Liaodong Peninsula

Liaodong Peninsula, triangular peninsula in north-eastern China, bounded on the west by the gulf of Bo Hai, on the south-east by Korea Bay, and on the north-east by North Korea. Liaodong Peninsula covers about 54,000 sq km (20,850 sq mi) in Liaoning Province. It narrows in width from about 150 km (93 mi) in the north to less than 10 km (6.2 mi) at its southern tip, near the port city of Dalian. The backbone of the peninsula is formed by the Qian Shan Mountains, crossing the region from north-east to south-west. Elevations in the peninsula average about 500 m (1,640 ft).

A moderate climate, abundant precipitation, and a six-month growing season make Liaodong Peninsula one of the most important fruit-producing regions in China. With about 900 km (560 mi) of coastline, the peninsula also contributes significantly to the country's fish catch. In addition, the peninsula has been one of China's major industrial bases since the 1960s. More than 600 large- and medium-sized metallurgical, machine-building, petrochemical, and construction enterprises are located there. Dalian is an industrial centre and the largest international port in northern China. In 1988, in order to encourage foreign investment, the Chinese government established a tax-free zone from Dalian to Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province. Today several hundred enterprises in the area are foreign-funded, and industrial and agricultural production in the peninsula now accounts for 75 per cent of the entire output of the province.