Zhanjiang

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湛江市
Zhànjiāng Shì
Zhanjiang is highlighted on this map
Administration Type Prefecture-level city
City Seat Chikan District
Area 12,490 km²
Coastline  ? km (including islands)
Population 6,571,400 (2004)
GDP
- Total
- Per Capita
 
¥
¥
Major Nationalities Han
County-level divisions 9
Township-level divisions
CPC Committee Secretary
Mayor
Area code 759
Postal Code 524000
License Plate Prefix 粤G
Location of Zhanjiang
Enlarge
Location of Zhanjiang

Zhanjiang (湛江) is a city in Guangdong province, in southeast China.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Zhanjiang is located to the southwest of the city of Guangzhou on an inlet of the South China Sea. It is located on the eastern coast of the Leizhou Peninsula. The dialect of Leizhou is different from Cantonese and is a dialect of Min Nan.

[edit] History

Zhanjiang was a small fishing port when it was occupied by the French in 1898. The next year, the French forced the Chinese to lease Zhanjiang to them for 99 years. The French wanted to develop the port, which they called Fort Bayard, to serve southern China, in parts of which France had exclusive rights to railway and mineral development. Their efforts, however, were hindered by the poverty of the surrounding land. The French retained control of the region until 1943, when the Japanese occupied the area during World War II. The Japanese relinquished control to the Chinese in 1945.

Until the introduction of Pinyin spelling, it was often known in the west as "Tsamkong".

[edit] Economy

It is a seaport and trade center having many varied industries, including shipyards, textile plants, and sugar refining.

The port is the headquarters of the South Sea Fleet of the Chinese Navy.

[edit] See also


Prefecture-level divisions of Guangdong
Sub-provincial cities: Guangzhou | Shenzhen
Prefecture-level cities: Chaozhou | Dongguan | Foshan | Heyuan | Huizhou
Jiangmen | Jieyang | Maoming | Meizhou | Qingyuan | Shantou | Shanwei
Shaoguan | Yangjiang | Yunfu | Zhanjiang | Zhaoqing | Zhongshan | Zhuhai
List of Guangdong County-level divisions


Coordinates: 21°12′N 110°24′E