Why Heilongjiang

Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China. Located in the northeastern part of the country, Heilongjiang is bordered by Jilin to the south and Inner Mongolia to the west. It also shares a China–Russia border with Russia to the north and east. The capital and the largest city of the province is Harbin. Among Chinese provincial-level administrative divisions, Heilongjiang is the sixth-largest by total area and the15th-most populous.
The province takes its name from the Heilong River (Chinese name of the Amur), which marks the border between the People's Republic of China and Russia. Heilongjiang contains China's northernmost point (in Mohe County along the Amur) and easternmost point (at the junction of the A77mur and Ussuri rivers).
Heilongjiang is China's largest agricultural base, as well as an important industrial area mainly based on oil, timber, coal and machinery manufacturing.

History

Heilongjiang as an administrative entity was created in 1683, during the Kangxi era of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, from the northwestern part of the Jilin province. In 1945 Japanese were defeated by Soviet Army. During Chinese Civil War Heilongjiang became the first province to be completely controlled by the Chinese communists and Harbin the first major city to be controlled by them.

Geography

Heilongjiang is a land of varied topography. Much of the province is dominated by mountain ranges such as the Greater Khingan Range and Lesser Khingan Range, Zhangguangcai Mountains, Laoye Mountains, and Wanda Mountains. The highest peak is Mount Datudingzi at 1,690 metres (5,540 ft), located on the border with Jilin province. The Greater Khingan Range contains China's largest remaining virgin forest and is an important area for China's forestry industry.
The east and southwest of the province, which are relatively flat and low in altitude, contain the Muling River, the Naoli River, the Songhua River, the Nen River, and the Mudan River, all tributaries of the Amur, while the northern border forms part of the Amur valley. Xingkai Lake (or Khanka Lake) is found on the border with Russia's Primorsky Krai.
 

Climate

A humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa or Dwb) predominates in the province, though areas in the far north are subarctic (Köppen Dwc).[10] Winters are long and bitter, with an average of −31 to −15 °C (−24 to 5 °F) in January, and summers are short and warm to very warm with an average of 18 to 23 °C (64 to 73 °F) in July. The annual average rainfall is 400 to 700 millimetres (16 to 28 in), concentrated heavily in summer. Clear weather is prevalent throughout the year, and in the spring, the Songnen Plain and the Sanjiang Plain provide abundant sources of wind energy.
 

Population and Nationalities

The population is predominantly Han (Chinese), but there are other significant ethnic groups, notably the Manchu, Koreans, Hui (Chinese Muslims), and Mongols (including Daur Mongols). Other, smaller groups include the Oroqen (Elunchun), Evenk (Ewenki, or Ewenke), and Hezhe (Nanai, or Hezhen). After the establishment of the communist government, an autonomous county and dozens of autonomous towns and villages were created in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. The Manchu form the largest minority group and are distributed largely in the southern part of the province. They have been culturally assimilated by the Han majority. Most of them farm, and their way of life is similar to that of the Han; in the past, intermarriage was common, especially among the former nobility and the educated.
 

Economy

The agriculture of Heilongjiang, heavily defined by its cold climate, is based upon crops such as soybeans, maize, wheat and potatoes. Commercial crops grown include beets, flax, and sunflowers.
Heilongjiang is also an important source of lumber for China. Pine, especially the Korean pine and larch are the most important forms of lumber produced in Heilongjiang. Forests are mostly to be found in the Greater Khingan Mountains and Lesser Khingan Mountains, which are also home to protected animal species such as the Siberian tiger, the red-crowned crane, and the lynx.
Herding in Heilongjiang is centered upon horses and cattle; the province has the largest number of milk cows and the highest production of milk among all the province-level divisions of China.
Petroleum is of great importance in Heilongjiang, and the Daqing oilfields are an important source of petroleum for China. Coal, gold, and graphite are other important minerals to be found in Heilongjiang. Heilongjiang also has great potential for wind power, with an average wind energy density of 200 watts per square meter.