
The city of Wanning produces coffee, black pepper, rubber, rice, banana, sugarcane, and others.
Tourism plays a vital role in the city. Famous for its tropical scenery, Wanning lies approximately half an hour's drive from the beach, and has several five-star hotels.
Wanning is hot throughout the year. At times it can become cold with temperatures between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius.
Coordinates: 18°48′N 110°24′E / 18.8°N 110.4°E / 18.8; 110.4
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Warsaw
Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa [varˈʂava] ( listen); see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly 260 kilometres (160 mi) from the Baltic Sea and 300 kilometres (190 mi) from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most populous city proper in the European Union. The area of the city covers 516.9 square kilometres (199.6 sq mi), while the city's agglomeration covers 6,100.43 square kilometres (2,355.39 sq mi).
Warsaw is an Alpha- global city, a major international tourist destination and an important economic hub in Central Europe. It is also known as the "phoenix city" because it has survived many wars throughout its history. Most notably, the city had to be painstakingly rebuilt after the extensive damage it suffered from World War II, during which 80% of its buildings were destroyed. On 9 November 1940 the city was awarded Poland's highest military decoration for heroism, the Virtuti Militari, for the Siege of Warsaw (1939).
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Wenzhou
Wenzhou (simplified Chinese: 温州; traditional Chinese: 溫州; pinyin: Wēnzhōu; formerly Yongjia, Yung-chia) is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. As of the 2010 census, about 3,039,500 live in the Wenzhou city proper; the area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100. The prefectural area borders Lishui to the west, Taizhou to the north, and looks out to the East China Sea on its eastern coast.
Wenzhou was a prosperous foreign treaty port, which remains well-preserved today. It is situated in a mountainous region and, as a result, has been isolated for most of its history from the rest of the country, making the local culture and language very distinct not only from the rest of China but from neighbouring areas as well. It is also known for its emigrants who leave their native land for Europe and the United States, with a reputation for being entrepreneurs who start restaurants, retail and wholesale businesses in their adopted countries. People of Wenzhou origin make up a large number of ethnic Chinese residents of Italy, the Netherlands, France, and Africa.
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Wudalianchi
Wudalianchi (五大连池 ; pinyin : Wǔdàliánchí) is a county-level city in the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Heihe.
The population of the district was 355,397 in 1999.
Coordinates: 48°45′N 126°10′E / 48.75°N 126.167°E / 48.75; 126.167
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Wuhan
Wuhan (simplified Chinese: 武汉; traditional Chinese: 武漢; pinyin: Wǔhàn [wùxân] ( listen)) is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers. Arising out of the conglomeration of three districts, Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang, Wuhan is known as "the nine provinces' leading thoroughfare"; it is a major transportation hub, with dozens of railways, roads and expressways passing through the city. Because of its key role in domestic transportation, Wuhan was sometimes referred to as the "Chicago of China." It is recognized as the political, economic, financial, cultural, educational and transportation center of central China. The city of Wuhan, first termed as such in 1927, has a population of 10,020,000 people (Census 2011), with about 6,434,373 residents in its urban area. In the 1920s, Wuhan was the national capital of a leftist Kuomintang (KMT) government led by Wang Jingwei in opposition to Chiang Kai-shek, as well as wartime capital in 1937.
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Wujiaqu
Wujiaqu (Chinese: 五家渠; pinyin: Wǔjiāqú, Uyghur: ۋۇجياچۈ, ULY: Wujyachü, UPNY: Vujyaqü?) is a sub-prefecture-level city in the northern part of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in the People's Republic of China, north of Urumqi.
See also: Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
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Wumahe District
The district of Wumahe (乌马河区 ; pinyin : Wūmǎhé Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.
Coordinates: 47°43′37″N 128°48′00″E / 47.72694°N 128.8°E / 47.72694; 128.8
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Wuxi
Wuxi (simplified Chinese: 无锡; traditional Chinese: 無錫; pinyin: Wúxī; former spellings: Wu-shi, Wushi, or Wu-hsi; lit. "Without Tin"; Shanghai dialect: [ɦuɕiɪʔ]) is an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south. Wuxi earned its nickname "Pearl of Lake Tai" because it's built on the shore of Lake Tai in a scenic setting.[citation needed] Wuxi was also dubbed "little Shanghai" because of its close proximity to the city, rapid urbanization and booming economy.[citation needed] Wuxi also has a history of business people involved in modern Shanghai commerce since the early 20th century.
Although Wuxi means "No tin", scholars suggest the city name may come from "Wuxu" (吳墟), meaning ruins of the State of Wu, or a Baiyue word which may mean "god bird".
Wuxi was founded 3,000 years ago by two fugitive princes, Taibo and Zhongyong, of the Zhou from Central China, who intended to give their brother Jili (季歷) the throne. The two princes settled down in Meili (梅里), which is believed to be today's Meicun, Wuxi. (some historic records indicate a location somewhere in today's Suzhou). They helped developing local agriculture and waterways. The area soon flourished. After the death of Taibo, who had no heir, the emperor of Zhou enthroned a descendant of his family king of the State of Wu. The king named his kingdom "Gowu". Taibo's shrine was set up in today's Meicun and the original wood structure was destroyed during the wars over the course of history. However, it has been renovated several times and today's architecture dates mostly to the Qing dynasty. A stone carved with sayings by Confucius can still be seen in Taibo Shrine.
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Wuyiling District
The district of Wuyiling (乌伊岭区 ; pinyin : Wūyīlǐng Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.
Coordinates: 48°35′24″N 129°26′16″E / 48.59°N 129.43778°E / 48.59; 129.43778
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Wuying District
The district of Wuying (五营区 ; pinyin : Wǔyíng Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.
Coordinates: 48°06′29″N 129°14′42″E / 48.10806°N 129.245°E / 48.10806; 129.245
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Wuzhishan City
Wuzhishan (Chinese: 五指山市; pinyin: Wǔzhǐshān Shì) is a county-level city in the south-central part of Hainan, a province of the People's Republic of China. It was originally called Tongshi City (Chinese: 通什) and is located beside Wuzhi Shan, the mountain. The city's total area is 1129 square kilometres, and its population is 115,000 people. Its postal code is 572200, and its district number is 0898.
Coordinates: 18°46′23″N 109°31′26″E / 18.773°N 109.524°E / 18.773; 109.524
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Xi'an
Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān; Wade–Giles: Hsi-An, also spelled Hsi-an, Hsian, or Sian) is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty. Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang. Xi'an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army.
Since the 1990s, as part of the economic revival of interior China especially for the central and northwest regions, the city of Xi'an has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational centre of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and development, national security and China's space exploration program. It's now one the most populous metropolitan areas in inland China with more than 8 million inhabitants, including urban parts of Xianyang (Weicheng and Qindu districts).
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Xiamen
Xiamen (Mandarin pronunciation: [ɕjâmə̌n]), also known as Amoy /əˈmɔɪ/, is a major city on the southeast (Taiwan Strait) coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of 1575.16 km2 and population of 3.61 million. Its built up area is now bigger than the old urban island area and covers now all 6 districts of Xiamen (Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, Haicang and recently Xiang'an), for a total of 3,531,147 inhabitants. It borders Quanzhou to the north and Zhangzhou making with this city a unique built up area of more than 5 million people. The Jinmen (Kinmen) Islands administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan) are less than 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away.
Xiamen and the surrounding southern Fujian countryside are the ancestral home to large communities of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The city was a treaty port in the 19th century and one of the four original Special Economic Zones opened to foreign investment and trade when China began economic reforms in the early 1980s. It is endowed with educational and cultural institutions supported by the overseas Chinese diaspora. In 2006, Xiamen was ranked as China's second 'most suitable city for living'.
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Xiangfang District
Xiangfang District (simplified Chinese: 香坊区; traditional Chinese: 香坊區; pinyin: Xiāngfáng Qū) is a district of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China.
Coordinates: 45°43′26″N 126°40′48″E / 45.72389°N 126.68°E / 45.72389; 126.68
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Xilin District
The district of Xilin (Chinese: 西林区; pinyin: Xīlín Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.
Coordinates: 47°28′50″N 129°18′41″E / 47.48056°N 129.31139°E / 47.48056; 129.31139
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Xing'an District
The district of Xing'an (兴安区 ; pinyin : Xīng'ān Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Hegang.
Coordinates: 47°15′11″N 130°14′24″E / 47.25306°N 130.24°E / 47.25306; 130.24
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Xingshan District
The district of Xingshan (兴山区 ; pinyin : Xìngshān Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Hegang.
Coordinates: 47°21′28″N 130°17′35″E / 47.35778°N 130.29306°E / 47.35778; 130.29306
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Xining
Xining (simplified Chinese: 西宁; traditional Chinese: 西寧; pinyin: Xīníng; Wade–Giles: hsi-ning; Tibetan: ཟི་ལིང་།; alternatively spelled Silung) is the capital of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. It has 2,208,708 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,198,304 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.
Xining has a history of over 2100 years and was a chief commercial hub on the Hexi Corridor caravan route to Tibet, handling especially timber, wool and salt in ancient times. The trade along the Hexi Corridor was part of a larger trade corridor along the Northern Silk Road, whose use was intensified in the 1st century BC after efforts by the Han Dynasty to control this route.
Under the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) a county there called Linqiang controlled the local Qiang tribesmen. It was again a frontier county under the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) dynasties; during the 7th and early 8th centuries it was a center of constant warfare with the Tuyuhun and (later) the Tibetan peoples. In 763, it was overrun by the Tibetans and while under Tibetan control was known to the Chinese as Qingtangcheng. Recovered by the Song dynasty in 1104, it received the name Xining (meaning "peace in the west") and has been the seat of a prefecture or superior prefecture under that name since that time. With the rise of Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism), which began in the 7th century, Xining became an important religious center; Qinghai's largest lamasery, a holy place to the Yellow Hat sect of Buddhists, was located at Kunbum, some 19 km to the southeast.
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Xinqing District
The district of Xinqing (Chinese: 新青区; pinyin: Xīnqīng Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.
Coordinates: 48°17′26″N 129°32′01″E / 48.29056°N 129.53361°E / 48.29056; 129.53361
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Xunke County
Xunke County (simplified Chinese: 逊克县; traditional Chinese: 遜克縣; pinyin: Xùnkè Xiàn) is a county of northern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Heihe.
The population of the district was 99,740 in 1999.
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Xuzhou
Xuzhou (Chinese: 徐州; pinyin: Xúzhōu), otherwise known as Pengcheng (Chinese: 彭城; pinyin: Péngchéng) in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. It is known for its convenient location as a transportation hub in northwestern Jiangsu, as it has expressways and railway links connecting directly to the provinces of Henan and Shandong, the neighboring port city of Lianyungang, as well as the economic hub Shanghai.
Before the adoption of Hanyu Pinyin, the city's name was typically Romanized as Suchow, although also appearing as Hsu-chou,Hsuchow,[citation needed] and Hsüchow.[citation needed]
During the Xia and Shang Dynasties (c. 2200–1600 BC), Xuzhou lay in an area inhabited by the Dongyi or Huaiyi peoples who were constantly at war with the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. The Xuzhou region was called Huaiyang[disambiguation needed] during the Zhou Dynasty (1600 BC–256 BC) since the Huai River crosses the area. During the Spring and Autumn Period (771 BC–426 BC), Xuzhou was a collection of small farming/fishing villages and towns and formed part of the border region between the Zhou vassal States of Chu, Wu and Qu. Both the States of Pi and Peng lay within its borders. Xuzhou was at one time a capital of the State of Xu, a vassal state exterminated by the State of Wu in 512 BC. In turn, Wu was conquered by the State of Yue a few decades later. Chu gradually expanded its influence around Xuzhou after absorbing the nearby State of Cai in 447 BC followed by the conquest of the State of Yue in 334 BC. By the Warring States Period, it was firmly in the cultural and administrative sphere of Chu. The State of Chu moved to this area in 278 BC after the Qin army captured its old capital, Ying, in modern Jingzhou, Hubei.
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Yakutsk
Yakutsk (Russian: Яку́тск; IPA: [jɪˈkutsk]; Sakha: Дьокуускай, pronounced [ɟokuːskaj]) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about 450 kilometers (280 mi) south of the Arctic Circle. Population: 269,486 (2010 Census preliminary results); 210,642 (2002 Census); 186,626 (1989 Census).
Yakutsk is a major port on the Lena River. It is served by Yakutsk Airport as well as the smaller Magan Airport. It is a major supplier of diamonds.
Yakutsk was founded as an ostrog (fort) by Pyotr Beketov in 1632.[citation needed] In 1639, it became the center of a voyevodstvo. The Yakutsk Voyevodstvo quickly became the most important Russian official in the region and directed expansion to the east and south. Yakutsk did not grow into a city until the discovery of large reserves of gold and other minerals in the 1880s and 1890s. These reserves were developed extensively during industrialization under Stalin. The rapid growth of forced labor camps in Siberia was also a major factor encouraging Yakutsk's development.
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Yangming District
The district of Yangming (阳明区 ; pinyin : Yángmíng Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Mudanjiang.
Coordinates: 44°35′46″N 129°38′08″E / 44.59611°N 129.63556°E / 44.59611; 129.63556
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Yanshou County
Yanshou County (simplified Chinese: 延寿县; traditional Chinese: 延壽縣; pinyin: Yánshòu Xiàn) is a county of southern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, under the jurisdiction of the provincial capital, Harbin.
The population of the district was 250,928 in 1999.
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Yantai
Yantai (Chinese: 烟台; pinyin: Yāntái) is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.
The largest fishing seaport in Shandong and a robust economic center today, Yantai used to be known to the West as Chefoo, a misnomer which refers, in Chinese, solely to Zhifu Island, which is historically governed by Yantai.
The contemporary name of Yantai came from the watchtowers constructed on Mount Qi in 1398, during the reign of the Hongwu Emperor, founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (yan—smoke; tai—tower). The towers served to raise alarms against invasions of Japanese pirates.
The prefecture-level city of Yantai administers 12 county-level divisions, including 4 districts, 7 county-level cities, 1 county and one development zone.
These are further divided into 148 township-level divisions, including 94 towns, 6 townships and 48 subdistricts.
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Yi'an County
Yi'an County (simplified Chinese: 依安县; traditional Chinese: 依安縣; pinyin: Yī'ān Xiàn) is an county in the northwest of Heilongjiang province, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Qiqihar.
The population of the district was 487,777 in 1999.
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Yichun District
The district of Yichun (伊春区 ; pinyin : Yīchūn Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.
Coordinates: 47°43′41″N 128°54′27″E / 47.72806°N 128.9075°E / 47.72806; 128.9075
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Yinchuan
Yinchuan is the capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, and former capital of the Western Xia Empire of the Tanguts. It has an area of 4,467 km² and a total population of 1.99 million. Its built up area is home to 1,290,170 inhabitants spread on 3 urban districts. The name of the city literally means "silver river"; the character for "river" (川) is the same as that in Sichuan, but not as those in, for example, the Yellow River (黄河) or Yangtze River (长江).
Yinchuan originally was a xian (county) under the name of Fuping in the 1st century BC; its name was changed to Huaiyuan in the 6th century AD. After the fall of the Tang dynasty in 907, it was occupied by the Tangut Xi-Xia dynasty, of which it was the capital. After the destruction of the Xi-Xia dynasty by the Mongols in 1227, it came under the rule of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. Under the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, it was a prefecture of Ningxia. In 1928, when the province of Ningxia was formed from parts of Gansu and Inner Mongolia, it became the capital city. In 1954, when Ningxia province was abolished, the city was put in Gansu province; but, with the establishment of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region in 1958, Yinchuan once again became the capital.
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Youhao District
The district of Youhao (Chinese: 友好区; pinyin: Yǒuhǎo Qū) is an administrative subdivision of the province of Heilongjiang, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.
Coordinates: 47°51′22″N 128°50′19″E / 47.85611°N 128.83861°E / 47.85611; 128.83861
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Youyi County
Youyi County (simplified Chinese: 友谊县; traditional Chinese: 友誼縣; pinyin: Yǒuyì Xiàn; literally "friendship") is a county of eastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Shuangyashan.
The population of the district was 125,464 in 1999.
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Zhaodong
Zhaodong (simplified Chinese: 肇东; traditional Chinese: 肇東; pinyin: Zhàodōng) is a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants in southwestern Heilongjiang province in Northeast China. It is under the administration of Suihua City around 100 kilometres (62 mi) to the northeast and around 60 kilometres (37 mi) northwest of Harbin, the provincial capital.
Coordinates: 46°04′N 125°59′E / 46.067°N 125.983°E / 46.067; 125.983
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Zhaoyuan County
Zhaoyuan County (Chinese: 肇源县; Pinyin: Zhàoyuán Xiàn) is a county under charge of Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. It has a land area of 4,198 square kilometers and a population of 450,000. The postal code is 166500. The county seat is located in Zhaoyuan Town.
Zhaoyuan consists of 7 towns, 6 townships and 3 ethnic townships.
Coordinates: 45°31′26.36″N 124°42′05.36″E / 45.5239889°N 124.7014889°E / 45.5239889; 124.7014889
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Zhejiang
Coordinates: 29°12′N 120°30′E / 29.2°N 120.5°E / 29.2; 120.5
Zhejiang (Chinese: 浙江; pinyin: Zhèjiāng; Wade–Giles: Che-chiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang (crooked river) was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital. The name of the province is often abbreviated to its first character, "浙".
