Posted: Submitted by Wocca (748) on Tue, 2005-10-18 16:26. | Subject: Unusually Large Area

As one of the four municipalities under the Central Government (MDUCG), there are two things in particular immediately distinguish Chongqing from the other MDUCGs (Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin).

The first, it is unusually large in area, covering 82,400 sq km, 2.4 times the total area occupied by Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin municipalities. The 43 urban districts and counties under its jurisdiction represent three quarters the total number governed by the three other municipalities.

Secondly, it is unusually large in population. At the end of 1997, 30.429 million people lived in Chongqing, equivalent to 83 percent of the total population of Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. In Chongqing, however, more than 80 percent of the population is rural, a figure far higher than in the other municipalities.

Thus, of all the municipalities, Chongqing has the largest area and population and the highest proportion of peasants.

http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/English/chinatours/chongqing.htm