Zhejiang

/jue"jyahng"/, n. Pinyin.

a province in E China, on the East China Sea. 28,320,000; 39,768 sq. mi. (102,999 sq. km). Cap.: Hangzhou. Also, Chekiang.

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or Che-chiang conventional Chekiang

Province (pop., 2000 est.: 46,770,000), eastern China.

With an area of 39,300 sq mi (101,800 sq km), it is bounded by the China Sea, Shanghai municipality, and Fujian, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces; its capital is Hangzhou. It is one of China's smallest provinces and one of the most densely populated. Its northern part lies just south of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) delta. Occupying parts of various kingdoms until the 13th century AD, it was divided in the 1270s into eastern and western regions. Foreign penetration began in the 1840s. After the Chinese revolution (1911–12), it became a power base for the Nationalist Party of Chiang Kai-shek, who was born in the province. Occupied by the Japanese during World War II, it was little affected by the 1946–49 civil war. In addition to its agricultural importance, it has a thriving fishing industry. Its hydroelectric power plants have spurred more growth.

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