Zhejiang borders Jiangsu province and Shanghai municipality to the north, Anhui province to the northwest, Jiangxi province to the west, and Fujian province to the south; to the east is the East China Sea, beyond which lie the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
The area of modern Zhejiang was outside the major sphere of influence of early Chinese civilization during the Shang Dynasty (sixteenth century to eleventh century BC). Instead, this area was populated by peoples collectively known as the Yue, such as the Dongyue and the Ouyue. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Yue emerged in northern Zhejiang. The Yue state was heavily influenced by the Chinese civilization further north. Under King Goujian of Yue, Yue reached its zenith and was able to wipe out the powerful state of Wu to its immediate north, in 473 BC. Then, in 333 BC, Yue was in turn conquered by the state of Chu, which was to the west. In 221 BC, the state of Qin completed the conquest of the last of the formerly independent states of China, including the state of Chu. This conquest made what is now Zhejiang part of a unified Chinese empire.
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Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou (Chinese: 郑州; pinyin: Zhèngzhōu; Mandarin pronunciation: [tʂɤ̂ŋtʂóu̯]; Postal map spelling: Chengchow), is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China. The city centre lies on the southern bank of the Yellow River, and is one of the Eight Great Ancient Capitals of China.
With 8,626,505 inhabitants according to the 2010 census and 3,980,250 in its built-up area (6 urban districts + 5 City + 1 County), the city is one of the main built up areas of Henan region. Zhengzhou is now a rapidly growing city.
The Shang Dynasty established Aodu (隞都) or Bodu (亳都) in Zhengzhou (see also: History of China). This pre-historical city had been long lost even before the time of the First Emperor of China. Since 1950 archaeological finds in a walled city in Eastern Zhengzhou known have provided evidence of Neolithic Shang Dynasty settlements in the area.[citation needed] Outside this city, in addition to remains of large public buildings, a complex of small settlements has been discovered. The site is generally identified with the Shang capital of Ao. It is preserved in the Shang Dynasty Ruins monument in Guanchen District. The Shang, who continually moved their capital due to frequent natural disasters, left Ao at around 13th century BC. The site, nevertheless, remained occupied; Zhou (post-1050 BC) tombs have also been discovered. Traditionally it is held that in the Western Zhou period (1111–771 BC) it became the fief of a family named Guan. From this derives the name borne by the county (xian) since the late 6th century BC — Guancheng (City of the Guan). The city first became the seat of a prefectural administration in AD 587, when it was named Guanzhou. In 605 it was first called Zhengzhou — a name by which it has been known virtually ever since.
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Zhuhai
Zhuhai (Chinese: 珠海) is a prefecture-level city on the southern coast of Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in the Pearl River Delta, Zhuhai borders Jiangmen to the northwest, Zhongshan to the north, and Macau to the south. Zhuhai was one of the original Special Economic Zones established in the 1980s. Zhuhai is also one of China's premier tourist destinations, being called the Chinese Riviera.
The prefecture-level city of Zhuhai administers 3 county-level divisions and 3 special economic districts, all of which are districts.
Zhuhai borders the Macau Special Administrative Region (north and west), and 140 km southwest of Guangzhou. Its territory counts 146 islands and a coastline of 690 km.
The islands within the prefecture-level city of Zhuhai include a number of near-shore islands, often connected to the mainland by bridges or causeways (such as Hengqin, Qi'ao, or Yeli Islands), as well as some islands further away in the Pearl River estuary (such as the Nei Lingding Island) or the open South China Sea (the Wanshan Archipelago). Some of the latter are actually geographically closer to Hong Kong than to the Zhuhai mainland.
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Zibo
Zibo (Chinese: 淄博; pinyin: Zībó) is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the west, Laiwu and Tai'an to the southwest, Linyi to the south, Weifang to the east, Dongying to the northeast, and Binzhou the north.
Located in the middle part of Shandong Province, Zibo is an important transportation hub. Zibo governs 5 districts (Zhangdian, Zichuan, Boshan, Zhoucun and Linzi) and each of these districts has a distinct downtown area of their own. The T-shaped city has a total area of 5,938 square kilometers-three counties (Huantai, Gaoqing and Yiyuan) included ; the total population of the city is 4.53 million at the 2010 census, of which nearly 3 million are in the city proper.
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Ürümqi
Ürümqi ( /uːˈruːmtʃi/), formerly Tihwa, is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country.
With a built up population of 2,744,280 as of 2010 census (5 urban districts plus Midong) and 2.3 in urban districts, Ürümqi, whose name means "beautiful pasture" in the Mongolian language of the Dzungar people, is the largest city in China's western interior. Since the 1990s Ürümqi has developed economically and now serves as a regional transport node and commercial centre.
Although Ürümqi is situated near the northern route of the Silk Road, it is likely to be a relatively young city. According to Chinese scholars, during the 22nd year of Emperor Taizong's reign in the Tang Dynasty, AD 648, the Tang government set up the town of Luntai in the ancient town seat of Urabo, 10 kilometers from the southern suburb of present-day Ürümqi. Ancient Luntai Town was a seat of local government, and collected taxes from the caravans along the northern route of the Silk Road.
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Anhui
Coordinates: 31°50′N 117°0′E / 31.833°N 117°E / 31.833; 117
Anhui (Chinese: 安徽; pinyin: Ānhuī; Wade–Giles: An-hui, Mandarin pronunciation: [ánxwéi]) is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny section in the north. The capital of the province is Hefei.
The name "Anhui" derives from the names of two cities in south Anhui, Anqing and Huizhou (now Huangshan City). The abbreviation for Anhui is "皖" (Wǎn), because there were historically a State of Wan, a Mount Wan, and a Wan river in the province.
The province of Anhui was formed in the seventeenth century. Before then, there was no coherent concept of "Anhui". Northern Anhui was firmly a part of the North China Plain in terms of culture, together with modern-day Henan province. Central Anhui constituted most of the fertile and densely-populated Huai He River watershed. Southern Anhui, along the Yangtze, was closer to Hubei and southern Jiangsu provinces in culture. Finally, the hills of southeastern Anhui formed a unique and distinct cultural sphere of its own.
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Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians (Armenian: հայեր, Armenian pronunciation: [hɑˈjɛɾ]) are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.
The largest concentration is in Armenia, having a nearly homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian. Because of wide-ranging and long-lasting diaspora, an estimated total of 3 million people of full or partial Armenian ancestry live outside of Armenia. As a result of the Armenian Genocide, a large number of survivors fled to many countries throughout the world, most notably the Russian Empire, the Near East, the United States, France, Iran, Georgia and other parts of Europe (see Armenian diaspora).
Christianity began to spread in Armenia soon after Jesus's death, due to the efforts of two of his apostles, St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew In the early 4th century, the Kingdom of Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion. Most Armenians adhere to the Armenian Apostolic Church, a non-Chalcedonian church, which is also the world's oldest national church.
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Austria
Austria (i/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] ( listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.
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Beijing
Beijing ( /beɪˈdʒɪŋ/; Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng, [peɪ˨˩ t͡ɕiŋ˥]), formerly romanized as Peking ( /piːˈkɪŋ/ or /peɪˈkɪŋ/), is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The metropolis, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government, with 14 urban and suburban districts and two rural counties. Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast.
Beijing is China's second largest city by urban population after Shanghai and is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's largest state-owned companies. Beijing is a major transportation hub in the national highway, expressway, railway and high-speed rail network. Beijing's Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic.
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China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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County-level city
A county-level city (Chinese: 县级市; pinyin: xiànjí shì) is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions.
Most county-level cities were created in the 1980s and 1990s by replacing counties.
County-level cities are not "cities" in the strictest sense of the word, since they usually contain rural areas many times the size of their urban, built-up area. This is because the counties that county-level cities have replaced are themselves large administrative units containing towns, villages, and farmland. To distinguish a "county-level city" from its actual urban area (the traditional meaning of the word "city"), the term 市区 shìqū, or "urban area", is used.
In France, an equivalent of a county-level city is an agglomeration community.
While the idea of a "city" being a unit consisting of several "towns" is not a common one in English-speaking world, a somewhat similar naming convention is used for Local Government Areas in some parts of Australia. For example, in New South Wales such a unit may often be called a "city" (rather than a traditional "shire"), and consist of "towns". E.g. City of Blue Mountains is made of a number of towns (Katoomba, Springwood, etc.).
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Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution (Chinese: 文化大革命; pinyin: Wénhuà Dàgémìng), was a social-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976. Set into motion by Mao Zedong, then Chairman of the Communist Party of China, its stated goal was to enforce socialism in the country by removing capitalist, traditional and cultural elements from Chinese society, and to impose Maoist orthodoxy within the Party. The revolution marked the return of Mao Zedong to a position of absolute power after the failed Great Leap Forward. The movement politically paralyzed the country and significantly affected the country economically and socially.
The Revolution was launched in May 1966. Mao alleged that bourgeois elements were infiltrating the government and society at large, aiming to restore capitalism. He insisted that these "revisionists" be removed through violent class struggle. China's youth responded to Mao's appeal by forming Red Guard groups around the country. The movement spread into the military, urban workers, and the Communist Party leadership itself. It resulted in widespread factional struggles in all walks of life. In the top leadership, it led to a mass purge of senior officials who were accused of taking a "capitalist road", most notably Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping. During the same period Mao's personality cult grew to immense proportions.
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District of China
The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China.
In the modern context, districts (simplified Chinese: 区; traditional Chinese: 區; Hanyu Pinyin: qū; Tongyong Pinyin: cyu) refer to two types of divisions in the People's Republic of China: city districts and the soon-to-be-phased-out county districts (also known as district public offices). Districts can also refer to a type of division in the Republic of China on Taiwan.
However, if the word "district" is encountered in the context of ancient Chinese history, then it is a translation for xian, another type of administrative division in China.
A city district (市辖区, pinyin: shìxiáqū, lit. a city-governed district) is a subdivision of a municipality or a prefecture-level city. The rank of a district derives from the rank of its city. Districts of a municipality are prefecture-level; districts of a sub-provincial city are sub-prefecture-level; and districts of a prefecture-level city are county-level.
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Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert (Hebrew: אהוד אולמרט, IPA: [eˈhud ˈolmeʁt] ( listen), born 30 September 1945) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 and before that as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006. Between his first and second stints as a cabinet member, he served as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003.
In 2003 Olmert was re-elected to the Knesset (he had earlier served eight terms), and became a Cabinet Minister and Acting Prime Minister in the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. On 4 January 2006, after Sharon suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke, Olmert began exercising the powers of the office of Prime Minister. Olmert led Kadima to a victory in the March 2006 elections (just two months after Sharon had suffered his stroke), and continued on as Acting Prime Minister. On 14 April, two weeks after the election, Sharon was declared permanently incapacitated, allowing Olmert to legally become Interim Prime Minister. Less than a month later, on 4 May, Olmert and his new, post-election government were approved by the Knesset, thus Olmert officially became Prime Minister of Israel.
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Estonians
Estonians (Estonian: eestlased) are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian. Although Estonia is traditionally grouped as one of the Baltic countries, Estonians are linguistically unrelated to the Baltic peoples of Latvia and Lithuania.
Estonia was first inhabited about 10,000 years ago, just after the Baltic ice lake had retreated from Estonia. While it is not certain what languages were spoken by the first settlers, it is often maintained that speakers of early Uralic languages related to modern Estonian had arrived in what is now Estonia by about 5000 years ago. Living in the same area for more than 5000 years would put the ancestors of Estonians among the oldest permanent inhabitants in Europe. On the other hand, some recent linguistic estimations suggest that Fenno-Ugrian language arrived around the Baltic Sea considerably later, perhaps during the Early Bronze Age (ca. 1800 BCE).
The name "Eesti", or Estonia, is thought to be derived from the word Aestii, the name given by the ancient Germanic people to the Baltic people living northeast of the Vistula River. The Roman historian Tacitus in 98 A.D. was the first to mention the "Aestii" people, and early Scandinavians called the land south of the Gulf of Finland "Eistland" ("Eistland" is also the current word in Icelandic for Estonia), and the people "eistr". Proto-Estonians (as well as other speakers of the Finnish language group) were also called Chuds (чудь) in Old East Slavic chronicles.
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Fujian
Coordinates: 25°54′N 118°18′E / 25.9°N 118.3°E / 25.9; 118.3
Fujian (help·info) (Chinese: 福建), formerly romanised as Fukien or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait. The name Fujian came from the combination of Fuzhou and Jianzhou (a former name for Jian'ou) two cities in Fujian, during the Tang Dynasty. With a Han majority, it is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse provinces in China.
Most of Fujian is administered by the People's Republic of China. However, the archipelagos of Kinmen and Matsu are under the control of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Thus, there are two provinces (in the sense of government organizations): the Fujian Province administered by the People's Republic of China and the Fujian Province of the Republic of China.
Recent archaeological discoveries demonstrate that Fujian had entered the Neolithic Age by the middle of the 6th millennium BC. From the Keqiutou site (7450–5590 BP), an early Neolithic site in Pingtan Island located about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Fuzhou, numerous tools made of stones, shells, bones, jades, and ceramics (including wheel-made-ceramics) have been unearthed, together with spinning wheels, a definitive evidence of weaving.
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Gansu
Coordinates: 38°0′N 102°20′E / 38°N 102.333°E / 38; 102.333
Gansu (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 甘肃; traditional Chinese: 甘肅; pinyin: Gānsù; Wade–Giles: Kan-su, Kansu, Kan-suh) is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.
It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east. The Yellow River passes through the southern part of the province.
Gansu has a population of 26 million (2009) and has a large concentration of Hui Chinese, and the historical home, along with Shaanxi of the dialect of the Dungans, who are Hui who migrated to Central Asia. The southwestern corner of Gansu is home to a large Tibetan population. The capital is Lanzhou, located in the southeast part of the province. Gansu is abbreviated as "甘" (Gān) or "陇" (Lǒng), and is also known as Long West or Long Right, in reference to the Long Mountain east of Gansu.
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Georgians
The Georgians (Georgian: ქართველები, kartvelebi) are Caucasian ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America.
The majority of Georgians are Eastern Orthodox Christian and largely adhere to the national autocephalous Georgian Orthodox Church, which originated in the 4th century. There are also Georgian Catholic and Muslim communities in Tbilisi and Adjara.
The Georgian people went through a complex process of nation-formation and currently comprise a diverse set of geographic subgroups, each with its characteristic traditions, manners, dialect and, in the case of Mingrelians and Svans, language. The Georgian language, with its own alphabet and long written tradition going back to the 5th century, is the language of literacy and education of all Georgians living in Georgia as well as the official language of the country. Georgian, Mingrelian and Svan, together with Laz spoken by the related Laz people form the Kartvelian language family.
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Germans
The Germans (Deutsche) are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages. Legally, Germans are citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Of approximately 100 million native speakers of German in the world, about 66–75 million consider themselves Germans. There are an additional 80 million people of German ancestry mainly in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Argentina, France, Russia, Chile, Poland, Australia and Romania who most likely are not native speakers of German. Thus, the total number of Germans worldwide lies between 66 and 160 million, depending on the criteria applied (native speakers, single-ancestry ethnic Germans, partial German ancestry, etc.).
Today, peoples from countries with a German-speaking majority or significant German-speaking population groups other than Germany, such as Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, have developed their own national identity and usually do not refer to themselves as "Germans" in a modern context.
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Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward (simplified Chinese: 大跃进; traditional Chinese: 大躍進; pinyin: Dà yuè jìn) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) was an economic and social campaign of the Communist Party of China (CPC), reflected in planning decisions from 1958 to 1961, which aimed to use China's vast population to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a modern communist society through the process of rapid industrialization and collectivization. Mao Zedong led the campaign based on the Theory of Productive Forces, and intensified it after being informed of the impending disaster from grain shortages.
Chief changes in the lives of rural Chinese included the introduction of a mandatory process of agricultural collectivization, which was introduced incrementally. Private farming was prohibited, and those engaged in it were labeled as counter revolutionaries and persecuted. Restrictions on rural people were enforced through public struggle sessions, and social pressure, although people also experienced forced labor. Rural industrialization, officially a priority of the campaign, saw "its development … aborted by the mistakes of the Great Leap Forward."
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Guangdong
Coordinates: 23°24′N 113°30′E / 23.4°N 113.5°E / 23.4; 113.5
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province. It surpassed Henan and Sichuan to become the most populous province in China in January 2005, registering 79 million permanent residents and 31 million migrants who lived in the province for at least six months of the year. The provincial capital Guangzhou and economic hub Shenzhen are amongst the most populous and important cities in China.
Since 1989 Guangdong has topped the total GDP rankings among all provincial-level divisions, with Jiangsu and Shandong second and third in rank. According to provincial annual preliminary statistics, Guangdong's GDP in 2010 reached CNY 4,550 billion, or USD 689.02 billion, making its economy roughly the same size as that of Turkey or Indonesia. Guangdong has the fourth highest GDP per capita among all provinces of mainland China, after Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Liaoning. The province contributes approximately 12% of the PRC's national economic output, and is home to the production facilities and offices of a wide-ranging set of multinational and Chinese corporations. Guangdong also hosts the largest Import and Export Fair in China called the Canton Fair in Guangdong's capital city Guangzhou.
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Guangzhou
Guangzhou (Chinese: 广州; Mandarin pronunciation: [kwɑ̀ŋʈʂóʊ̯]), known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about 120 km (75 mi) north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port. One of the five National Central Cities, it holds sub-provincial administrative status.
Guangzhou is the third largest city in China and southern China's largest city. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 12.78 million. Some estimates place the population of the entire Pearl River Delta Mega City built up area as high as 40 million including Shenzhen (10.36 million), Dongguan (8.22 million) and most parts of Foshan (7.19 million), Jiangmen (4.45 million), Zhongshan (3.12 million) and a small part of Huizhou adjoining Dongguan and Shenzhen, with an area of about 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) (about the size of US state of New Jersey). In 2008 Guangzhou was identified as a Beta World City by the global city index produced by GaWC.
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Harbin Power
Harbin Power Equipment Company Limited (SEHK: 1133) is the largest manufacturer of power plant equipment in Mainland China. It was formed through the restructuring of Harbin Power Plant Equipment Corporation (currently Harbin Electric Corporation). It was established in Harbin, Heilongjiang in 1994 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange at the same year. It is engaged in the research and development, manufacturing and construction of power plant equipment.
