There are several islands of Shanghai governed by Shanghai city, including the three larger inhabited islands and a number of uninhabited ones. They are alluvial islands in the Yangtze River Delta in China.
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Chongming Island lies against the northern shore of the Yangtze River and is an alluvial island formed by silt carried along the river. It gives the name to Chongming County, the only county of Shanghai. It is the third largest island in China after Hainan Island and Taiwan. The other two inhabited Shanghai islands are Changxing Island at 88.54 km2 (34.19 sq mi), and Hengsha Island at 55.74 km2 (21.52 sq mi).[1] The 25.5 km (15.8 mi) Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel and Bridge joining the island to Shanghai opened on 2009-10-31.[2] The island will be connected to Jiangsu Province via Chonghai Bridge which has not been built yet and Chongqi Bridge which will be finished in 2012[3].
Jiuduansha Island (; total area: 423.2 square kilometres (163.4 sq mi), 114.6 square kilometres (44.2 sq mi) above sea level) has the national nature reserve, Jiuduansha Wetland.[4] It is an intertidal wetland which consists of three parts, Shangsha, Zhongsha and Xiasha.[5]
Dajinshan Island (Big Jinshan Island), Xiaojinshan Island (Small Jinshan Island), and Fushan Island in Jinshan District are nature reserves under city jurisdiction.[6] Dajinshan has the highest point in Shanghai with an altitude of 103.4 metres (339 ft).
Some alluvial islands are relatively young and the number varies over time. For example, Jiuduansha emerged in the 1950s.[4] In 2006, the city had 19 uninhabited islands covering 226.27 square kilometres (87.36 sq mi), with a total coastline length of 309 kilometres (192 mi).[6]