Heilongjiang << hy lawng jyahng >> Province is the northernmost province in China. It is one of the largest provinces in China, with an area of 179,000 square miles (463,600 square kilometers). Harbin is the province’s capital and largest city. Heilongjiang, also spelled Heilungkiang, is part of China’s Northeast region (sometimes called Manchuria).
Heilongjiang borders Russia to the north and east. The Amur River forms the northern border. The river’s Chinese name—Heilong Jiang, meaning Black Dragon River—is the source of the province’s name. The Ussuri River forms part of the eastern border. The Nen River forms part of the province’s western border with Inner Mongolia, an autonomous (self-governing) region of China. The Songhua River flows through the middle of Heilongjiang. Mountains are in the north and southeast.
Heilongjiang has deposits of coal and oil. Its main farm products include corn, flax, rice, soybeans, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, and wheat. Farmers also raise cattle. Major industries in the province produce dairy products, freight trains, paper, sugar, and timber.
For centuries, various tribes inhabited Heilongjiang. A leader of a tribal group called the Ruzhen (also known as the Jurchen), founded the Jin dynasty (1115-1234). A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family. Beginning in the late 1500’s, separate Ruzhen tribes united and began to ally with some other neighboring groups. In the early 1600’s, they took the name Manchu. The Manchus conquered China, seizing Beijing in 1644. They established the Qing dynasty (1644-1912).
Russia occupied Heilongjiang from 1900 to 1905. After Japan defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Russia gave up control of Heilongjiang. Many Russians fled to Heilongjiang during the Russian Revolution of 1917. In 1931, the Japanese seized Heilongjiang along with the rest of Manchuria. During the last days of World War II (1939-1945), the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and occupied Manchuria. In 1946, the Soviet Union returned Heilongjiang and the rest of Manchuria to China.
