In Jilin province, the southeastern part is higher than the northwestern part, there are mountainous regions, hills and plains. The plains cover 40 percent of the total area, the mountainous regions and hills cover more than 60 percent. The rivers belong to the following river systems, they are the Songhua River, Liao River, Yalu River and so on. But the Songhua River is the most important one. Jilin is the semi-dry and moist monsoon climate in Temperate Zone. It has abundant forest reserves, fertile land and vast grasslands. Mainly, the mineral resources are coal, iron, copper and gold.

In industry, there is machinery, petrochemical industry, food, metallurgy and medicine, etc. Among them, the output of automobile, passenger train, ferroalloy, machine-made paper, timber, cardboard and tractor are in the first places in China. In agriculture, Jilin is rich in maize, soybean, rice, sorghum and oilseed, the yield of beet is at the forefront in China, and the output of ginseng is about 80 percent.

In Jilin, the railway and the highway are very convenient, and the railway is the main means of traffic. The Second-Songhua River is chief water transport. And the city of Changchun is the center of aviation.

Changbai Mountain, Jilin Songhua Lake and some relics are well-known scenic spots and historical sites. The traditional specialties are pilose antler, ginseng, marten, which are called "three kinds of treasures" in the northeast, and Changchun ginseng cigarette, Jilin Sanbao wine, Tonghua wine, etc.