苏北地区，包括徐州、连云港、淮安、盐城、宿迁5个省辖市，共40个县（市、区）。土地面积5.24万平方公里，2006年年末人口3281.12万人，分别占江苏省52%、44.8%。

　　苏北地处黄海之滨，海岸线744公里，与日本、韩国隔海相望，紧靠以上海为龙头的长江三角洲地区，处在南下北上、东出西进重要位置，是全国沿海经济带重要组成部分。近年来，苏北地区交通状况有了根本性改善，区位优势更加凸现，拥有新亚欧大陆桥即陇海铁路、京沪铁路、京杭大运河、数条高速公路和国道、徐州观音机场、连云港机场、盐城机场等骨干通道和基础设施，便捷的现代化立体交通网络逐步形成，与国内外重要城市时空距离大大缩短。连云港港是江苏省唯一大型海港，也是国家主枢纽港之一和欧亚水陆联运重要结合点。

　　苏北地区拥有矿产资源、海洋资源、土地资源等较为丰富的自然资源，在资源短缺的江苏以及华东地区具有重要地位。矿产资源方面，徐州的煤炭、石膏和石灰石，淮安的岩盐、芒硝和凹凸棒土，以及连云港的水晶、金红石和蛇纹石等都具有良好的开发条件与利用价值，丰富的矿产资源为本区大力发展重化工业提供了重要条件。本区丰富的海洋资源（包括海岛动植物资源、海洋生物资源、海水化学资源、海涂资源和海港资源等）是发展海洋产业的物质基础。本区土地资源较为丰富，人均土地、耕地拥有量均超过苏南地区。

　　近年来，苏北经济社会发展呈现蓬勃向上的良好势头，已经站在了一个新的起点上。主要表现是，工业化进程加快推进，改革开放实现新突破，基础设施建设全面加强、社会事业发展和人民生活水平都取得了显著成绩。一是投资环境显著改善。基础设施建设步伐加快，到2006年底苏北高速公路通车里程达1443公里。沿海港口建设力度加大，连云港港口集装箱吞吐量突破百万标箱。田湾核电站一号机组等一批电源点项目建成投产。开发区产业集聚功能明显增强。经国家核准的省级以上开发区已增加到41家，各县（市）都拥有省级以上开发区。特别是在加强宏观调控的新形势下，苏北土地、能源、劳动力资源相对丰裕的优势进一步凸现。二是经济实力全面增强。2006年苏北地区生产总值达到4235.8亿元，比上年增长15%，比2001年翻一番，人均生产总值1500美元，徐州、盐城市的生产总值已先后超过1000亿元，有9个县（市）的生产总值超过百亿元。财政总收入达501.14亿元，比2003年翻一番，其中徐州市、盐城市财政总收入超过100亿元，分别达180亿元、 110.97亿元， 7个县（市）财政总收入均超过10亿元，比2005年增加5个；全社会固定资产投资达2652.1亿元，比2004年翻一番。主要经济指标增速高于全省，地区生产总值增速比全省高0.1个百分点；地方财政一般预算收入210.82亿元，增长33.2%，增速比全省高7.9个百分点；城镇固定资产投资1728.42元，增长33.5%，比全省高13.3个百分点；进出口总额76.34亿美元，增长40.5%，比全省高15.9个百分点，其中出口总额46.24亿美元，增长46.1%；实际到账注册外资10.79亿美元，增长35.2 %，比全省高2.9个百分点；城镇居民人均可支配收入达11799元，增长14.5%，比全省高0.2个百分点。三是产业转移加快推进。2006年苏北承接500万元以上产业转移项目2003个，总投资887.4亿元，实际引资额398.3亿元，项目总投资、实际引资额同比分别增长15.4%和24%。

　　江苏省委、省政府高度重视苏北地区的发展，陆续出台了一系列加快苏北发展的政策措施，这些政策措施在增加苏北基础设施建设投入、扶持苏北产业发展、促进对内对外开放、加快科技教育事业发展、推动苏南苏北合作等方面发挥了重要作用。在省委、省政府正确领导和全省上下共同努力下，在社会各界以及国内外朋友关心支持下，特别是依靠3200万苏北人民持之以恒的团结拼搏，苏北明天将会更美好！

A Brief Introduction of North Jiangsu

The region of North Jiangsu includes 5 municipalities and 40 counties(cities or districts). The 5 municipalities are Xuzhou, Lianyungang, Huai’an, Yancheng and Suqian. The land area of North Jiangsu is 52400 square kilometers, which is 52% of the area of Jiangsu Province. By the end of year 2006, the population of this region is 32.81 million, which is 44.8% of the population of Jiangsu.

