The Yangtze River Delta: An Important Engine for China's Economy

The Urban Agglomeration in the Yangtze River Delta (UA-YRD) lies on the alluvial plains where the Yangtze River drains into the East China Sea. According to the Development Plan for Urban Agglomeration in the Yangtze River Delta, approved by China's State Council in May 2016, the urban agglomeration includes 26 cities: the municipality of Shanghai; Nanjing, Wuxi, Changzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Yancheng, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, and Taizhou (cities in Jiangsu Province); Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Shaoxing, Jinhua, Zhoushan, and Taizhou (cities in Zhejiang Province); and Hefei, Wuhu, Ma' anshan, Tongling, Anqing, Chuzhou, Chizhou, and Xuancheng (cities in Anhui Province). The urban agglomeration covers an area of 211.7 thousand square kilometers, with a GDP of 12.67 trillion yuan/US$ 1.9 trillion (2014), and a total population of 150 million, with these three measures accounting for about 2.2%, 18.5%, and 11% of the country respectively.