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Harbin Snow Festival
The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (Chinese: 哈尔滨国际冰雪节; pinyin: Hā'ěrbīn Guójì Bīngxuě Jié) has been held since 1963. It had been interrupted for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution but had been resumed by 1985.
Harbin is located in Northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The average temperature in summer is 21.2 degrees Celsius, -16.8 degrees Celsius in winter. Annual low temperatures below -35C are not uncommon.
Officially, the festival starts January 5th and lasts one month. However the exhibits often open earlier and stay longer, weather permitting. Ice sculpture decoration technology ranges from the modern (using lasers) to traditional (with ice lanterns). While there are ice sculptures throughout the city, there are two main exhibition areas: Enormous snow sculptures at Sun Island (a recreational area on the opposite side of the Songhua River from the city) and the separate "Ice and Snow World" that operates each night. Ice and Snow World features illuminated full size buildings made from blocks of 2–3 feet thick crystal clear ice directly taken from the Songhua River. There are ice lantern park touring activities held in many parks in the city. Winter activities in the festival include Yabuli alpine skiing, winter-swimming in the Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden.
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Hebei
Coordinates: 39°18′N 116°42′E / 39.3°N 116.7°E / 39.3; 116.7
Hebei (help·info) (Chinese: 河北; pinyin: Héběi; Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "冀" (jì), named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province (zhou) that included what is now southern Hebei. The name Hebei means "north of the river", referring to its location completely above the Yellow River.
In 1928, Hebei was formed after the central government dissolved the province of Chih-li (直隸), which means "Directly Ruled (by the Imperial Court)".
Beijing and Tianjin Municipalities, which border each other, were carved out of Hebei. The province borders Liaoning to the northeast, Inner Mongolia to the north, Shanxi to the west, Henan to the south, and Shandong to the southeast. Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea is to the east. A small part of Hebei, an exclave disjointed from the rest of the province, is wedged between the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin.
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Hong Kong
Coordinates: 22°16′42″N 114°09′32″E / 22.27833°N 114.15889°E / 22.27833; 114.15889
Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港) is one of two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is known for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong's population is 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other groups. Hong Kong's Han Chinese majority originate mainly from the cities of Guangzhou and Taishan in the neighbouring Guangdong province.
Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and then the New Territories in 1898. It was occupied by Japan during the Pacific War, after which the British resumed control until 1997, when China resumed sovereignty. The region espoused minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism during the colonial era. The time period greatly influenced the current culture of Hong Kong, often described as "East meets West", and the educational system, which used to loosely follow the system in England until reforms implemented in 2009.
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Hubei
Hubei (help·info) (Chinese: 湖北; pinyin: Húběi; Wade–Giles: Hu-pei; Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting. The provincial capital is Wuhan.
Hubei is officially abbreviated to "鄂" (È), an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin dynasty, while a popular name for Hubei is "楚" (Chǔ), after the powerful state of Chu that existed here during the Eastern Zhou dynasty. It borders Henan to the north, Anhui to the east, Jiangxi to the southeast, Hunan to the south, Chongqing to the west, and Shaanxi to the northwest. The high-profile Three Gorges Dam is located at Yichang, in the west of the province.
By the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC), the territory of today's Hubei was part of the powerful state of Chu. Chu was nominally a tributary state of the Zhou Dynasty, and it was itself an extension of the Chinese civilization that had emerged some centuries before in the north; but it was also culturally unique, and was a powerful state that held onto much of the middle and lower Yangtze River, with power extending northwards into the North China Plain.
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Huma County
Huma County (simplified Chinese: 呼玛县; traditional Chinese: 呼瑪縣; pinyin: Hūmǎ xiàn; Manchu: Hūmar Siyan; Russian: Кумары) is a county in the far north of the Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. The county seat is located on the right (southwestern) bank of the Amur River, a few kilometers upstream from the fall of the Huma River (formerly also known as Houmar) into the Amur. It is under the administration of the Da Hinggan Ling Prefecture.
The opposite side of the Amur River is in Russia, where there is a village with the same name in Russified form, Kumara (Russian: Кумара)
Kumarsk, the predecessor of the present-day Huma, was a fortified Russian town in the Amur river region, founded in 1652 by Yerofey Khabarov and his companions, during his retreat from Achansk, corresponding to the present-day Khabarovsk, where he was besieged by Manchu and Daur allied forces.
On 13 March 1655, the Komar fortress, defended by the ataman Onufriy Stepanov and his 500 Cossacks, was besieged by a Qing army led by Mingandali (Ch: 明安达理) consisting of 10,000 men. The outnumbered defenders repulsed several assaults. The defeated Manchu lift the siege the following month (on 3 April 1655). The town was ceded to Qing Empire after the treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689.
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Inner Mongolia
Coordinates: 44°N 113°E / 44°N 113°E / 44; 113
Inner Mongolia (Mongolian: s, Öbür Monggol and c Өвөр Монгол, Övör Mongol; Chinese: 内蒙古; pinyin: Nèi Měnggǔ, but officially romanized to Nei Mongol) is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation. Its capital is Hohhot and the largest city is Baotou.
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was established in 1947 on the area of former Republic of China provinces of Suiyuan, Chahar, Rehe, Liaobei and Xing'an along with the northern parts of Gansu and Ningxia. It is the third-largest subdivision of China spanning about 1,200,000 km² (463,000 sq mi) or 12% of China's total land area. It has a population of about 24 million as of 2004. The majority of the population in the region are Han Chinese, with a substantial Mongol minority. The official languages are Chinese and Mongolian, the latter written in the Mongolian script, as opposed to the Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet used in the state of Mongolia.
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Jinan
Coordinates: 36°40′N 116°59′E / 36.667°N 116.983°E / 36.667; 116.983
Jinan (Chinese: 济南; pinyin: Jǐnán; Mandarin pronunciation: [t͡ɕi˧˩nan˧˥];) is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub. The city, which holds sub-provincial administrative status, is located in north-western Shandong about 400 kilometres (250 mi) south of the national capital of Beijing, it borders Liaocheng to the southwest, Dezhou to the northwest, Binzhou to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Laiwu to the southeast, and Tai'an to the south.
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Jingha Expressway
The Beijing–Harbin Expressway (simplified Chinese: 北京－哈尔滨高速公路; traditional Chinese: 北京－哈爾濱高速公路), designated as G1 and commonly abbreviated as Jingha Expressway (Chinese: 京哈高速) is an expressway in North and Northeast China linking Beijing to Harbin.
The Beijing–Harbin Expressway is commonly referred to as the Jingha Expressway by using the combination of two one-character Chinese abbreviations of both Beijing and Harbin (Jing for Beijing, and Ha for Harbin).
The Beijing–Harbin Expressway runs from Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, to Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province. It passes through the following major cities:
The first section of the Beijing–Harbin Expressway, opened in the 1990s was the short-lived Jingqin Expressway, running between the outskirts of Beijing and Qinhuangdao.[citation needed]
In 1990s the expressway was extended northeast from Qinhuangdao to Shenyang and westward to the 4th Ring Road in Beijing to become the Jingshen Expressway. The 658 km expressway from central Beijing to Shenyang was completed in time for the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. It opened to the general motoring public on September 15, 1999, after four years of work on different sections.[citation needed]
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Jingha Railway
The Beijing–Harbin or Jingha Railway (simplified Chinese: 京哈铁路; traditional Chinese: 京哈鐵路; pinyin: Jīnghā Tiělù) is the railway that connects Beijing with Harbin in Heilongjiang Province. It spans 1,249 km (776 mi). It is a very prominent route in the Manchurian Provinces of northeastern China.
Construction of the section between Tangshan and Tianjin began in 1881 as the Kaiping Tramway. This section is the second-oldest railway in China and the oldest still in use. (The oldest railway in China was the Woosung Railway in Shanghai, built in 1876 but dismantled and removed to Taiwan the next year.) Later this section was extended west to Beijing and east to Shanhaiguan. It was further extended to the east and reached Mukden (modern Shenyang) in Fengtian province (modern Liaoning) by 1912.
The railroad operated under or was known by several names, including:
Under the late Qing and during the early Republic, it was administered by and provided much of the revenue for the Ministry of Posts and Communications. It is now administered by the Ministry of Railways for the People's Republic of China.
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Karaims
The Crimean Karaites (Crimean Karaim: sg. къарай - qaray, pl. къарайлар - qaraylar; Trakai Karaim: sg. karaj, pl. karajlar, Hebrew קָרָאִים - qara'im, 'readers', tr. Karaylar), also known as Karaim and Qarays, are a community of ethnic Turkic adherents of Karaite Judaism in Eastern Europe. "Qaray" is a Romanized spelling of the original name "къарай", while "Karaim" is a Russian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, and Polish name for the community. Originally centered in Crimea, Karaim were established in Lithuania and elsewhere in Europe from late medieval times.
The name "Crimean Karaites" has often been considered as something of a misnomer, as many branches of this community found their way to locations throughout Europe and the Middle East. Historians distinguish between Karaite Jews and Jews who simply left the Levant before the canonization of the Talmud and therefore had no way of being Rabbinic Jews. Whether descended from the non-Rabbinic sects of the Second Temple Period, or from Rabbinate families rebelling against Talmudic rules, these communities started in present day Iran.
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Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately 3.5 million.
The city covers an area of 15 km². The altitude averages 1,289 m/4,282 ft. above sea level. The city is located in the western extremity of China, near the border with Tajikistan.
The modern Chinese name is 喀什 (Kāshí), a shortened form of the longer and less-frequently used (simplified Chinese: 喀什噶尔; traditional Chinese: 喀什噶爾; pinyin: Kāshígé’ěr). Ptolemy (AD 90-168), in his Geography, Chapter 15.3A, refers to Kashgar as “Kasia”. The name is Middle Iranic in its origin, meaning "Kush Mountains" (from gar/ghar, "mountain", and Kush/Kâsh, being the same as the ethnonym of the Kushan Empire and the Hindukush mountains in the neighboring Afghanistan.
An early Chinese name was 疏勒 (now Shule County), variously romanized as Su-leh, Sulei, Shule, Shu-le', She-le, Shu-lo or Sha-le, which perhaps represents either an original Solek or Sorak.[citation needed]
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Latvians
Latvians or Letts (Latvian: latvieši; Livonian: leţlizt) are the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia.
Latvians occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which may have originated from the word Latve which is a name of the river that presumably flowed through what is now eastern Latvia. A Finnic-speaking tribe known as the Livs settled among the Latvians and modulated the name to "Latvis," meaning "forest-clearers," which is how medieval German settlers also referred to these peoples. The German colonizers changed this name to "Lette" and called their initially small colony Livland. The Latin form, Livonia, gradually referred to the whole territory of the modern-day Latvia as well as southern Estonia, which had fallen under German dominion. Latvians and Lithuanians are the only surviving members of the Baltic peoples and Baltic languages of the Indo-European family.
The paternal haplogroup N1c1 is the most frequent (45%[citation needed]) among Latvians and is shared with other Northern European nations, primarily of Finno-Ugric stock, namely Finns, Estonians and others; and also the fellow Baltic Lithuanians. It is also common in Asia, primarily among Yakuts and Finno-Ugrics.
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Liaoning
Coordinates: 41°06′N 122°18′E / 41.1°N 122.3°E / 41.1; 122.3
Liaoning (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 辽宁; traditional Chinese: 遼寧; pinyin: Liáoníng; Manchu: ᠯᡳᠶᠣᠣ ᠨᡳᠩ, Liyoo ning) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" (pinyin: liáo), a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace". The modern province was established in 1907 as Fengtian province (奉天 pinyin: Fèngtiān; Postal map spelling: Fengtien; Manchu: ᠠᠪᡴᠠᡳ ᡳᠮᡳᠶᠠᠩᡤᠠ, Abkai imiyangga) and the name was changed to Liaoning in 1929. Under the Japanese puppet Manchukuo regime, the province reverted to its 1907 name, but the name Liaoning was restored in 1945.
Liaoning is located in the southern part of the Northeast, and is often called "the Golden Triangle" because of its superior geographical location, with the Yellow Sea (Korea Bay) and the Bohai Sea in the south, North Korea in the southeast, Jilin province to the northeast, Hebei province to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the northwest. The Yalu River marks the border between North Korea and the province. It empties into the Korea Bay between Dandong, Liaoning and Sinŭiju, North Korea.
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Lithuanians
Lithuanians (Lithuanian: lietuviai, singular lietuvis/lietuvė) are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language is Lithuanian, one of only two surviving members of the Baltic language family. According to the census conducted in 2001, 83.45% of the population of Lithuania proper identified themselves as Lithuanians, 6.74% as Poles, 6.31% as Russians, 1.23% as Belarusians, and 2.27% as members of other ethnic groups. Most Lithuanians belong to the Roman Catholic Church, while the Lietuvininkai who lived in the northern part of East Prussia prior to World War II, were mostly Evangelical Lutherans.
The territory of the Balts, including modern Lithuania, was once inhabited by several Baltic tribal entities (Aukštaitians, Sudovians, Old Lithuanians, Curonians, Semigallians, Selonians, Samogitians, Skalvians, Old Prussians (Nadruvians)), as attested by ancient sources and dating from prehistoric times. Over the centuries, and especially under the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, some of these tribes consolidated into the Lithuanian nation, mainly as a defence against the marauding Teutonic Order and Eastern Slavs. One of the last Pagan peoples in Europe, they were eventually converted to Christianity in 1387.
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Macau
Coordinates: 22°10′N 113°33′E / 22.167°N 113.55°E / 22.167; 113.55
Macau (Chinese: 澳門), also spelled Macao ( /məˈkaʊ/), is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong-Kong which is to the east, bordering Guangdong province to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south.
The territory's economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, but also includes manufacturing.
Macau is a former Portuguese colony, and is both the first and last European colony in China. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover on 20 December 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operates with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer. Macau was first lent by the Chinese empire as a trading port in the 16th century, and had to administer the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty. In 1887, Macau became a colony of the Portuguese empire and its sovereignty transferred to the Portuguese.
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Nanjing
Nanjing (Chinese: 南京; pinyin: Nánjīng; Wade–Giles: Nan-ching) is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions. Its present name means "Southern Capital" and was widely romanized as Nankin and Nanking until the Pinyin language reform, after which Nanjing was gradually adopted as the standard spelling of the city's name in most languages that use the Roman alphabet.
Located in the lower Yangtze River drainage basin and Yangtze River Delta economic zone, Nanjing has long been one of China's most important cities. It is recognized as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. It was the capital of Sun Quan's Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period and the capital of the Republic of China prior to its flight to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War. Nanjing is also one of the fifteen sub-provincial cities in the People's Republic of China's administrative structure, enjoying jurisdictional and economic autonomy only slightly less than that of a province. Nanjing has long been a national center of education, research, transport networks, and tourism. The city will host the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics.
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Nikos Kavvadias
Nikos Kavvadias (Greek: Νίκος Καββαδίας; January 11, 1910, Nikolsk-Ussuriysky – February 10, 1975, Athens) was a Greek poet and writer; currently one of the most popular poets in Greece, who used his travels around the world as a sailor, and life at sea and its adventures, as powerful metaphors for the escape of ordinary people outside the boundaries of reality.
Kavvadias was born in Nikolsk-Ussuriysky (now Ussuriysk) in the Primorsky Krai region of Russia, part of historic Outer Manchuria. This fact, according to him, linked him emotionally to the Far East, expressed in his short story Li. His parents were Greeks from the island of Cefalonia and as a young child he had the opportunity to travel extensively. His family returned for a few years to their home island and finally moved to Pireus, Athens' port, in 1921. He wrote his first poems while in grammar school.
After graduating from high school in Pireus he took the entrance exams to become a doctor in 1928. His father fell sick that same year and young Kavvadias was forced to get a job as an office clerk in a shipping office to help his family. He lasted only a few months there and after his father's death, he went on board the freighter ship Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) as a sailor. He worked for a few years on freighter boats, coming back home always wretched and penniless. He decided to get the captain diploma, but settled for a radio officer's diploma. He got it in 1939, but by that time World War II had started and he was sent to fight in Albania.
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Poles
The Polish people, or Poles (Polish: Polacy [pɔˈlat͡sɨ]; singular: Polak), are a nation indigenous to Poland. They speak the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe. The Polish word for a Polish person is "Polak" (masculine) and "Polka" (feminine).
The preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland defines the Polish nation as comprising all the citizens of Poland. Poland's inhabitants live in the following historic regions of the country: Wielkopolska, Małopolska, Mazovia, Pomerania, Warmia, Mazury, Podlasie, Kujawy and Silesia. A wide-ranging Polish diaspora exists throughout Europe (Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine), the Americas (the United States, Brazil and Argentina) and Australia. Chicago, in the United States, has the world's largest urban Polish population after Warsaw.
Over a thousand years ago, the Polans of Giecz, Gniezno and Poznań — an influential tribe in Wielkopolska — succeeded in uniting Lechitic tribes under what became the Piast dynasty, thus giving rise to the Polish state.
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Province (China)
In the context of Chinese government, a province (sheng), formally provincial level division, is the highest-level administrative division. The People's Republic of China (PRC) currently administers 33 such divisions, classified as 22 provinces, 4 municipalities, 5 autonomous regions and 2 special administrative regions.
Additionally, the PRC claims sovereignty over Taiwan Province, but since the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949 this area has been administered by the Republic of China (ROC) under a province of the same name. The ROC also administers some offshore islands including Quemoy/Kinmen (Jinmen) and Matsu (Mazu), which form Fujian Province, ROC. These were part of an originally unified Fujian province, which since 1949 has been divided between the PRC and ROC.
In the People's Republic of China, every province has a Communist Party of China provincial committee, headed by a secretary beside the two special administrative regions. The committee secretary is in charge of the province, rather than the governor of the provincial government.