North Jiangsu locates at the bank of the Yellow Sea, with Japan and South Korea on the other side of the Sea. The coastline of this region is 744km. This region is close to the Yangtze Delta headed by Shanghai and locates at a very important place connecting south with north and east with west. It is the major part of the national coastal economic belt. In recent years, the transportation in North Jiangsu has been greatly improved, which better shows its geographic advantages. In this region, there are infrastructures such as the new Continental Bridge (Longhai Railway), the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and several expressways and highways. There are also several airports like Xuzhou Guanyin Airport, Lianyungang Airport and Yancheng Airport. A modern convenient transportation network is coming into being. The time and space distances between North Jiangsu and other major cities are greatly shortened. Lianyungang Port is the only large scale sea port in the Province. It is also one of the major hinge ports in China and an important connecting point for water and land transport between Asia and Europe.

The region of North Jiangsu has abundant natural resources such as mineral resources, land resources and oceanic resources. This makes this region very important in Jiangsu and East China where there are not enough natural resources. With regards to mineral resources, there are coal, gypsum and limestone in Xuzhou, halite, mirabilite, and attapulgite in Huai’an, and crystal, rutile and serpentine in Lianyungang. Most of them are valuable and have good conditions to develop. Abundant mineral resources are basis to develop heavy chemical industry in this region. Oceanic resources(which include island animals and plants, sea life-forms, chemical resources in seawater, and seaports) are material basis to develop ocean industries. The land resource in this region is also abundant. Both the land area and the farm land area per capita in this region are bigger than that in South Jiangsu.

In recent years, the economic and social development in North Jiangsu shows a good trend of improving. Now it is on a new start point. The process of industrialization accelerates, the reform and opening to the world makes new breakthrough, the infrastructures develop fast and both the social development and the living standard achieve obvious progress.

Firstly, the investment environment has been improved. The infrastructures develop fast. By the end of 2006, the expressway in North Jiangsu has reached 1443kilometeres. The construction of sea ports also develops very fast. The turnout of containers in Lianyungang port is more than 1 million. A group of power projects has been put into use like the No.1 generator in Tianwan Nuclear Plant. Development zones play an important role in industrial centralization. There are 41 Provincial level (or above) development zones approved by the central government. Each county(city) has at least one Provincial level (or above) development zone. In the current situation of macroeconomic management, North Jiangsu has more advantages in land, power and labor resources.

Secondly, the economic strength has grown comprehensively. In 2006, the regional GDP in North Jiangsu is RMB 423.58 billion yuan, 15% higher than last year and double that in 2001. The GDP per capita is 1500 USD. The regional GDP in Xuzhou and Yancheng is more than RMB 100 billion yuan respectively. There are also 9 counties whose regional GDP exceed RMB 10 billion yuan. The fiscal revenue in North Jiangsu is RMB 50.1 billion yuan, double that of 2003. The fiscal revenue of Xuzhou and Yancheng are more than RMB 10billion yuan, which are RMB 18 billion yuan and RMB 11.09 billion yuan respectively. There are 7 counties whose fiscal revenue are more than RMB 1 billion yuan. This number is 5 more than that of year 2005. The investment of fixed assets in North Jiangsu is RMB 265.2 billion yuan, double that of 2004. The growth rate of major economic index is higher than that of the whole Province. The growth rate of regional GDP is 0.1% higher than that of the whole Province. The local general budget revenue in North Jiangsu is RMB 21.08 billion yuan, 33.2% higher than last year. This growth rate is 7.9% higher than that of the whole Province. The investment in urban fixed assets is RMB 172.8 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 33.5%, which is 13.3% higher than that of the whole Province. The volume of import and export is USD 7.6 billion, with a growth rate of 40.5%, which is 15.9% higher than that of the whole Province. The export is USD 4.6 billion, with a growth rate of 46.1%. FDI is USD 1.07 billion, with a growth rate of 35.2%, which is 2.9% higher than that of the whole Province. The disposable income of urban residence is RMB 11799 yuan, with a growth rate of 14.5%, which is 0.2% higher than that of the whole Province.

Thirdly, the transfer of industries accelerates. In year 2006, 2003 projects with an investment more than RMB 5million yuan each are transferred to North Jiangsu. The total investment is RMB 88.7 billion yuan and the actual investment is RMB 39.8 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 15.4% and 24% respectively.

The Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government highly focus on the development of North Jiangsu. They make out series of policies and methods to accelerate the development in this region. These policies and methods play important roles in increasing the investment in infrastructure, supporting the industrial development, improving the opening to the outside, accelerating the development of science and education, and improving the cooperation between North Jiangsu and South Jiangsu. Lead by the Province CPC and Provincial Government and through the effort of all the people in the Province and the support from friends outside the Province, especially the consistent effort of 32million people in North Jiangsu, North Jiangsu is sure to have a bright future.