- The city covers an area of 6,340.5 square kilometres and has an altitude of between three and five meters.
- The area around Dianshan Lake in the west of the city is the lowest.
- The water network inside the city is the densest and the most developed in China. A lot of rivers and lakes in the city provide sufficient water to facilitate the transportation and irrigation.
Sources:
(1) Shanghai Geography: Landscape Features, Facts & Characteristics
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shanghai/geography.htm
(2) Shanghai | History, Population, Map & Facts | Brittanica
https://www.britannica.com/place/Shanghai
- The city is centred on the Huangpu River, a branch of the Yangtze River, and extends outwards in all directions, with the suburbs and satellite towns reaching east to the East China Sea, north and west to Jiangsu province, and south to Zhejiang province over Hangzhou Bay.
- Most of Shanghai's land area is flat, apart from a few hills in the southwest corner, due to its location on the alluvial plain of the Yangtze's river delta.
- The city has many rivers and lakes and is known for its rich water resources, and thanks to its coastal, riverside location and warm climate ensuring ice-free waters, provides easy access to China's interior, resulting in Shanghai being the world's largest port.
- Man-made masterpieces in downtown include the buildings and complex on the Bund, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and Jinmao Tower.
Sources
(1) Shanghai Geography: Landscape Features, Facts & Characteristics. https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shanghai/geography.htm.
(2) Shanghai | History, Population, Map, & Facts | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Shanghai
- Water pollution: As much as 90% of the country’s groundwater is contaminated by toxic human and industrial waste dumping, as well as farm fertilisers, causing about 70% of rivers and lakes to be unsafe for human use.
- Air pollution: Shanghai has been experiencing extreme air pollution, with schoolchildren told to stay indoors to protect them from the polluted air, flights grounded and companies ordered to cut production.
- Soil contamination: Soil contamination is a major issue in Shanghai, with heavy metals and other pollutants contaminating the soil.
Sources:
(1) 5 Environmental Issues in China in 2023 | Earth.Org. https://earth.org/environmental-issues-in-china/
(2) Shanghai's 'airpocalypse': can China fix its deadly pollution? https://theconversation.com/shanghais-airpocalypse-can-china-fix-its-deadly-pollution-21275
(3) 30 years of working together to solve Shanghai’s most pressing water
https://blogs.worldbank.org/water/30-years-working-together-solve-shanghai-s-most-pressing-water-problems
- Socio-economic inequality: The rapid transformation from a communist, planned economy to a capitalist, market-oriented economy has led to a widening gap between the rich and poor, with many people struggling to make ends meet.
- Gender inequalities: Women in China face discrimination in the workplace, with many being paid less than their male counterparts for the same work.
- Coronavirus restrictions: Shanghai has been under strict restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with schools closed and companies ordered to cut production.
Source:
(1) Social problems in China - Socio-economic inequality and its impact in China
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zn3c7nb/revision/5.
(2) Shanghai moves to impose tightest restrictions yet - BBC News.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-61404082.
(3) Two tales of a city: How middle-class Shanghai reveals China’s unsettled future | Brookings
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/two-tales-of-a-city-how-middle-class-shanghai-reveals-chinas-unsettled-future/.
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