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Sanya
Sanya (simplified Chinese: 三亚; traditional Chinese: 三亞; pinyin: Sānyà) is the southernmost city in the People's Republic of China and one of the two prefecture-level cities in Hainan Province. According to the 2010 Census, the population of Sanya is of 685,408 inhabitants, living in an area of 1,919.58 km². The city is renowned for its tropical climate and has emerged as a popular tourist destination, also serving as the training site of the Chinese national beach volleyball team. Sanya is home to small concentrations of Utsul people.
The ancient name of Sanya is Yazhou (崖州), which literally means "cliff prefecture". Its history can be dated back to the Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BC). Since then, it has always been within the territory of the Chinese dynasties. Due to its remoteness, Sanya is sometimes called Tianya Haijiao (天涯海角), meaning "the end of the sky and ocean". Some prime ministers in various dynasties were exiled there and the Buddhist monk Jianzhen accidentally sailed there and used the place as one of his harbors for his missionary journey to Japan.
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Shaanxi
Shaanxi (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 陕西; traditional Chinese: 陝西; pinyin: Shǎnxī; Wade–Giles: Shan-hsi; Postal map spelling: Shensi) is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province. Shaanxi is the historical home, along with Gansu of the dialect of the Dungans, of the Hui people, who emigrated out of China to Central Asia.
By regular Hanyu Pinyin rules, if tone marks are not written, both Shaanxi and the neighbouring province of Shanxi, to the east of Shaanxi, should be spelled "Shanxi"; the difference is in tone: Shānxī (山西) and Shǎnxī (陕西). To make the difference clear without tonal marks, the spelling "Shaanxi" was contrived (following the romanization system of Yuen Ren Chao) for the province of Shǎnxī, while "Shanxi" is used for the province of Shānxī. Shaanxi is the official spelling on Chinese Government's official web portal. This makes "Shaanxi" the only name of Chinese provinces that has not been romanized according to pinyin rules.
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Shandong
Coordinates: 36°24′N 118°24′E / 36.4°N 118.4°E / 36.4; 118.4
Shandong (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 山东; traditional Chinese: 山東; pinyin: Shāndōng; Wade–Giles: Shan1-tung1) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese Buddhism, and Confucianism. Shandong's Mount Tai is the most revered mountain of Taoism and one of the world's sites with the longest history of continuous religious worship. The Buddhist temples in the mountains to the south of the provincial capital of Jinan were once among the foremost Buddhist sites in China. The city of Qufu is the birthplace of Confucius, and was later established as the center of Confucianism. Shandong's location at the intersection of ancient as well as modern north-south and east-west trading routes have helped to establish it as an economic center. After a period of political instability and economic hardship that began in the late 19th century, Shandong has emerged as one of the most populous (95,793,065 inhabitants at the 2010 Census) and most affluent provinces in the People's Republic of China (GDP of 3.94 trillion CNY in 2010).
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Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the largest city proper by population in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities of the PRC, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010. It is a global city, with influence in commerce, culture, finance, media, fashion, technology, and transport. It is a major financial center and the busiest container port in the world.
Located in the Yangtze River Delta in eastern China, Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River in the middle portion of the Chinese coast. The municipality borders Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces to the west, and is bounded to the east by the East China Sea.
Once a fishing and textiles town, Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century due to European recognition of its favorable port location and economic potential. The city was one of several opened to foreign trade following the British victory over China in the first opium war and the subsequent 1842 Treaty of Nanking which allowed the establishment of the Shanghai International Settlement. The city then flourished as a center of commerce between east and west, and became the undisputed financial hub of the Asia Pacific in the 1930s. However, with the Communist Party takeover of the mainland in 1949, the city's international influence declined. In the 1990s, the economic reforms introduced by Deng Xiaoping resulted in an intense re-development of the city, aiding the return of finance and foreign investment to the city.
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Shanxi
Coordinates: 37°42′N 112°24′E / 37.7°N 112.4°E / 37.7; 112.4
Shanxi (help·info) (Chinese: 山西; pinyin: Shānxī; Wade–Giles: Shan-hsi; Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" (pinyin: Jìn), after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period.
The name Shanxi literally means "mountain's west", which refers to the province's location west of the Taihang Mountains. Shanxi borders Hebei to the east, Henan to the south, Shaanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the north and is made up mainly of a plateau bounded partly by mountain ranges. The capital of the province is Taiyuan.
Shanxi, the territory of state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period (722 BC - 403 BC), underwent a three-way split into the states of Han, Zhao and Wei in 403 BC, the traditional date taken as the start of the Warring States Period (403 BC - 221 BC). By 221 BC all of these states had fallen to the state of Qin, which established the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC).
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Shen Xue
Shen Xue (Chinese: 申雪; pinyin: Shēn Xuě; born November 13, 1978) is a female Chinese pair skater. With her partner and husband Zhao Hongbo, Shen is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2002 & 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time (2002, 2003 & 2007) World champion, a three-time (1999, 2003 & 2007) Four Continents Champion and a six-time (1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006 & 2009) Grand Prix Final champion.
Shen and Zhao were the first Chinese pair team to win a medal at an International Skating Union event and at the World Figure Skating Championships. In 2002, they became the first Chinese pair skating team to win a World Championship. They are also the first Chinese pair skaters to win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games. In 2010, they became the first Chinese skaters to win the gold medal at a Winter Olympic Games in any figure skating category, ending almost half a century of Russian and Soviet pair skating dominance.
They are the world record holders for pairs' score in the short program under the ISU Judging System.
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Sichuan
Coordinates: 30°N 103°E / 30°N 103°E / 30; 103
Sichuan (help·info) (Chinese: 四川, known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan) is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, "四川", is an abbreviation of "四川路" (Sì Chuānlù), or "Four circuits of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from "川峡四路" (Chuānxiá Sìlù), or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Northern Song Dynasty.
The province and its vicinity were the cradle of unique local civilizations, which can be dated back to at least the fifteenth century BC (coinciding with the later years of the Shang Dynasty). Beginning from the ninth century BC, Shu (today Chengdu) and Ba (today Chongqing City) emerged as cultural and administrative centers where two rival kingdoms were established.
Shu's existence was unknown until an archaeological discovery in 1986 at a small village named Sanxingdui (三星堆) in Guanghan County. It is believed to be an ancient city of the Shu Kingdom, where excavations have yielded invaluable archaeological information.
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Sub-provincial city
A sub-provincial divisions (simplified Chinese: 副省级行政区; traditional Chinese: 副省級行政區; pinyin: fùshĕngjí chéngshì) (or deputy-provincial divisions) in the People's Republic of China, is like a prefecture-level city that is ruled by a province, but is administered independently in regard to economy and law.
Sub-provincial divisions, similar to prefectural-level divisions, an administrative unit comprising, typically, a main central urban area, and its much larger surrounding rural area containing many smaller cities, towns and villages.
The mayor or chairman of a sub-provincial division is equal in status to a vice-governor of a province. Its status is below that of municipalities, which are independent and equivalent to provinces, but above other, regular prefecture-level divisions, which are completely ruled by their provinces.
The original 15 sub-provincial cities were created on February 25, 1994 by the Central Organization Committee out of prefecture-level cities. They are sometimes the capitals of the provinces in which they are located.
wn.com/Sub-provincial_city -
Tatars
Tatars (Tatar: Tatarlar / Татарлар, sometimes spelled Tartars) are a Turkic people, numbering around 7 million. The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of 5.5 million, 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan, 1 million in the republic of Bashkortostan and other 2.5 million in different regions of Russia. Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.
The Tatars originated with the Tatar confederation in the north-eastern Gobi desert in the 5th century. After subjugation in the 9th century by the Khitans, they migrated southward. In the 13th century Mongol Empire, they were subjugated under Genghis Khan and reassigned once again particularly by his son Jochi. Under the leadership of his grandson Batu Khan, they moved westwards, forming part of the Golden Horde which dominated the Eurasian steppe during the 14th and 15th centuries. In Europe, they were assimilated by the local populations or their name spread to the conquered peoples: Kipchaks, Kimaks and others; and elsewhere with Uralic-speaking peoples, as well as with remnants of the ancient Greek colonies in the Crimea and Caucasians in the Caucasus.
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Tianjin
Tianjin (help·info) (Chinese: 天津; pinyin: Tiānjīn; Mandarin pronunciation: [tʰjɛ́ntɕín]; Tianjinese: /tʰiɛn˨˩tɕin˨˩/~[tʰjɛ̃̀ɦɪ̀ŋ]; Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government. Tianjin borders Hebei Province and Beijing Municipality, bounded to the east by the Bohai Gulf portion of the Yellow Sea.
As a dual-core city, Tianjin is divided into the old city and the Binhai New Area. Binhai New Area is a new growth pole in China, and it maintains an annual growth rate of nearly 30% of the GDP. As of the end of 2010, 285 Fortune Global 500 companies have established branch offices in Binhai. It is a base of China's advanced industry, financial reform, and innovation.
In terms of urban population, it is the sixth-largest city of the People's Republic of China, and its urban land area (Binhai New Area is not included) ranks fifth in the nation after Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou. Tianjin's urban area is located along the Hai River, which connects to the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers via the Grand Canal in Tianjin. Tianjin was once home to foreign concessions in the late Qing Dynasty and early Kuomintang (KMT) era. The municipality incorporates the coastal region of Tanggu, home to the Binhai New Area and the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA).
wn.com/Tianjin -
Tientsin
Tianjin (help·info) (Chinese: 天津; pinyin: Tiānjīn; Mandarin pronunciation: [tʰjɛ́ntɕín]; Tianjinese: /tʰiɛn˨˩tɕin˨˩/~[tʰjɛ̃̀ɦɪ̀ŋ]; Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government. Tianjin borders Hebei Province and Beijing Municipality, bounded to the east by the Bohai Gulf portion of the Yellow Sea.
As a dual-core city, Tianjin is divided into the old city and the Binhai New Area. Binhai New Area is a new growth pole in China, and it maintains an annual growth rate of nearly 30% of the GDP. As of the end of 2010, 285 Fortune Global 500 companies have established branch offices in Binhai. It is a base of China's advanced industry, financial reform, and innovation.
In terms of urban population, it is the sixth-largest city of the People's Republic of China, and its urban land area (Binhai New Area is not included) ranks fifth in the nation after Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou. Tianjin's urban area is located along the Hai River, which connects to the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers via the Grand Canal in Tianjin. Tianjin was once home to foreign concessions in the late Qing Dynasty and early Kuomintang (KMT) era. The municipality incorporates the coastal region of Tanggu, home to the Binhai New Area and the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA).
wn.com/Tientsin -
Ukrainians
Ukrainians (Ukrainian: Українці, Ukrayintsi, [ukrɑˈjinʲtsʲi]) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens. According to some dictionary definitions, a descriptive name for the "inhabitants of Ukraine" is Ukrainian or Ukrainian people.Russians and Belarusians are considered the closest relatives of Ukrainians, while Rusyns are either considered another closely related group, or an ethnic subgroup of Ukrainians.
Ethnonym Ukrainians became widely accepted only in the 20th century, so modern Ukrainians identify their ancestry with differently named historical Slavic groups, who are often called Ukrainians too, in retrospect. The oldest recorded ethnonyms used for Ukrainian ancestors are Rusy, Rusyny, and Rusychi (from term Rus'). From the 9th to 12th centuries those names applied to the population of Kievan Rus', as the united state of Rusy is restrospectively called. Similar names were adopted by the proto-Russian and proto-Belarusian inhabitants of the northern principalities of Rus', reflecting the common origin of all those East Slavic peoples.
wn.com/Ukrainians -
Xi'an
Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān; Wade–Giles: Hsi-An, also spelled Hsi-an, Hsian, or Sian) is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty. Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang. Xi'an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army.
Since the 1990s, as part of the economic revival of interior China especially for the central and northwest regions, the city of Xi'an has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational centre of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and development, national security and China's space exploration program. It's now one the most populous metropolitan areas in inland China with more than 8 million inhabitants, including urban parts of Xianyang (Weicheng and Qindu districts).
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Xiamen
Xiamen (Mandarin pronunciation: [ɕjâmə̌n]), also known as Amoy /əˈmɔɪ/, is a major city on the southeast (Taiwan Strait) coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of 1575.16 km2 and population of 3.61 million. Its built up area is now bigger than the old urban island area and covers now all 6 districts of Xiamen (Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, Haicang and recently Xiang'an), for a total of 3,531,147 inhabitants. It borders Quanzhou to the north and Zhangzhou making with this city a unique built up area of more than 5 million people. The Jinmen (Kinmen) Islands administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan) are less than 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away.
Xiamen and the surrounding southern Fujian countryside are the ancestral home to large communities of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The city was a treaty port in the 19th century and one of the four original Special Economic Zones opened to foreign investment and trade when China began economic reforms in the early 1980s. It is endowed with educational and cultural institutions supported by the overseas Chinese diaspora. In 2006, Xiamen was ranked as China's second 'most suitable city for living'.
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Xinjiang
Xinjiang (XUAR) (Uyghur: شىنجاڭ, ULY: Shinjang; Mandarin pronunciation: [ɕíntɕjɑ́ŋ]; Chinese: 新疆; pinyin: Xīnjiāng; Wade–Giles: Hsin1-chiang1; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang) is an autonomous region (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2. Xinjiang borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, has abundant oil reserves and is China's largest natural gas-producing region.
It is home to a number of different ethnic groups including the Uyghur, Han, Kazakh, Hui, Kyrgyz, and Mongol. More than a dozen autonomous prefectures and counties for minorities are located in Xinjiang. Older English-language reference works often refer to the area as Chinese Turkestan, Sinkiang, and East Turkestan. Xinjiang is divided into the Dzungarian Basin in the north and the Tarim Basin in the south by a mountain range. Only about 4.3% of Xinjiang's land area is fit for human habitation.
wn.com/Xinjiang -
Zhang Dan
Zhang Dan (simplified Chinese: 张丹; traditional Chinese: 張丹; pinyin: Zhāng Dān; born October 4, 1985 in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China) is a Chinese pair skater. With Zhang Hao, she is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, 2005 & 2010 Four Continents champion, and three time (2006, 2008–2009) World silver medalist. Zhang Dan retired from competition in May 2012.
The unrelated Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao teamed up in 1997. They immediately had a lot of success on the junior circuit. They won two medals on the Junior Grand Prix in their first year on it and then placed 5th at the Junior Grand Prix Final. They also won the bronze medal at the 1999 Chinese national championships and the silver at the 2000 Chinese national championships.
In the 2000-2001 season, they won the Junior Grand Prix Final, placed third at nationals, and then won Junior Worlds. At the 2000 Junior Worlds, they performed a quadruple twist, the first quad twist ever performed at that event.
They stayed in the junior ranks in the 2001-2002 season, winning the Junior Grand Prix Final yet again. They won the bronze medal at the 2002 Four Continents Championships and then went to the 2002 Olympics, where they placed 11th. After the Olympics, they went to their first Worlds and came in 9th place.
wn.com/Zhang_Dan -
Zhang Hao
Zhang Hao (simplified Chinese: 张昊; traditional Chinese: 張昊; pinyin: Zhāng Hào; born July 6, 1984 in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China) is a Chinese figure skater. With former partner Zhang Dan, he is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, 2005 & 2010 Four Continents champion, and three time (2006, 2008–2009) World silver medalist. Zhang Hao currently trains with Peng Cheng.
Early in his career, Zhang Hao competed with Zhang Liyun. He teamed up with Zhang Dan, to whom he is not related, in 1997. They immediately had considerable success on the junior circuit, winning two medals on the Junior Grand Prix in their first year and placing 5th at the Junior Grand Prix Final. They also won the bronze medal at the 1999 Chinese national championships and the silver at the 2000 Chinese national championships.
In the 2000-2001 season, they won the Junior Grand Prix Final, placed third at nationals, and then won Junior Worlds. At the 2000 Junior Worlds, they performed a quadruple twist, the first quad twist ever performed at that event.
wn.com/Zhang_Hao -
Zhao Hongbo
Zhao Hongbo (simplified Chinese: 赵宏博; traditional Chinese: 趙宏博; pinyin: Zhào Hóngbó; born September 22, 1973) is a male Chinese pair skater. With his partner and wife Shen Xue, Zhao is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2002 & 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time (2002, 2003 & 2007) World champion, a three-time (1999, 2003 & 2007) Four Continents Champion and a six-time (1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006 & 2009) Grand Prix Final champion.
Shen and Zhao were the first Chinese pair team to win a medal at an International Skating Union event and at the World Figure Skating Championships. In 2002, they became the first Chinese pair skating team to win a World Championship. They are also the first Chinese pair skaters to win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games. In 2010, they were the first Chinese skaters to win the gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games in any figure skating category, ending almost half a century of Russian and Soviet pair skating dominance.
They are considered by many critics of the sport to be one of the best pair skating teams of all time. They are the record holders for pairs' score in the short program and in the combined total under the ISU Judging System.
wn.com/Zhao_Hongbo -
Zhejiang
Coordinates: 29°12′N 120°30′E / 29.2°N 120.5°E / 29.2; 120.5
Zhejiang (Chinese: 浙江; pinyin: Zhèjiāng; Wade–Giles: Che-chiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang (crooked river) was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital. The name of the province is often abbreviated to its first character, "浙".
Zhejiang borders Jiangsu province and Shanghai municipality to the north, Anhui province to the northwest, Jiangxi province to the west, and Fujian province to the south; to the east is the East China Sea, beyond which lie the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
The area of modern Zhejiang was outside the major sphere of influence of early Chinese civilization during the Shang Dynasty (sixteenth century to eleventh century BC). Instead, this area was populated by peoples collectively known as the Yue, such as the Dongyue and the Ouyue. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Yue emerged in northern Zhejiang. The Yue state was heavily influenced by the Chinese civilization further north. Under King Goujian of Yue, Yue reached its zenith and was able to wipe out the powerful state of Wu to its immediate north, in 473 BC. Then, in 333 BC, Yue was in turn conquered by the state of Chu, which was to the west. In 221 BC, the state of Qin completed the conquest of the last of the formerly independent states of China, including the state of Chu. This conquest made what is now Zhejiang part of a unified Chinese empire.
