Location

Jingzhou is located at 111°15'-114°05' east longitude and 29°26'-31°37' north latitude. Situated in the heart of the Jianghan Plain, it is a south-central city in Hubei Province. The Yangtze River, of which 483 kilometers lies in Jingzhou, flows eastward. Wuhan lies to the east of the city; Yichang, to the west; Changde of Hunan Province, to the south; and Jingmen and Xiangyang, to the north. Jingzhou covers an area of 14,100 k㎡, of which plain and lake areas account for 78.7% and low mountain terrain, 21.1%.

Jingzhou, featuring plain areas, is 20-50 meters above sea level with a relative height of less than 20 meters. Mountain areas are mostly located in Laocheng, Wangjiaqiao and Sijiachang in Songzi City, Chuandian and Baling in Jingzhou District, the Peach Blossom Hill in Shishou City, etc. They are 100-500 meters above sea level, with a relative height of 50-100 meters. Low hills, about 500 meters in altitude, are mainly in the Southwest of Songzi City.

Climate

Jingzhou, located in subtropical monsoon climate zone, has adequate sunlight, abundant heat and long frost-free period. The annual total solar radiation of the city is 104-110 kcal/c㎡; and it has 1,800 to 2,000 annual sunshine hours; 15.9-16.6 °C average temperature degree; 242-263 days frost free period; 1,100-1,300 mm precipitation annually. The climate resources are favorable for crop growth. From April to October, the precipitation accounts for 80% of the annual total, solar radiation 75%, while cumulative temperature higher than 10°C takes up to 80%. Water-energy synchronization and the climate consistent with agricultural production seasons are also conducive to the growth of a variety of crops.

Fresh Water

Jingzhou has an excellent network of rivers and lakes, with hundreds of rivers and streams belonging to the Yangtze River system. The main and tributary rivers include the Songzi River, the Hudu River, the Ouchi River, the Tiaoxian River, etc. Jingzhou has a large number of lakes with a total area of 80,000 hectares. Over 30 lakes are more than 1000 mu (about 164.7 acres), among which the Honghu Lake, 35,000 hectares, is the largest in Hubei Province, followed by the second largest Changhu Lake, covering an area of 12,000 hectares.

Land

The total land area of Jingzhou amounts to 1,409,300 hectares. According to the first agricultural census, 727,700 hectares of the agricultural land was utilized, accounting for 51.6% of the total, of which arable land taking up 82.3% (1.41 mu per capita); water aquaculture 8.0%; woodland 8.1%; garden land 1.6%. The soil in the city, made up of river alluvium in modern times and clay sediments in the Cenozoic quaternary, are mostly paddy soil, alluvial soil and yellow brown soil. Deep and fertile, it is suitable for the growth of a variety of crops.

Biology

Jingzhou City has richful, diversified and wide distributed biological resources. More than one thousand kinds of domesticated species are growing in the city. Many local varieties, together with plankton, vascular plants and fish resources, are the specialties of the city.