Natural Resources

    The geography in Taiyuan mainly features in hills and mountains, with an alluvial apron in central and southern regions. The Fenhe River extends through the territory of Taiyuan City from the north to the south. It covers an area of 6988 square kilometers, of which earth and stone hills accounting for 52 per cent and loess downland accounting for 30 per cent and the plain accounting for about 20 per cent. The arable land is 1457 square kilometers, accounting for 20.9 per cent of the total area; orchard land is 198 square kilometers, accounting for 2. 8 per cent; forest land is 1937 square kilometers, accounting for 27.7 per cent; pasture land is 381 square kilometers, accounting for 5.5 per cent, and water area is 190 square kilometers, accounting for 2.7 per cent.

    The annual average precipitation in Taiyuan is 479 mm . Its precipitation in summer and autumn generally accounts for about 90 per cent of the total, and less rainfall in spring and winter, only accounts for 10 per cent of the total precipitation. Taiyuan is one of the cities lacking of water resources in China . Its annual amount of water resources averages 570 million cubic meters, with per capita amount of water resources of 172 cubic meters a year, accounting for 46 per cent of the per capita amount in the whole province, or 6.6 per cent of the per capita amount in the country.

    Taiyuan is rich in mineral resources, with various varieties of minerals. The metal mineral resourcesmainly include iron, manganese, copper, lead and aluminium, etc. The non- metal mineral resources include coal, gypsum, sulphur, vanadium, nitric, clay, quartz, limestone and dolomite, etc. Majorities of the mineral resources are coal, iron and gypsum. Taiyuan has proved the abundant reserves of raw coal, with a complete variety of coal. Iron ore resources are widely distributed in the region, with a fair abundance of reserve. Its gypsum enjoys a high reputation in market for its excellent quality.