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Lost in China:Ice City - Harbin
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 47:00
- Updated: 12 Dec 2012
by National Geographic Channel
http://wn.com/Lost_in_ChinaIce_City_Harbin
【Travelogue HQ】 Harbin (01) 哈尔滨
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 25:26
- Updated: 13 Dec 2012
Playlist: www.youtube.com Channel: CCTV-News International Program: Travelogue Date: 2012-01-02 Description: Harbin (01) 哈尔滨Video Series ID: aJkYd92Xa98H9CeBuUbLLQ==
http://wn.com/【Travelogue_HQ】_Harbin_01_哈尔滨
Playlist: www.youtube.com Channel: CCTV-News International Program: Travelogue Date: 2012-01-02 Description: Harbin (01) 哈尔滨Video Series ID: aJkYd92Xa98H9CeBuUbLLQ==
- published: 03 Jan 2012
- views: 5384
- author: cctv9travelogue
Harbin
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:21
- Updated: 02 Dec 2012
hehe,this city is beautiful,I love my hometown.China Harbin
http://wn.com/Harbin
hehe,this city is beautiful,I love my hometown.China Harbin
- published: 24 Sep 2008
- views: 65851
- author: zhoulovetomato
The world's coldest slide in Harbin, China
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:18
- Updated: 05 Dec 2012
Ice castles, sculptures and slides form part of China's $19 million snow and ice city in the northern city of Harbin. Report by Sophie Foster. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com
http://wn.com/The_world's_coldest_slide_in_Harbin,_China
Ice castles, sculptures and slides form part of China's $19 million snow and ice city in the northern city of Harbin. Report by Sophie Foster. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com
- published: 04 Jan 2012
- views: 5656
- author: itnnews
Harbin 哈尔滨
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:32
- Updated: 06 Dec 2012
Harbin is a sub-provincial city and the capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. It lies on the southern bank of the Songhua River. Harbin is ranked as the tenth largest city in China, serving as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural and communications center of Northeastern China. Harbin is originally a Manchu word meaning 'a place for drying fishing nets. Harbin bears the nicknames 'The Pearl on the swan's neck' because the shape of Heilongjiang resembles a swan, and 'Oriental Moscow' or 'Oriental Paris' for the architecture in the city. Harbin is also known as 'Ice City' for its long and cold winter.
http://wn.com/Harbin_哈尔滨
Harbin is a sub-provincial city and the capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. It lies on the southern bank of the Songhua River. Harbin is ranked as the tenth largest city in China, serving as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural and communications center of Northeastern China. Harbin is originally a Manchu word meaning 'a place for drying fishing nets. Harbin bears the nicknames 'The Pearl on the swan's neck' because the shape of Heilongjiang resembles a swan, and 'Oriental Moscow' or 'Oriental Paris' for the architecture in the city. Harbin is also known as 'Ice City' for its long and cold winter.
- published: 28 May 2008
- views: 15456
- author: Sugi Mulyono
Harbin, China 1890-1930s 哈尔滨2 of 2
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:58
- Updated: 09 Aug 2012
Old Harbin, China 2 of 2
http://wn.com/Harbin,_China_1890-1930s_哈尔滨2_of_2
Crazy traffic in Harbin, China
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:35
- Updated: 18 Nov 2012
This movie was shot on a crossing in Harbin, China. Traffic was absolutely crazy there. It was a complete chaos...
http://wn.com/Crazy_traffic_in_Harbin,_China
This movie was shot on a crossing in Harbin, China. Traffic was absolutely crazy there. It was a complete chaos...
- published: 12 Jan 2008
- views: 21136
- author: KijkMijDan
Harbin Heilongjiang China
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:24
- Updated: 07 Dec 2012
A tour of Harbin Normal University (Star College) and city centre.
http://wn.com/Harbin_Heilongjiang_China
A tour of Harbin Normal University (Star College) and city centre.
- published: 19 Oct 2008
- views: 2695
- author: ChiralX
Harbin's Siberian Tiger Park
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:37
- Updated: 02 Dec 2012
Our trip to the Tiger Park in Northern China
http://wn.com/Harbin's_Siberian_Tiger_Park
ACM ICPC 2010 Harbin Recap
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:14
- Updated: 01 Dec 2012
Summary of 2010 ACM International Collegiate Programming Competition. Video by Dr. Michael Korpi, Dr. Corey Carbonara and Patrick Shen, Editing done by Kourtney Schopper
http://wn.com/ACM_ICPC_2010_Harbin_Recap
Summary of 2010 ACM International Collegiate Programming Competition. Video by Dr. Michael Korpi, Dr. Corey Carbonara and Patrick Shen, Editing done by Kourtney Schopper
- published: 24 Jun 2010
- views: 7733
- author: theschoppers
Harbin Heilongjiang Province China
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:09
- Updated: 30 Apr 2012
A dialogue about some of my teaching and travel in Harbin, China
http://wn.com/Harbin_Heilongjiang_Province_China
A dialogue about some of my teaching and travel in Harbin, China
- published: 09 Nov 2007
- views: 1767
- author: ChiralX
Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, Harbin (China) - Travel Guide
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:17
- Updated: 08 Dec 2012
Take a tour of Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China -- part of the World's Greatest Attractions travel video series by GeoBeats. The wealth of snow and ice produced in northeastern China provides the perfect setting for a magical sight; the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. This festival, which began in 1963, was stayed for a number of years by the Chinese Cultural Revolution, but was resumed again in 1985. Each year the festival is themed and usually takes inspiration from Chinese fairy tales or noteworthy monuments around the world. The festival displays an abundance of different nationalities and cultures both in the sculptures themselves, and the teams who craft them. These elaborate and intricately carved sculptures can take a team of experienced sculptors the full month of the festival to complete. Make the most of a cold day or brave a winters night when these massive creations come alive with vivacious lights, at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival.
http://wn.com/Harbin_Ice_and_Snow_Festival,_Harbin_China_Travel_Guide
Take a tour of Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China -- part of the World's Greatest Attractions travel video series by GeoBeats. The wealth of snow and ice produced in northeastern China provides the perfect setting for a magical sight; the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. This festival, which began in 1963, was stayed for a number of years by the Chinese Cultural Revolution, but was resumed again in 1985. Each year the festival is themed and usually takes inspiration from Chinese fairy tales or noteworthy monuments around the world. The festival displays an abundance of different nationalities and cultures both in the sculptures themselves, and the teams who craft them. These elaborate and intricately carved sculptures can take a team of experienced sculptors the full month of the festival to complete. Make the most of a cold day or brave a winters night when these massive creations come alive with vivacious lights, at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival.
- published: 10 Jan 2011
- views: 9374
- author: geobeats
Harbin Ice Festival
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:44
- Updated: 25 Jul 2012
Harbin Ice Festival February 2007
http://wn.com/Harbin_Ice_Festival
Harbin ,China
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:06
- Updated: 30 Nov 2012
China's northern city of Harbin (the capital of Heilongjiang Province)
http://wn.com/Harbin_,China
China's northern city of Harbin (the capital of Heilongjiang Province)
- published: 21 May 2007
- views: 8749
- author: xxwann
City of Harbin
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:52
- Updated: 03 Jun 2012
Stuff around the city of Harbin during our visit.
http://wn.com/City_of_Harbin
Stuff around the city of Harbin during our visit.
- published: 17 Feb 2007
- views: 8198
- author: Alan Weatherhead
China's Harbin 2008 Ice Festival Fun (哈尔滨冰雪大世界)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:20
- Updated: 01 Aug 2012
My friends and I went to Harbin for the "Ice Festival," that strange English translation for Harbin's annual winter celebration that amounts to what is essentially a frozen theme park. Harbin was the coldest place I have ever been to, or ever want to go: those giant snow and ice sculptures didn't melt in the least, and even under multiple thick layers and in waterproof boots, everything was slowly going numb as we walked through a truly unique winter wonderland.
http://wn.com/China's_Harbin_2008_Ice_Festival_Fun_哈尔滨冰雪大世界
My friends and I went to Harbin for the "Ice Festival," that strange English translation for Harbin's annual winter celebration that amounts to what is essentially a frozen theme park. Harbin was the coldest place I have ever been to, or ever want to go: those giant snow and ice sculptures didn't melt in the least, and even under multiple thick layers and in waterproof boots, everything was slowly going numb as we walked through a truly unique winter wonderland.
- published: 02 Aug 2008
- views: 11345
- author: DarkBastion
Harbin Winter Ice and Snow Festival 2012 Tours
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:14
- Updated: 14 Aug 2012
Annually Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival 2012 officially begins on January 5, 2012, and lasts for over one month in Harbin, China. It features a range of ice-related activities including ice lantern, ice sculpture competitions, winter outdoor swimming, hot air ballooning, and various winter sports.
http://wn.com/Harbin_Winter_Ice_and_Snow_Festival_2012_Tours
Annually Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival 2012 officially begins on January 5, 2012, and lasts for over one month in Harbin, China. It features a range of ice-related activities including ice lantern, ice sculpture competitions, winter outdoor swimming, hot air ballooning, and various winter sports.
- published: 18 Oct 2011
- views: 1765
- author: EasyTourChina
Ice Castles Set to Steal Show at Festival in Harbin, China
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:01
- Updated: 06 Aug 2012
For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me The 28th annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is set to kick off this Thursday, with ice castles and giant sculptures. It takes more than ten thousand workers to put it all together every year." Majestic castles and gigantic sculptures are set to steal the show at the 28th annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province. Two days before the official opening on Thursday, artificial snow machines are blowing full blast at the festival's main attractions. That's because Harbin—one of China's coldest cities—is experiencing unusually mild temperatures—as high as 59 degrees Fahrenheit. The festival's centerpiece is the Snow and Ice World. At a cost of $19 million, it's nearly 150 acres in size. [Zhao Hongjun, Snow and Ice World Operation Manager]: "It took 15 to 17 days to finish constructing the Snow and Ice World. We used more than 6.3 million cubic feet of ice." Zhao says an estimated 15000 workers are involved in the construction. They're now making the finishing touches. 35-year-old sculptor Liu Xiaodong says it's like a hobby. [Liu Xiaodong, Harbin Ice Sculptor]: "For me, as a Harbin native, I have special feelings towards ice... When I take a sculpting knife in hand, or let's say when I look at other people working and I'm not working, my hands feel as if they want to say, 'let me help you.' I feel very emotional." This 22-year ...
http://wn.com/Ice_Castles_Set_to_Steal_Show_at_Festival_in_Harbin,_China
For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me The 28th annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is set to kick off this Thursday, with ice castles and giant sculptures. It takes more than ten thousand workers to put it all together every year." Majestic castles and gigantic sculptures are set to steal the show at the 28th annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province. Two days before the official opening on Thursday, artificial snow machines are blowing full blast at the festival's main attractions. That's because Harbin—one of China's coldest cities—is experiencing unusually mild temperatures—as high as 59 degrees Fahrenheit. The festival's centerpiece is the Snow and Ice World. At a cost of $19 million, it's nearly 150 acres in size. [Zhao Hongjun, Snow and Ice World Operation Manager]: "It took 15 to 17 days to finish constructing the Snow and Ice World. We used more than 6.3 million cubic feet of ice." Zhao says an estimated 15000 workers are involved in the construction. They're now making the finishing touches. 35-year-old sculptor Liu Xiaodong says it's like a hobby. [Liu Xiaodong, Harbin Ice Sculptor]: "For me, as a Harbin native, I have special feelings towards ice... When I take a sculpting knife in hand, or let's say when I look at other people working and I'm not working, my hands feel as if they want to say, 'let me help you.' I feel very emotional." This 22-year ...
- published: 04 Jan 2012
- views: 2219
- author: NTDTV
Harbin Snow Festival 2008
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:08
- Updated: 17 Nov 2012
The harbin snow festival 2008
http://wn.com/Harbin_Snow_Festival_2008
Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, 1/2
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:28
- Updated: 06 Dec 2012
More at www.sfetcu.com Harbin (simplified Chinese 哈尔滨; traditional Chinese: 哈爾濱; pinyin: Hāěrbīn; Wade-Giles: Ha-erh-pin; Russian Харби́н, Kharbin) is a sub-provincial city and the capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. Harbin is one of the sources of ice and snow culture in the world. Geographically, it is located in Northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The average temperature in summer is 21.2 degrees Celsius, −16.8 degrees Celsius in winter. It can be as cold as −38.1 degrees Celsius in winter. The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival has been held since 1985. Although the official start date is January 5th each year, in practice, many of the sculptures can be seen before. While there are ice sculptures throughout the city, there are two main exhibition areas: Enormous snow sculptures at Sun Island (a recreational area on the opposite side of the Songhua River from the city) and the separate "Ice and Snow World" that operates each night. Ice and Snow World features illuminated full size buildings made from blocks of ice. Winter activities in the festival include Yabuli Alpine Skiing, winter-swimming in Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden. Snow carving and ice and snow recreations are world famous. (From Wikipedia) (From a PPS with author: Cindy)
http://wn.com/Harbin_International_Ice_and_Snow_Sculpture_Festival,_1_2
More at www.sfetcu.com Harbin (simplified Chinese 哈尔滨; traditional Chinese: 哈爾濱; pinyin: Hāěrbīn; Wade-Giles: Ha-erh-pin; Russian Харби́н, Kharbin) is a sub-provincial city and the capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. Harbin is one of the sources of ice and snow culture in the world. Geographically, it is located in Northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The average temperature in summer is 21.2 degrees Celsius, −16.8 degrees Celsius in winter. It can be as cold as −38.1 degrees Celsius in winter. The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival has been held since 1985. Although the official start date is January 5th each year, in practice, many of the sculptures can be seen before. While there are ice sculptures throughout the city, there are two main exhibition areas: Enormous snow sculptures at Sun Island (a recreational area on the opposite side of the Songhua River from the city) and the separate "Ice and Snow World" that operates each night. Ice and Snow World features illuminated full size buildings made from blocks of ice. Winter activities in the festival include Yabuli Alpine Skiing, winter-swimming in Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden. Snow carving and ice and snow recreations are world famous. (From Wikipedia) (From a PPS with author: Cindy)
- published: 31 Dec 2008
- views: 12298
- author: Nicolae Sfetcu
A Day and Night at the Harbin Ice Festival
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:32
- Updated: 07 Dec 2012
The city of Harbin, China holds an annual winter Ice Festival featuring snow and ice sculptures and an illuminated ice city. You can view this and other travel videos in full-size and high-quality, view travel stills and get video tips at www.travelersvideo.com.
http://wn.com/A_Day_and_Night_at_the_Harbin_Ice_Festival
The city of Harbin, China holds an annual winter Ice Festival featuring snow and ice sculptures and an illuminated ice city. You can view this and other travel videos in full-size and high-quality, view travel stills and get video tips at www.travelersvideo.com.
