Shanghai is a megacity located on the east coast of China, next to the East China Sea. Until recently, Shanghai was a smaller city, and had little to no importance to the global economic market. In the early 20th century, Shanghai became China's largest trading post and one of the world's largest ports. during the 1970's, Shanghai exploded due to new reforms and free markets in China, along with previous growth under China's socialist law. Nowdays, Shanghai has become a major financial hub of the world, along with one of china's leading areas for economic growth. It is a major player in the world's financial market, and its continued significance as a cultural and educational centre proves how it will continue to grow into the future.
Shanghai City is part of the larger Shanghai municipality (one of four in China), which also includes the suburbs, the surrounding agricultural land, and several islands in the mouth of the Yangtze River and in the East China Sea. Shanghai Municipality is bordered by the provinces of Jiangsu to the north and west and Zhejiang to the southwest. Its latitude is 31.2304 degrees north, and its longitude is 121.4737, with a total area of over 6,200 square kilometers Its population - approximately 24 million - is nearly double what it was in 1987, and has grown by about 10 percent a year for the past twenty years. Shanghai is officially the sixth largest city in the world, losing to Tokyo, New York, Jakarta, Delhi, Manila and Seoul.