Map of Heilongjiang Province (New Version)

Author: Wang Ruiping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Heilongjiang Province is located between 12°11′-135°05′ east longitude and 43°25′-53°33′ north latitude, in the northeast of China. The northern and eastern borders are defined by the Heilongjiang River and the Ussuri River, bordering Russia; the western border adjoins Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; and the southern border meets Jilin Province. It covers an area of over 460,000 square kilometers. The terrain is complex, with the Daxing'anling Mountains in the northwest, the Xiaoqingling Mountains in the north, and the Zhangguangcai Mountains, Laoyeling Mountains, Taipingling Mountains, and Wandaling Mountains in the southeast. The Nenjiang River and the Songhua River flow diagonally across the province from north to south, forming the Sanjiang Plain in the northeast and the Songnen Plain in the southwest. There is also Lake Hanka in the southeast. The hilly and mountainous areas, with an elevation of approximately 300-1,780 meters, account for about 70% of the province's total area, while the plains, with an elevation of about 50-250 meters, cover about 30%. The distribution of mountains and plains creates a topography with higher elevations in the northwest, north, and southeast, and lower elevations in the northeast and southwest.
Heilongjiang Province currently administers 13 prefecture-level administrative units. The cities under its jurisdiction include 19 county-level cities, 47 counties, 64 districts, 464 towns, 480 townships, and 9,157 villages. Population Statistics: As of the end of 2001, the province had a total population of 38.11 million, including 51 ethnic minorities with a population of 1.999 million. The population density was 83.9 people per square kilometer, and the average life expectancy was 70.2 years.
Heilongjiang Province is a province in the northeast of China. As early as 30,000 to 40,000 years ago during the Paleolithic period, human activity was recorded in this area. During the pre-Qin period, the ancestors of three major ethnic groups—Sushen, Puyue, and Donghu—lived here. Over 2,000 years ago, the Sushen people presented arrows and stone tips to Emperor Shun of the Shang Dynasty. In the Han Dynasty, the Sushen were known as Yilou; in the Wei and Jin periods, they were called Wujig; during the Sui and Tang dynasties, they were referred to as Mohe; and in the Jin Dynasty, they were known as the Jurchen. The Manchus were officially recognized as the Manzu in the Qing Dynasty.
The earliest local government established in the Heilongjiang region was the Fuyu Kingdom in the late Warring States period. During the Tang Dynasty, the Weiwu Prefecture, Heishui Prefecture, and Bohai Prefecture were set up. After the Khitan conquered Bohai, they established Dongdan Kingdom for a period. During the Jin Dynasty, the capital was established in Huining Prefecture (now Baicheng, Acheng City, Heilongjiang Province). After the capital was moved to Yanjing (including Beijing), the Yuan Dynasty included the Kailing Road and Shuidadadu Road under the Liaoyang Circuit. In the Ming Dynasty, the Nurgan Commandery was established in the northeast, governing 384 posts and 24 stations. In the early Qing Dynasty, Ningguta was established as an army commander, later moved to Jilin and renamed as the Jilin General, with an additional Heilongjiang General to oversee vast areas of the Heilongjiang River basin.
In the late 17th century, the Qing government won the Battle of Zhaxi and Zhaoye, weakening Russian aggression and signing the Treaty of Nerchinsk, which defined the eastern border between China and Russia. In the mid-19th century, Russia forced the Qing government to sign the Treaty of Aigun and the Treaty of Beijing, ceding over 1 million square kilometers of land north of the Heilongjiang River and east of the Ussuri River to Russia.
After the September 18th Incident in 1931, Heilongjiang Province was occupied by Japanese imperialists. After the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan in 1945, five provinces—Heilongjiang, Nenjiang, Songjiang, Hejiang, and Mudanjiang—were established, which were soon merged into Heilongjiang and Songjiang provinces. In 1954, they were further merged to form Heilongjiang Province, with Harbin as the provincial capital.