- published: 05 Mar 2007
- views: 33171
- author: ptravel
2011 Harbin China Ice Sculpture Festival
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:55
- Updated: 05 Dec 2012
http://wn.com/2011_Harbin_China_Ice_Sculpture_Festival
Harbin - China Winter Festival
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:37
- Updated: 09 Dec 2012
Every year the people of Harbin in China celebrate their snow and ice festival during their long winter period. It is a truly colourful affair
http://wn.com/Harbin_China_Winter_Festival
Every year the people of Harbin in China celebrate their snow and ice festival during their long winter period. It is a truly colourful affair
- published: 18 Jan 2008
- views: 6016
- author: boellewillu
photo: AP / Manu Brabo
13 Dec 2012
MOSCOW, December 13 (RIA Novosti) – Syrian rebels behind the kidnapping of Ukrainian journalist Ankhar Kochneva have released a video threatening more attacks on Russians and Ukrainians, as a deadline for her execution approaches on Thursday. Kochneva, a 40-year-old Ukrainian citizen, was abducted in October by Syrian rebels as she traveled to the city of Homs, and has been held there by them since, they claim ... ....(size: 2.1Kb)
photo: AP / Bullit Marquez
11 Dec 2012
The death toll brought about by typhoon “Pablo” continued to rise with 714 persons confirmed dead by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday while those missing ballooned to 890 as massive search, retrieval and relief operations continue in the typhoon-ravaged areas in Mindanao ... 4 ... They were subsequently brought to Caraga Regional Hospital ... (NHMFC) (P100,000) ... With AFP ....(size: 5.4Kb)
photo: AP / Lee Jin-man
13 Dec 2012
The head of the internet giant Google has defiantly defended his company’s tax avoidance strategy claiming he was “proud” of the steps it had taken to cut its tax bill which were just “capitalism”. In an interview in New York Eric Schmidt, Google’s Chairman, confirmed the company had no intention of paying more to the UK exchequer ... “I am very proud of the structure that we set up ... ” ....(size: 3.7Kb)
photo: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office
12 Dec 2012
MOSCOW. Russia President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday denounced opponents who receive financial assistance from abroad and vowed that the country would not allow democracy to be imposed from the outside. Putin said in his first annual state-of-the-nation address since he returned to the Kremlin for a third term that it should be illegal for anyone who receives money from abroad to be a politician in Russia ... ....(size: 3.9Kb)
photo: AP / Manu Brabo
13 Dec 2012
Kabul. The Syrian government forces have fired Scud missiles at insurgents in recent days, escalating the two-year-old conflict against rebels seeking to overthrow the regime, US officials said on Wednesday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, two officials said forces of President Bashar Assad have fired the missiles from the Damascus area into northern Syria ... "Like saying, 'Oh, yeah? I'll show you!'". PTI ... First Published ... ....(size: 2.3Kb)
China Daily
14 Dec 2012
The Examiner
14 Dec 2012
Rating for ICE! Experience at Gaylord Texan. 5. Through January 1st, 2013, ICE!, featuring characters from Madagascar and other Dreamworks movies, amazes visitors to the Gaylord Texan Resort. Unlike boring crystal ice statues at fancy parties, these cold masterpieces are colorful, vivid and life-sized ... Gaylord sought to bring this amazing feat to Texas by bringing in 40 artisans from Harbin, China ... ICE! Show at the Gaylord Texan ... ....(size: 2.3Kb)
noodls
13 Dec 2012
(Source. Dalian Municipal Government). Jilin held a promotion seminar presenting its winter tourism products at the New World Hotel Dalian on Dec. 7 ... ... 30. . Jilin Rime is a highlight of Jilin's winter tourism ... The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival and Harbin International Snow Sculpture Art Expo will all be held in late December. At the moment, many citizens have booked their trips to Harbin by the Ha-Da High-Speed Rail....(size: 3.4Kb)
noodls
13 Dec 2012
(Source. China North Industries Group Corporation). Dec 13, 2012. Recently, a sales contract for three all-terrain forest fire vehicles valued over 13 million yuan was signed between Harbin First Machinery Group Corporation Ltd. under China North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO GROUP) and Heilongjiang Provincial Forestry Department ... In recent years, Harbin First Machinery Group Corporation Ltd....(size: 2.2Kb)
The Examiner
13 Dec 2012
One of China's Maritime Surveillance twin turbo-prop aircrafts was spotted in Japanese airspace Thursday over the hotly contested Senkaku Islands ... "It is extremely regrettable ... The plane itself was first developed in 1982 by the Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation for commercial purposes, but was later retrofitted for use by the Chinese military ... ....(size: 1.6Kb)
noodls
13 Dec 2012
From north Harbin to south Haikou, from west Chengdu to east Shanghai, 35 Shangri-La hotels in mainland China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will join forces in this fundraising effort. The 5 Colours Foundation, which was established by renowned artist Zhou Chunya in 2009, will use the donation for the "Art for the Disabled ......(size: 3.8Kb)
DNA India
12 Dec 2012
HONG KONG, Dec 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts announces the launch of "Postcards from the Heart" charity sales at its China properties to benefit the 5 Colours Foundation ... From north Harbin to south Haikou, from west Chengdu to east Shanghai, 35 Shangri-La hotels in mainland China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will join forces in this fundraising effort ... 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... PRESS CONTACT.. Lori Lincoln ... Tel ... Fax ... ....(size: 3.8Kb)
noodls
11 Dec 2012
noodls
11 Dec 2012
(Source. Speed Skating Canada). Team notes for ISU Long Track World Cup #5 in Harbin, China. HARBIN, China - Canada's long track speed skating team travelled from Nagano, Japan, to take part in the fifth Essent ISU World Cup of the season on Saturday, Dec. 15 and Sunday, Dec. 16. See the table below for the athletes and their specific distances ... Schedule. (Harbin, China is 13 hours ahead of Ottawa, ET). Saturday, Dec. 15. *11.30 a.m ... Division B....(size: 17.8Kb)
BBC News
11 Dec 2012
Dayton Daily News
11 Dec 2012
The Ohio High School Football Coaches Association has stepped up in response to issues that have confronted their sport in the past year ... The games will be divided into Divisions I-III and IV-VI. The North-South games have been played at Columbus since 2001 ... If that happens, the coaches’ group likely would recommend that the OHSAA not award Harbin computer points to member schools that play a non-association team ... Famed athletes ... ....(size: 3.1Kb)
Business Wire
11 Dec 2012
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dublin - Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global and Chinese Aluminum Heat Transfer Composites Industry Report, 2012-2015" report to their offering. “Global and Chinese Aluminum Heat Transfer Composites Industry Report, 2012-2015” ... To further expand their growth room, these giants have carried out cross-border investments successively ... ... - Harbin Song Run Metal Products ... U.S ... ....(size: 7.5Kb)
noodls
11 Dec 2012
(Source. WPP plc) 4 December, 2012. Outperform MSCI China Index. - Brands are becoming more important to Chinese consumers and businesses. - Technology brands see biggest rise ... This year's ranking shows that brands are becoming more important to the Chinese consumer ... Newcomers ... The beer brand Harbin joined the ranking in position 39, it linked its advertising to key sports events and carved a distinctive space in a competitive category....(size: 12.1Kb)
For other uses, see Harbin (disambiguation).
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Harbin (Chinese: 哈尔滨; pinyin: Hā'ěrbīn [xɑ́ɻpín]); Manchu language: 15px, Harbin; Russian: Харбин́ Kharbin listen (help·info)), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, as well as the tenth most populated city in the People's Republic of China. According to the 2010 China census data, the city's municipal area has 5,878,939 inhabitants, while the total population of the sub-provincial city is 10,635,971.[1] Harbin serves as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural and communications hub in Northeast China.
Harbin is originally a Manchu word meaning "a place for drying fishing nets." It is known for its bitterly cold winters and is often called the "Ice City." Lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River, Harbin is well known for its beautiful ice sculptures in winter and its Russian legacy and still plays an important part in Sino-Russian trade today. In the 1920s, the city was considered China's fashion capital as new designs from Paris and Moscow reached there first before arriving in Shanghai.[2]
Contents |
History[link]
Early history[link]
Human settlement in the Harbin area dates from at least 2200 BC (late Stone Age). In 1115 AC, Jin Dynasty established their capital, Shangjing (上京 or Upper Capital) Huining Fu (会宁府), in today's Acheng District of Harbin.[3] However, the region of Harbin was still largely rural until the 1800s. There were only over ten villages and about 30,000 people in Harbin region by the end of the 19th century.
Foreign influence[link]
See also: Harbin Russians
See also: History of the Jews in China
The modern city of Harbin originated in 1898 from a small village.[4] The city was established by a Polish engineer Adam Szydłowski following the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (KVZhD) financed by the Russian Empire.[5] Chinese Eastern Railway is an extension of the Trans-Siberian Railway, shortcutting substantially the distance from Chita to Vladivostok and creating a link to the port city of Dalny (Dalian) and the Russian Naval Base Port Arthur. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5), Harbin was a base for Russian military operations in Northeastern China.
However, following the Russian defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, Russia's influence declined, and several thousand nationals from 33 countries including the United States, Germany, and France moved to Harbin. Sixteen countries established consulates and set up several hundred industrial, commercial and banking companies in Harbin. The Chinese also established their own businesses rapidly, especially in brewing, food and the textile industry. Harbin had established its status as the center of northeastern China and as an international metropolis. National census carried out in 1913 by the Chinese Eastern Railway revealed the following ethnic breakdown of the city's population: Russians – 34313, Chinese (中國人, that is Hans, Manchus etc.) – 23537, Jews – 5032, Poles – 2556, Japanese – 696, Germans – 564, Tatars – 234, Latvians – 218, Georgians – 183, Estonians – 172, Lithuanians – 142, Armenians – 124; there were also Karaims, Ukrainians, Bashkirs, and some Western Europeans. In total, 68549 citizens of 53 nationalities, speaking 45 languages.[6]
File:Stnicholasharbin.JPG
St. Nicolas Orthodox church in Harbin
After Great October Socialist Revolution took place in Russia, defeated Russian White Guards and refugees retreated to the city in December 1918. Harbin then became a major centre of White Russian émigrés. The city became the largest Russian enclave outside Soviet Union. The Harbin Jewish community was formed by Russian Jews and after 1919, Dr. Abraham Kaufman played a leading role in this community.[7] Later on this Jewish community included a group of German Jews, who fled Nazi Germany in the late 1930s. Under the pro bono efforts by Japanese government officials, they later emigrated to several cities in western Japan, notably Kobe, to ensure their safety and prosperity and established the largest synagogue in Japan. The Russians established the Russian school system and published Russian language newspapers and journals.
Japanese occupation period[link]
See also: Defense of Harbin
Japan invaded Manchuria outright after the Mukden Incident (九一八事變) in September 1931. After Tsitsihar was controlled by the Japanese in the Jiangqiao Campaign, Japanese 4th Mixed Brigade moved in from Tsitsihar. Japanese army closed in on Harbin from the west and south on February 4. Chinese army were forced to retreat from Harbin under the bombing and strafing by Japanese aircraft. Within a few hours the Japanese occupation of Harbin was complete.[8]
With the establishment of the puppet state of Manchukuo, an ongoing campaign was set up to defeat the anti-Japanese volunteer armies. The city became main base of operations of the infamous Unit 731 which was responsible for some of the most grisly war atrocities in human history. The people of Harbin, such as revolutionary martyrs including Zhao Shangzhi, Yang Jingyu, Li Zhaolin, Zhao Yiman waged a hard struggle against the Japanese during this period. In 1935, the Soviet Union sold the Chinese Eastern Railway (KVZhD) to the Japanese, which resulted in the first exodus of Russian emigres from Manchuria and Harbin in particular. The bulk of the departing Russians went back to the Soviet Union, while a substantial number moved south to Shanghai or emigrated to the United States and Australia. Japanese occupation also had a negative impact on the Harbin Jewish community (13,000 in 1929). Most of these Jews left Harbin for Shanghai, Tientsin, and British Mandate of Palestine.[9]
After World War II[link]
The Soviet Army took the city on 20 August 1945 and Harbin never came under the control of the Kuomintang, whose troops stopped 60 km short of the city. The city's administration was transferred by the departing Soviet Army to the Chinese People's Liberation Army in April 1946. During the short occupation of Harbin by the Soviet Army (August 1945 to April 1946), thousands of Russian emigres who fled communism after the revolution, were forcibly moved to the Soviet Union. The rest of the European community (Russians, Germans, Poles, Greeks etc.) emigrated during the years 1950–54 to Australia, Brazil and the USA, or were repatriated to their home countries. By 1988 the original Russian community numbered just thirty, all of them elderly.
Since the transportation between Harbin and Soviet Union was very convenient, Harbin was among one of the key construction cities of China during the First Five-Year Plan period from 1951 to 1956. 13 of the 156 key construction projects were aid-constructed by the Soviet Union in Harbin. This project made Harbin an important industrial base of China. During the Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1961, Harbin experienced a very tortuous development course as several Sino-Soviet contracts were cancelled by the Soviet Union.[10]During the Cultural Revolution many foreign and Christian things were uprooted, such as the St. Nicholas church which was destroyed by Red Guards in 1966. As the normal economic and social order was seriously disrupted, Harbin's economy also suffered from serious setback.
However, national economy and social service have obtained significant achievements Since the Chinese Reform and Opening. The eight Harbin counties originally formed part of Songhuajiang Prefecture (松花江地区), and became incorporated into Harbin on 11 August 1999, making Harbin a sub-provincial city. Harbin once housed one of the largest Jewish communities in the Far East. It reached its peak in the mid 1920s when 20,000 European Jews lived in the city. Among them were the parents of Ehud Olmert, the former Prime Minister of Israel. In 2004 Ehud Olmert came to Harbin with an Israeli trade delegation to visit the grave of his grandfather.
A benzene plant situated upstream in the city of Jilin along the Songhua River exploded on 13 November 2005. Benzene levels reached more than 100 times normal levels, which led authorities in Harbin to shut off the water supply, and some residents left the city while others rushed to buy bottled water. After a few days the water supply was restored. The Harbin government originally declared to the public that the water supply was temporarily off while the supply system was checked. They also denied reports of a chemical leak, claiming that it was "just a rumour."[11]
The municipality had 10,635,971 inhabitants at the 2010 census and its built up area covers now 7 districts of Harbin municipality : all urban districts plus Hulan county who is merging with Songbei districts. The built up area is now home to 5,282,083 inhabitants spread out on 4,275 km2 (1,651 sq mi).
Geography[link]
| Harbin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Harbin, with a total land area of 53,068 square kilometers (20,489.7 sq mi), is located in southern Heilongjiang Province, on the southeastern edge of the Songnen Plain (松嫩平原). The city center also sits on the southern bank of the middle Songhua River. Harbin received its nickname The pearl on the swan's neck, since the shape of Heilongjiang Province resembles a swan.[13] As the prefecture is rather large, its latitude ranges from 44° 04′ – 46° 40′ N, and the longitude 125° 42′ – 130° 10' E. Neighbouring prefectures are Yichun to the north, Jiamusi and Qitaihe to the northeast, Mudanjiang to the southeast, Daqing to the west, and Suihua to the northwest. On its southwestern boundary is Jilin Province. The terrain of the city is generally flat, with an average elevation of around 150 metres (490 ft).
Climate[link]
Under the Köppen climate classification, Harbin features a monsoon-influenced, humid continental climate (Dwa) with hot, humid summers and very cold winters. Harbin is known for its coldest weather and longest winter among Chinese big cities.[13] Its "Ice City" (冰城) nickname is well-earned, as its winters are dry and bitterly cold, with a 24-hour average in January of only −18.4 °C (−1.1 °F). Yet the city sees little precipitation during the winter and is often sunny. Summers can be hot, with a July mean temperature of 23.0 °C (73.4 °F). Summer is also when most of the year's rainfall occurs. Spring and autumn constitute brief transition periods with variable wind directions. Extreme temperatures have ranged from −41.4 °C (−43 °F) to 39.2 °C (103 °F).[14]
| Climate data for Harbin | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | −12.3 (9.9) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
2.5 (36.5) |
13.6 (56.5) |
21.2 (70.2) |
26.0 (78.8) |
28.0 (82.4) |
26.3 (79.3) |
20.7 (69.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
10.09 (50.17) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −23.9 (−11.0) |
−19.8 (−3.6) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
0.5 (32.9) |
7.9 (46.2) |
14.6 (58.3) |
18.3 (64.9) |
16.2 (61.2) |
8.7 (47.7) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−19.8 (−3.6) |
−1.4 (29.48) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 3.4 (0.134) |
5.3 (0.209) |
9.7 (0.382) |
18.4 (0.724) |
40.4 (1.591) |
84.4 (3.323) |
142.7 (5.618) |
121.2 (4.772) |
57.6 (2.268) |
25.9 (1.02) |
9.6 (0.378) |
5.8 (0.228) |
524.4 (20.646) |
| % humidity | 73 | 69 | 56 | 49 | 51 | 65 | 77 | 78 | 70 | 63 | 65 | 71 | 65.6 |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 10.3 | 13.5 | 14.2 | 12.3 | 9.9 | 7.1 | 6.0 | 7.2 | 104.4 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 155.9 | 179.9 | 230.9 | 231.4 | 264.1 | 260.2 | 254.2 | 247.2 | 230.5 | 206.8 | 170.2 | 139.9 | 2,571.2 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration (normals 1971–2000)[12] | |||||||||||||
Administrative divisions[link]
The sub-provincial city of Harbin has direct jurisdiction over 8 districts (区 qu), 3 county-level cities (市 shi) and 7 Counties (县 xian). On August 15, 2006, Dongli District (动力区) merged with Xiangfang District (香坊区).
