Lying at 32 °03 'N and 118 °47 'E, Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu Province and shortened into the  name of Ning. Situated in the Yangtze River Delta, Nanjing is 380 kilometers away from the estuary of East China Sea. At the intersection of the artery in east-west water transport by bordering the Yangtze River and the artery in south-north land transport with the Beijing-Shanghai Railway running through, the city has long enjoyed a reputation of “east-west gateway and south-north strategic point”.

Nanjing is one of the key cities in terms of economic, cultural, financial, and commercial and trade importance in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is also a riverside city radiating with mountains, rivers, forests and modern buildings, and blends the characteristics of an ancient capital and modern civilization.
Nanjing covers an area of 6,598 square kilometers, of which 4,730 square kilometers consist of urban region, with an urbanization rate of some 75%. Currently, the city supervises 11 districts of Xuanwu, Baixia, Gulou, Jianye, Qinhuai, Xiaguan, Yuhuatai, Qixia, Jiangning, Luhe and Pukou, and two counties of Lishui and Gaochun. There are presently about 7.5889 million permanent residents in the city.

Nanjing belongs to the northern subtropical monsoon climate zone, where the four seasons are clearly demarcated, with sufficient sunshine and abundant rainfall. The climate is moderate and moist, and spring and autumn are short while winter and summer are long. The annual average temperature is 17.8°C while the duration of sunshine can reach 1,686.5 hours yearly. The annual precipitation is 1,034 mm.

Nanjing is surrounded by mountains and snuggles up to lakes and rivers. It has favorable natural conditions and abundant products, owning more than 40 types of minerals and rich water resources. Its reserve of strontium ranks the first in Southeast Asia and its iron and sulfur reserves account for some 40% of the total amount in Jiangsu Province.