Shanghai is an independently administered municipal district of 6,341 sq km (2,448 sq mi). It includes nine counties and 12 urban districts of the city proper. The urban districts cover 2,057 sq km (794 sq mi), of which about 300 sq km (about 116 sq mi) is built-up and densely populated. This area is expanding as a result of many construction projects in Shanghai. The municipality includes about 30 islands in the Yangtze River and along the coast of the East China Sea. The largest, Chongming Dao, constitutes one of Shanghai's nine counties.
The oldest section of Shanghai, near the confluence of the Huangpu River and the Wusong River (Suzhou Creek), reflects the city's preindustrial growth as a walled center of trade and county seat. Shanghai grew west, south and north from this area, and the newer sections, typically with gridlike streets, are a result of the city's growth as a center of commerce, shipping, and industry. After the Communist takeover of China in 1949, the development of Shanghai's infrastructure languished, as revenue generated in the city was used to support other areas of China. As a result of economic reforms in the late 1970s, however, Shanghai's suburbs began to grow.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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