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| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2010-11-01) |
Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City proper | ||||||
| 1 | Daoli District | 道里区 | Dàolǐ Qū | 923,762 | 479 | 1,929 |
| 2 | Nangang District | 南岗区 | Nángǎng Qū | 1,343,857 | 183 | 7,343 |
| 3 | Daowai District | 道外区 | Dàowài Qū | 906,421 | 257 | 3,527 |
| 4 | Xiangfang District | 香坊区 | Xiāngfáng Qū | 916,408 | 340 | 2,695 |
| 5 | Pingfang District | 平房区 | Píngfáng Qū | 190,253 | 94 | 2,024 |
| 6 | Songbei District | 松北区 | Sōngběi Qū | 236,848 | 736 | 322 |
| Suburbs | ||||||
| 7 | Hulan District | 呼兰区 | Hūlán Qū | 764,534 | 2,186 | 350 |
| 8 | Acheng District | 阿城区 | Àchéng Qū | 596,856 | 2,770 | 215 |
| Satellite cities | ||||||
| 9 | Shuangcheng | 双城市 | Shuāngchéng Shì | 825,634 | 3,112 | 265 |
| 10 | Shangzhi | 尚志市 | Shàngzhì Shì | 585,386 | 8,895 | 66 |
| 11 | Wuchang | 五常市 | Wǔcháng Shì | 881,224 | 7,512 | 117 |
| Rural | ||||||
| 12 | Yilan County | 依兰县 | Yīlán Xiàn | 388,319 | 4,672 | 83 |
| 13 | Fangzheng County | 方正县 | Fāngzhèng Xiàn | 203,853 | 2,993 | 68 |
| 14 | Bin County | 宾县 | Bīn Xiàn | 551,271 | 3,846 | 143 |
| 15 | Bayan County | 巴彦县 | Bāyàn Xiàn | 590,555 | 3,138 | 188 |
| 16 | Mulan County | 木兰县 | Mùlán Xiàn | 277,685 | 3,602 | 77 |
| 17 | Tonghe County | 通河县 | Tōnghé Xiàn | 210,650 | 5,755 | 37 |
| 18 | Yanshou County | 延寿县 | Yánshòu Xiàn | 242,455 | 3,226 | 75 |
Economy[link]
Harbin is located in Northeast China, along with several other major cities including Changchun, Dalian and Shenyang. While Dalian is considered the region's shipping center and Shenyang its financial hub, Harbin is striving hard towards becoming the key trade and shopping center of the region. The city is located in one of the fastest growing regions in the world and can boast a number of advantages such as an abundance of natural resources, good transport system and plenty of human resources.[15]
In 2010, Harbin's GDP reached RMB366.59 billion, an increase of 14.0 percent over the previous year. Harbin is the largest economy in Heilongjiang province. [16] Tertiary industry output remained the largest component of GDP reaching RMB186.86 billion, an increase of 13.5 percent from the previous year. The total value for imports and exports by the end of 2010 was US$4.4 billion.[17]
The soil in Harbin, called “black earth” is one of the most nutrient rich in all of China, making it valuable for cultivating food and textile-related crops. As a result, Harbin is China’s base for the production of commodity grain and an ideal location for setting up agricultural businesses. Harbin also has industries such as light industry, textile, medicine, foodstuff, automobile, metallurgy, electronics, building materials, and chemicals which help to form a fairly comprehensive industrial system. Harbin Power Equipment Group Company and Northeast Light Alloy Processing Factory are two key enterprises. Harbin is also known as the capital of “power manufacturing”; hydro and thermal power equipment manufactured here makes up one-third of the total installed capacity in China.[18]
Foreign investors seem upbeat about the city. The Harbin Trade and Economic fair, has been held for 17 years annually, cumulatively attracting more than 1.3 million exhibitors and visitors and resulting in contracts of over US$90 billion. Japanese, Russian and Eastern European nations are increasingly looking to North China and Harbin for investment. Foreign direct investment remains low, but is growing as a result of government efforts, with utilized FDI totaling US$570 million, up 28.1 percent, in 2008.[19]
Harbin is also home to Harbin Institute of Technology, one of China's better known universities. Founded in 1920, the university has developed into an important research university focusing on engineering, with supporting faculties in the sciences, management, humanities and social sciences. The institute's faculty and students contributed to and invented China's first analog computer, the first intelligent chess computer, and the first arc-welding robot. Last year, research funding from the government, industry, and business sectors surpassed RMB1.13 billion, the second highest of any university in China.[20]
Economic Development Zones and Ports[21]
- Harbin Development Zone
- Harbin Economic and Technological Development Zone
- Harbin High and New Technological Development Zone
Harbin High-tech Zone was set up in 1988 and was approved by the State Council as a national development zone in 1991. It has a total area of 34 sqkm in the centralized parks, subdivided into Nangang, Haping Road and Yingbin Road Centralized Parks. The Nangang Centralized Park is designated for the incubation of high-tech projects and research and development base of enterprises as well as tertiary industries such as finance, insurance, services, catering, tourism, culture, recreation and entertainment, where the headquarters of large famous companies and their branches in Harbin are located; the Haping Road Centralized Park is a comprehensive industrial basis for the investment projects of automobile and automobile parts manufacturing, medicines, foodstuffs, electronics, textile; the Yingbin Road Centralized Park is mainly for high-tech incubation projects, high-tech industrial development.[22]
- Harbin Port
- Harbin High-tech Industrial Development Zone
Culture[link]
The Harbin local culture is based on Han culture, combined with Manchu culture and Russian culture. This combination of cultures influences the local architecture style, food, music, and customs. The city of Harbin was appointed a UNESCO City of Music on 22 June 2010 as part of the Creative Cities Network.
Architecture[link]
The architecture style of Harbin shows a unique combination of oriental and European architecture styles. The city is well known for its unique, Russian and other European-influenced architecture. The architecture in Harbin brings the city the name of "Oriental Moscow" and "Oriental Paris".[13]
Zhongyang Street (Central Street, also known, using the Russian word for Chinese, as Kitaiskaya Street), one of the main business streets in Harbin, is a perfect remnant of the bustling international business activities at the turn of the 20th century. The 1.4-kilometer long street is a veritable museum of European architectural styles: Baroque and Byzantine façades, little Russian bakeries and French fashion houses, as well as non European architectural styles: American eateries, and Japanese restaurants.
The Russian Orthodox church, Saint Sophia Cathedral, is also located in this central district of Daoli. St. Sophia took nine years to build and was completed in 1932. It has now been made into a museum as a showcase of the diverse architecture of Harbin.
Many citizens believe that the Orthodox church damaged the local feng shui, so they donated money to build a Chinese monastery in 1921, the Ji Le Temple. There were more than 15 Russian Orthodox churches and two cemeteries in Harbin until 1949. Mao's Communist Revolution, and the subsequent Cultural Revolution, saw many of them destroyed. Now, about 10 churches remain, while services are held only in the Church of the Intercession in Harbin.
Russian influence[link]
Main article: Harbin Russians
Harbin today is still very much influenced by its Russian past. A city once under Russian rule, it is now a center of trade with that country.
The influence of Russia came with the construction of the China Far East Railway, an extension of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and Harbin, known formerly as a fishing village, began to prosper as the largest commercial center of North Eastern Asia.
Tsarist Russia encouraged Russian settlement in their important Trans-Siberian-Railway outpost by waiving the then 25-year long military service obligation. For Jews who settled there, the restrictions applying in Russia were also waived.
The local cuisine in Harbin is also Russian-influenced. Harbin's bakeries are famous for their bread da-lie-ba(大列巴) in local dialect, derived from the Russian word khleb for "bread". Harbin's sausages (harbin hong-chang) are another notable product, in that they tend to be of a much more European flavour than other Chinese sausages.
Many Jews came to Harbin during World War II, some of whom died in Harbin and were buried there. There is at least one cemetery with some tombstones bearing the Star of David. It is on a little hill (or cliff) overlooking a busy railway in Nan Gang district.
See also: Chinese Eastern Railway Zone
Winter culture[link]
Harbin is located in Northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The average temperature in summer is 21.2 °C (70.2 °F) and −16.8 °C (1.8 °F) in winter.
The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival has been held since 1985. Although the official start date is January 5 each year, in practice, many of the sculptures can be seen before. While there are ice sculptures throughout the city, there are two main exhibition areas: Enormous snow sculptures at Sun Island (a AAAAA-rated recreational area on the opposite side of the Songhua River from the city) and the separate "Ice and Snow World" that operates each night. Ice and Snow World features illuminated full size buildings made from blocks of 2–3 feet thick crystal clear ice directly taken from Songhua River which passes through the city. Winter activities in the festival include Yabuli Alpine Skiing, winter-swimming in Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden. Snow carving and ice and snow recreations are world famous.
The "Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival" is one of the four largest ice and snow festivals in the world, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival.
Every November, the city of Harbin sends teams of ice artisans to the United States to promote their unique art form. It takes more than 100 artisans to create ICE!, the annual display of indoor Christmas-themed ice carvings in National Harbor, Maryland; Nashville, Tennessee; Kissimmee, Florida; and Grapevine, Texas.
[edit] The Music City
Being considered the fashion capital of China in the 1920s, Harbin had the earliest access to European classical music in China. Founded in 1908, the Harbin Symphony Orchestra was China's oldest symphony orchestra. Harbin No.1 Music School was also the first music school in China, which was founded in 1928. Nearly 100 famous musicians have studied at the school since its founding, said Liu Yantao, deputy chief of Harbin Cultural, Press and Publication Bureau (HCPPB).
In 2006, a 1,000-piano concert was held in Harbin's Central Street(中央大街).
UN recognizes China's Harbin as "The Music City" in 2010.[23]
Harbin Summer Music Concert[link]
Harbin Summer Music Concert ('Concert' for short) is a national concert festival, which is held on August 6 every two years for a period of 10~11 days. During the concert, multiple evenings, concert, race and activities are held. The artists come from all over the world.
The 'Harbin Summer Music Month', which was then renamed as 'Harbin Summer Music Concert', was held in August 1958. The first formal Concert was held on August 5, 1961 in Harbin Youth Palace, and kept on every year until 1966 when the Cultural Revolution started in China.[24] In 1979, the Concert was recovered and from 1994, it has been held every two years. In 2008, the 29th Harbin Summer Music Concert was held on August 6.
Media[link]
The Heilongjiang Television and Harbin Economy Radio both serve as the media outlets of this region.
Sports[link]
Events[link]
The third Winter Asian Games took place in Harbin in 1996. The city of Harbin bid for hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Alpine skiing events would have taken place in the Yabuli ski resort. In the frame of this campaign to assert its role on the world scene, Harbin was the host city of the 2009 Winter Universiade. Harbin planned to spend US$ 1.5 billion in construction and renovation of its sport infrastructure for this Universiade. Harbin also bid for the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics, but was passed over so still has its sights on the Olympics, perhaps in 2022.
Harbin has produced many world-class winter sports champions, including short track star and six-time Olympic medalist Wang Meng, 2006 pairs figure skating silver medalists Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao[25] and 2010 Vancouver Olympics figure skating gold medalists Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo.
Infrastructure[link]
Railway[link]
Harbin Railway-Bureau is the first Railway Bureau in People's Republic of China, of which the railway density is the highest in China. Harbin Railway Station is one of the three modernized railway-networks. Harbin is one of the largest railway hubs in Northeast China. Five major railways (Jingha, Binsui, Binzhou, Binbei and Labin) meet here. Currently 138 trains terminate in or pass through Harbin daily, with trains available to Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Jinan and many other major cities in China.[26]
Highway[link]
Harbin has an advanced system of highways. Food and other products are shipped on these roads. The highways in Harbin have a big impact on the way of life, despite the fact that most are tolled.
There are seven important highways which pass through or terminate in Harbin, including the Beijing-Harbin, the Heihe-Dalian, the Harbin–Tong River, Changchun-Harbin, and the Manzhouli–Suifen River highways.
Airport[link]
Main article: Harbin Taiping International Airport
Harbin Taiping International Airport serves Harbin and is the second largest international airport in Northeast China. It is the largest northernmost airport of China and its terminal building (along with Shenyang-Taoxian Airport) is currently one of the largest in northeastern China. The technical level of flight district is 4E, which allows all kinds of large and medium civil aircraft. There are flights to over thirty cities including Beijing, Tianjing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Qingdao, Wenzhou, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Dalian, Xi'an and Hong Kong.[27] In addition there are also scheduled flights between Harbin and Hong Kong, Russia and South Korea.
Subway[link]
Construction of Harbin Subway started on 5 December 2006. The total investment for the first phase is RMB5.89 billion. Twenty stations will be set on this 17.73 km long line starting from Harbin East Railway Station to the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in the west of the city. A subway depot, a command center and two transformer substations will be built along the line. Most of the subway's route follows the air defence evacuation tunnel left from the "7381" Project which started in 1973 and ended in 1979. The 7381 project was intended to protect Harbin from the former Soviet Union's possible invasion or nuclear attack.
Picture Reference: "7381" Project, a Civil Defense System in Harbin
Ports and waterways[link]
There are more than 1,900 rivers in Heilongjiang, including the Songhua River, Heilongjiang River and Wusulijiang River, creating a convenient system of waterway transportation. Harbin harbor is one of eight inland ports in China and the largest of its type in Northeast China. Available from mid-April until the beginning of November, passenger ships sail from Harbin up the Songhua River to Qiqihar, or downstream to Jiamusi, Tongjiang, and Khabarovsk in Russia.[28]
Education[link]
As Harbin serves as an important military industrial base after PRC's foundation, it is home to several key universities and colleges in China, including Harbin Institute of Technology and former Harbin Military Academy of Engineering. Soviet experts played an important role in plenty of education projects in this period. However, due to the possible war with the Soviet Union, several colleges were moved southwards to Changsha, Chongqing and several other southern cities in China in the 1960s. Some of these colleges were removed to Harbin in the 1970s.
- Northeast Forestry University
- Harbin Institute of Technology
- Harbin Engineering University (former Harbin Shipbuilding Engineering Institute)
- Heilongjiang University
- Harbin Jewish Research Center
- Harbin Medical University
- Harbin Normal University
- Harbin University of Science and Technology
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine
- Heilongjiang Institute of Technology
- Heilongjiang East College
- Northeast Agricultural University
- Harbin Advance Technical College
- Harbin University of Commerce
International relations[link]
Twin towns and sister cities[link]
Harbin is twinned with:
Domestic[link]
- Chengdu, Sichuan
- Dalian, Liaoning
- Guangzhou, Guangdong
- Hangzhou, Zhejiang
- Wenzhou, Zhejiang
- Xiamen, Fujian
- Xining, Qinghai
- Nanjing, Jiangsu
International[link]
Niigata, Japan, since 1979
Aarhus, Denmark, since 1984
Edmonton, Canada, since 1985
Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, since 1991
Minneapolis, United States, since 1992- Anchorage, United States
Ekhuruleni, South Africa
Warsaw, Poland, since 1993[29]
Daugavpils, Latvia- Khabarovsk, Russia
Ploieşti, Romania- Asahikawa, Japan[when?]
Bucheon, South Korea
Salvador, Brazil
Giv'atayim, Israel
Griffith, New South Wales, Australia- Krasnodar, Russia
Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, since 2007
Rovaniemi, Finland
Magdeburg, Germany, since 2008- Krasnoyarsk, Russia, since 2008
Wiener Neustadt, Austria- Yakutsk, Russia, since 2008[30]
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom (2009)[31]- Fairfax County, Virginia, United States (2010)[32]
See also[link]
- Harbin Ferris Wheel
- List of cities in the People's Republic of China by population
- List of current and former capitals of subnational entities of China
References[link]
- ^ 2010年哈尔滨市第六次全国人口普查主要数据公报（Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China）
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ The Remains of Huining in Shangjing of Jin Dynasty
- ^ 哈尔滨市地方志编纂委员会 (1998). 哈尔滨市志 History of Harbin. 黑龙江人民出版社. ISBN 978-7-207-03841-8.
- ^ Polish Studies in China
- ^ "Sinoforum – Harbin". Sinoforum.pl. http://sinoforum.pl/historia/harbin-najbardziej-polskie-z-chinskich-miast/. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ Encyclopedia of Diasporas. Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World. Vol. I, Jewish Diaspora in China by Xu Xin, p.159, Ember, Melvin; Ember, Carol R.; Skoggard, Ian (Eds.), Springer 2004, ISBN 0-306-48321-1
- ^ Matsuzaka, The Making of Japanese Manchuria, 1904–1932
- ^ Shanghai Jews as seen by Chinese
- ^ Chinese Government’s Official Web Portal (English). China: a country with 5,000-year-long civilization. retrieved 3sep2011.
- ^ McGivering, Jill (2005-11-23). "Harbin: Truth emerges after secrecy". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4464030.stm. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
- ^ a b "China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System" (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. http://cdc.cma.gov.cn/shuju/index3.jsp?tpcat=SURF&dsid=SURF_CLI_CHN_MUL_MMON_19712000_CES&pageid=3. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
- ^ a b c "Harbin ( Heilongjiang ) City Information". http://www.hktdc.com/info/mi/a/mpcn/en/1X074BKJ/1/Profiles-Of-China-Provinces-Cities-And-Industrial-Parks/Harbin-Heilongjiang-City-Information.htm.
- ^ "Extreme Temperatures Around the World". http://www.mherrera.org/temp.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin Economy 1". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "Statistics Communique on National Economy and Social Development of Harbin, 2010". Harbin Municipal Statistics Bureau. http://www.stats-hlheb.gov.cn/xw!detaPage.action?tid=17403. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin Economy 2". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin Economy 3". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin Economy 4". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin Economy 5". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin Economic Development Zone". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ http://rightsite.asia/en/industrial-zone/harbin-hi-tech-industrial-development-zone/
- ^ UN recognizes China's northeastern Harbin as "Music City"
- ^ Introduction of Harbin Summer Music Concert
- ^ http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=2466/bio/index.html
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin Infrastructure 1". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin Infrastructure 2". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "China Briefing Business Guide: Harbin Infrastructure 3". China-briefing.com. http://www.china-briefing.com/article/northeast-china:-harbin-551.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "Miasta partnerskie Warszawy". um.warszawa.pl. Biuro Promocji Miasta. 2005-05-04. http://um.warszawa.pl/v_syrenka/new/index.php?dzial=aktualnosci&ak_id=3284&kat=11. Retrieved 2008-08-29. [dead link]
- ^ "Harbin and Yakutsk will be sister cities". 1sn.ru. http://www.1sn.ru/3134.html. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ Published on Mon May 18 10:47:42 BST 2009. "China opens a window on Sunderland – Local". Sunderland Echo. http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/China-opens-a-window-on.5276489.jp. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ Plumb, Tierney (2010-06-23). "Fairfax County teams up with Chinese city". http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2010/06/fairfax_county_teams_up_with_china_city.html.
- Thomas Lahusen. Harbin and Manchuria: Place, Space, and Identity. November 15, 2001. ISBN 0-8223-6475-1.
Further reading[link]
- Meyer, Mike, "Manchuria Under Ice", Departures Magazine, Nov/Dec 2006, 292–297.
- Nikos Kavvadias, a popular Greek poet born in Harbin by Greek parents from Kefalonia, Greece
- Jan, Michel, "Cruelle est la terre des frontières", Payot, Paris, 2006 (in French).
External links[link]
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbin
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| Freeway | |
|---|---|
 Freeway performing in Wilmington, Delaware in July 2008. |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leslie Edward Pridgen |
| Born | (1978-08-06) August 6, 1978 (age 33)[1] |
| Origin | North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupations | Rapper |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | Roc-A-Fella Records (2000 - 2009) Rhymesayers Entertainment (2009 - present) Cash Money Records (2009-2010) G-Unit Philly (2010-Present) |
| Associated acts | State Property, Beanie Sigel, Ice City, Jay-Z, Jake One, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Statik Selektah, Nate Dogg, Emilio Rojas |
Leslie Edward Pridgen (born August 6, 1978), better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Best known for his tenure on Roc-A-Fella Records and his affiliation with Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel, he is recognized by his high-pitched delivery (akin to that of Ghostface Killah) and for the long beard he keeps due to his Muslim faith. His moniker is derived from the name of the infamous drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross. He was a member of the rap group Ice City, is a member of the rap group State Property[2] and recently signed to Cash Money Records but only lasted one and a half years with the label.[3][4] The record labels Freeway is now with are Rhymesayers Entertainment and G-Unit Philly.
Contents |
Early career[link]
Born Leslie Pridgen, Freeway began his career by participating in freestyle battles in his high school and met fellow Philadelphia native Beanie Sigel while rapping on stage at a hometown nightclub. Not long after being signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, Sigel put in a word for Freeway, who made his first appearance on The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, on the track "1-900-Hustler" with Beanie, Jay-Z, and Memphis Bleek. After the appearance, Jay-Z signed him to a deal; he was featured on "Think it's a Game," also alongside Jay-Z, on Beanie's second album The Reason. In 2001, he underwent a notorious freestyle battle with then-unsigned rapper Cassidy, hosted by Swizz Beatz and lost with a unanimous judges decision.[citation needed]
Philadelphia Freeway (2003)[link]
On February 25, 2003, Freeway released his debut album, Philadelphia Freeway. The album was produced primarily by Roc-A-Fella-affiliated beatsmiths Just Blaze, Bink!, and Kanye West and featured a large number of Roc-A-Fella rappers. Many of them also hailed from Philadelphia, and were soon compiled into the group State Property led by Freeway and Beanie Sigel. The album had two singles, the biggest hits of Freeway's career thus far: "What We Do," Featuring Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel, for which a video was released showcasing most of the Roc's roster at the time,[5] and "Flipside", featuring State Property member Peedi Crakk; both records were produced by Just Blaze. The album also reached gold sales of over 500,000 units.[6]
State Property Problems, Ice City & 2nd Album (2004-2006)[link]
After Jay-Z's "retirement" album and the uncertainty over what direction the label was headed, Beanie Sigel was convicted and jailed on a charge of attempted murder. Relations between Beanie Sigel and State Property soured after the incarceration of Sigel, and State Property essentially broke up, with Sigel stating he was unsure he would work with them again.[7] Over the next few years, members of the group—most notably Freeway and Sigel themselves—slowly began collaborating once again, though members such as Oschino and Peedi Crakk fell out of the loop. During this time, with his crew and label in turmoil, Freeway had a spiritual crisis that almost caused him to leave the rap game altogether for his Muslim faith.[8] With uncertainty in the air, Freeway put together another Philadelphia-based crew called Ice City, named after their neighborhood North Philly. While active, the group consisted of Face Money, Bars and Hydro,[9] with Freeway playing a major mentoring role. Their debut album, Welcome to the Hood, was released under Sure Shot Recordings, but received little attention.[6] Subsequently, groupmember Hydro released a mixtape dissing Freeway, distancing himself and the group from its founder.[10]
Free At Last & Career After Roc-A-Fella (2007-2008)[link]
In response to his crisis of faith, Freeway went on hiatus for a few years, making his Hajj, a journey to the holy city of Mecca, required by every Muslim at least once in his or her lifetime if they are able. Upon his return, Freeway recorded his second album Free at Last, which was released on November 20, 2007.[11] Jay-Z and 50 Cent were both set to co-executive produce the album;[12] while both were featured, the project ended up solely a Roc-A-Fella release, with 50 giving up his co-executive producer's role.[13] The first single was "Roc-A-Fella Billionaires", featuring Jay-Z, which leaked to the internet; the second single, and first official single, was "Lights Get Low" featuring Rick Ross and Dre of the production team Cool & Dre. As the album featured no production from either Kanye West or Just Blaze, who together produced the lion's share of his debut, Freeway lashed out at them in his lyrics, generating rumors that he and his former producers had unresolved differences.[14] After the album's release, Freeway went on record to clarify his comments, saying he had no real animosity towards them and that he had only been speaking his mind.[15] The album eventually sold over 100,000.[16] In 2008, Freeway initiated what he called the Month of Madness, releasing a song a day for the month of December.[17] The songs, featuring input from Phoe Notes, Erick Sermon, Don Cannon, Cardiak, Jake One, Oddisee and others, were later compiled into a mixtape.[18] 2009 brought an announcement that he would be working on his third album amidst his regrets over hearing Jay-Z had stepped down as Def Jam president.[19] Shortly, the rapper announced his release from Def Jam and that his next album would be entitled The Stimulus Package, produced by Jake One[20] and released by Rhymesayers Entertainment. The Stimulus Package will be released February 16, 2010.
Philadelphia Freeway 2, Signing Rhymesayers Entertainment & Cash Money(2009)[link]
A project entitled Philadelphia Freeway 2 hit stores in 2009. The first single, "Finally Free," was released on iTunes on April 14, 2009. Philadelphia Freeway 2 was released under the independent label Real Talk Ent.[21] on May 19, 2009. On March 19, 2009 while performing at the Rhymesayers Entertainment Label Showcase at SXSW, Freeway officially announced his signing with Rhymesayers and collaboration on his new album with veteran producer Jake One. Freeway released his mixtape "The Beat Made Me Do It" on November 13, 2009 which featured production by Jake One with assistance by Don Cannon to officially announce his 2010 Rhymesayers debut album "The Stimulus Package". On December 1, 2009 Rhymesayers and Freeway leaked the first official track and video, "Know What I Mean" off of "The Stimulus Package". In June 2009, Freeway confirmed a deal with Cash Money Records, and the start of his own label, Free Money. Since this time he has put out a few Mixtape tracks speaking of the new deal, including "Touchdown" & "All Night Long". Freeway, speaking on his new label deal and relationship with Jay-Z.
"I been fucking with Cash Money," he said in an interview. "You know, me and Wayne did a joint for the last album, but we couldn't get the shit cleared in time and all that. We just throwing around some ideas. And I'm launching a label, Free Money, so what better home for it...My man Ceelo, he worked with Baby, so he really basically connected us like that. But, right now everything is still in preliminary...It's still Roc-A-Fella for life. That's something that's not going to leave me...Everything still preliminary. Jay give me his blessing with whatever I want to do. Jay want to see niggas making moves."
Diamond In the Ruff (2010-present)[link]
On a video with KarmaloopTV Freeway announced a new clothing line in the works entitled "Freestyle".[23] In addition to the new clothing line Free also announced an upcoming album called "Diamond In the Ruff" which will feature a single produced by Jake One called "Beautiful Music" other producers on the album are Just Blaze, Freeway explained in the interview that the album should have come after Philadelphia Freeway.[24] Freeway's according to interview that "Diamond In the Rough" will be in Stores 30 November and features production from Just Blaze, and collaborations with Rick Ross and Black Thought. For the moment, two song are available : "Beautiful Music" and "Escalators" produced by Jake One.[25] Also in 2010 freeway signed a deal with G-Unit Records's extent label G-Unit Philly run by rapper Tony Yayo.
Freeway recorded an EP with Statik Selektah which was completed in 24 hours. It was called the Statik-Free EP and was released on iTunes January 11, 2011.[26]
Discography[link]
Main article: Freeway discography
- Studio albums
- 2003: Philadelphia Freeway
- 2007: Free At Last
- 2009: Philadelphia Freeway 2
- TBA: Diamond In the Ruff
- Collaboration albums
- 2002: State Property OST (with State Property)
- 2003: The Chain Gang Vol. 2 (with State Property)
- 2010: The Stimulus Package (with Jake One)
- 2010: The Roc Boys (with Beanie Sigel)
- 2011: Statik-Free EP (with Statik Selektah)
- Compilation albums
- 2009: Streetz Is Mine
- 2009: This Is My Life
References[link]
- ^ "Freeway overview". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p530896. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ "Freeway Rolling Stone Article". Real.com. http://uk.real.com/music/artist/Freeway/articles/370159. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "Weezy Pushed Again, Freeway Signs To Cash Money | Lil Wayne". Rap Basement. 2009-06-03. http://www.rapbasement.com/lil-wayne/060309-lil-waynes-new-rebirth-album-is-pushed-to-august-and-rapper-freeway-signs-to-cash-money.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "Philadelphia-Freeway". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Philadelphia-Freeway/178517098341. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ Reid, Shaheem (2002-11-22). "Jay-Z, Beans, Dame Dash Withstand Fire, Rain On Freeway Video Set". MTV.com. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458844/20021122/freeway.jhtml. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ a b "Freeway Bio". MTV.com. http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/freeway/artist.jhtml#bio. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ Reid, Shaheem (2005-08-10). "Beanie Blasts 'Disloyal' State Property, Explains Why He's With Dame And Not Jay-Z". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1507399/20050810/sigel_beanie.jhtml. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "Free At Last Review". Artist Direct. 2007-11-20. http://artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,3771319,00.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ [1]
- ^ February 27, 2007 (2007-02-27). "HYDRO & ICE CITY turn their back on Freeway and exposes him on a new MIXTAPE". Smartenupnas.com. http://smartenupnas.com/2007/02/27/hydro-ice-city-turn-their-back-on-freeway-and-exposes-him-on-a-new-mixtape/. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "DefJam. Accessed August 23, 2007". Nahright.com. 2007-10-17. http://nahright.com/news/2007/10/17/freeway-paper-gangsters/. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ Freeway speaks on G-Unit Collaboration
- ^ "Freeway: Cashing In With Cash Money". Rap Radar. 2009-06-03. http://www.rapradar.com/qa/freeway-cashing-in-with-cash-money.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "Miss Info Exclusive: Freeway Speaks on Kanye…."It’s Over"". MissInfo.tv. 2007-10-24. http://www.missinfo.tv/index.php/freeway-speaks-on-kanyeits-over/. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "Freeway Speaks On Kanye/Just Blaze Comments". Nah Right. 2007-10-24. http://nahright.com/news/2007/10/24/freeway-speaks-on-kanyejust-blaze-comments/. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ Ewing, Aliya (2008-04-02). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 3/30/08 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6675/title.hip-hop-album-sales-week-ending-3-30-08. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "Freeway – Month of Madness". Fiftyonefiftyone.com. http://fiftyonefiftyone.com/2008/12/freeway-month-of-madness/. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "Freeway – Month of Madness (Complete Series) | 2dopeboyz". 2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com. http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2009/01/01/freeway-month-of-madness-complete-series/. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "News | Defsounds.com: Breaking Hip Hop News & Hip Hop Songs". Defsounds.com. http://www.defsounds.com/news/Freeway_works_on_new_album_talks_def_jam_grief. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ "Exclusive Hip Hop News, Audio, Lyrics, Videos, Honeys, Wear, Sneakers, Download Mixtapes". Hiphopgame.com. 2009-03-19. http://www.hiphopgame.com/index2.php3?page=freeway4. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ [3][dead link]
- ^ "Freeway Announces New Album ‘Diamond In The Ruff’ | HipHop-N-More". Hiphop-n-more.com. 2010-08-21. http://hiphop-n-more.com/2010/08/freeway-announces-new-album-diamond-in-the-rough/. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ Harling, Danielle (2010-08-23). "DX News Bits: Freeway, Newtroit Records, Kanye West | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12029/title.dx-news-bits-freeway-newtroit-records-kanye-west. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ by J-23 (2010-11-02). "Freeway Talks New Album, Just Blaze, Rick Ross Features | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12824/title.freeway-talks-new-album-just-blaze-rick-ross-features. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ Gary, Kevin S. (2011-01-12). "Freeway & Statik Selektah One-Day-Made EP "StatikFree" Hits iTunes | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.13592/title.freeway-statik-selektah-one-day-made-ep-statikfree-hits-itunes. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
External links[link]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Freeway (rapper) |
- Freeway at the Internet Movie Database
- Freeway on Myspace
- HipHopGame Interview
- Uncensored Freeway Radio Interview 2010
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Freeway |
| Alternative names | Pridgen, Leslie Edward (birth name) |
| Short description | American rapper |
| Date of birth | August 6, 1978 |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
]
http://wn.com/Freeway_(rapper)
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http://fr.wn.com/Freeway (rappeur)
http://nl.wn.com/Freeway (rapper)
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeway_(rapper)
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
 |
This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (January 2012) |
| Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival | |
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During the 2004 festival |
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| Dates | February |
| Location(s) | Harbin, China |
| Years active | since 1963 |
| Genre | winter festivals |
| Website | www.isharbin.com |
| Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival | |||||||||
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| Harbin Ice Festival | |||||||||
| Chinese | 哈尔滨国际冰雪节 | ||||||||
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The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (Chinese: 哈尔滨国际冰雪节; pinyin: Hā'ěrbīn Guójì Bīngxuě Jié) has been held since 1963. It had been interrupted for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution but had been resumed by 1985.
Harbin is located in Northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The average temperature in summer is 21.2 degrees Celsius, -16.8 degrees Celsius in winter. Annual low temperatures below -35C are not uncommon.
Officially, the festival starts January 5th and lasts one month. However the exhibits often open earlier and stay longer, weather permitting. Ice sculpture decoration technology ranges from the modern (using lasers) to traditional (with ice lanterns). While there are ice sculptures throughout the city, there are two main exhibition areas: Enormous snow sculptures at Sun Island (a recreational area on the opposite side of the Songhua River from the city) and the separate "Ice and Snow World" that operates each night. Ice and Snow World features illuminated full size buildings made from blocks of 2–3 feet thick crystal clear ice directly taken from the Songhua River. There are ice lantern park touring activities held in many parks in the city. Winter activities in the festival include Yabuli alpine skiing, winter-swimming in the Songhua River, and the ice-lantern exhibition in Zhaolin Garden.
The Harbin festival is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival.
The 2007 festival featured the Canadian theme, in memoriam of Canadian doctor Norman Bethune. It was also a Guinness Record of the largest snow sculpture: 250 metres long, 28 feet (8.5 m) high, using over 13,000 cubic metres of snow. The composition consisted of two parts: "Niagara Falls" and "Crossing the Bering Strait" (the latter depicting the migration of the First Nations).
Contents |
Construction[link]
Swing saws are used to carve ice into blocks, taken from the frozen surface of the Songhua River.[1] Chisels, ice picks and various types of saws are then used by ice sculptors to carve out large scaled ice sculptures,[2] many of them intricately designed[1]and worked on all day and night prior to the commencement of the festival. Deionised water can also be used, producing ice blocks as transparent as glass to make clear sculptures rather than translucent ones.[3] Multicoloured lights[4] are also used to give colour to ice, creating variations on sculptured spectacles when lit up especially at night. Some ice sculptures made in previous years include: buildings and monuments of different architectural types and styles, figures including animals people and mythical creatures, slippery dips or ice slides and lanterns.[5][6] Apart from winter recreational activities available in Harbin, these exquisitely-detailed, mass-produced ice sculptures are the main draw card in attracting tourists around the world to the festival.[4]
See also[link]
Gallery[link]
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References[link]
- ^ a b AFP (13 November 2008). "Ice is money in China's coldest city". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/travel/ice-is-money-in-chinas-coldest-city-20081113-62yj.html. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- ^ BBC (6 January 2007). "In pictures: Harbin ice festival". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6237381.stm. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- ^ Zeitvogel, K. (18 December 2009). "Chinese-sculpted winter wonderland in Washington". AFP/Google. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5juFZEAvmgxvRxWeq2RRwWAB9KcSg. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- ^ a b Strum, J. (22 December 2009). "Northern Chinese city embraces cold and ice". The State Journal, Frankfort, Kentucky. http://www.state-journal.com/news/article/4734375. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- ^ Taylor, A. (9 January 2009). "Icy days and nights". Boston.com/AP/Getty Images/AFP/Reuters. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/01/icy_days_and_nights.html. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- ^ Mullen, N.; Lin, C-C. (2005). "Chinese Folk Art, Festivals, and Symbolism in Everyday Life". Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology/University of California, Berkeley. http://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/outreach/pdfs/chinese_folk_art.pdf. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
External links[link]
- Harbin Ice Festival
- 2003 Harbin Snow and Ice Festival
- 2005 Harbin Snow and Ice Festival
- 2006 Harbin Snow and Ice Festival
- 2006 Harbin Snow and Ice Festival
- 2007 Harbin Snow and Ice Festival
- 2009 Harbin Snow and Ice Festival
http://wn.com/Harbin_International_Ice_and_Snow_Sculpture_Festival
Related pages:
http://ru.wn.com/Харбинский международный фестиваль льда и снега
http://fr.wn.com/Festival de sculptures sur glace et de neige de Harbin
http://it.wn.com/Festival internazionale delle sculture di ghiaccio e neve di Harbin
http://id.wn.com/Festival Internasional Salju dan Es Harbin
http://es.wn.com/Festival de esculturas de hielo y nieve de Harbin
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbin_International_Ice_and_Snow_Sculpture_Festival
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
Ice Festival, Ice and Snow Festival, or Snow and Ice Festival may refer to one of the following events.[1]
- Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival
- Sapporo Snow Festival
- World Ice Art Championships
- International Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival
- Snowking Winter Festival
- International Ice Sculpture Contest "Polar Rhapsody", Salekhard, Russia
- Italian Ice Carving Championship
- International Snow and Ice Sculpture Championships "Europe - Asia", Ekaterinburg, Russia
- Concours International de Sculpture sur Glace, Valloire, France
- International Ice Sculpture Contest "Ice Fantasy", Khabarovsk, Russia
- International Ice Sculpture Contest, Korkeasaari, Helsinki, Finland
- International Ice Sculpture Festival, Jelgava, Latvia
- Karuizawa Winter Festival - Ice Sculpting International Exhibition, Karuizawa, Japan
- Crystal Garden International Ice Carving Competition, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- 2004 World Ice Sculpture Competition, Asahikawa, Japan
- International Ice Sculpture Contest, St.Petersburg, Russia
- Blue Ice Art Cup 2004, Pello, Lapland, Finland
- International Ice Sculpture Competition, Vaasa, Finland
- International Ice Sculpture Competition, ICE ART 2004, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
- Michigan Technological University's Winter Carnival, Houghton, Michigan, USA
- Ice on Whyte, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- See also: Winter carnival, List of winter festivals
References[link]
http://wn.com/List_of_ice_and_snow_sculpture_events
Related pages:
http://de.wn.com/Liste der Schneefeste
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ice_and_snow_sculpture_events
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
