Shanghai, also called "Hu" for short in Chinese, is situated at 31o41' north latitude and 121o29' east longitude. Bordering on Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces on the west, Shanghai is washed by the East China Sea on the east and Hangzhou Bay on the south. North of the city, the Yangtze River pours into the East China sea It also occupies a central location along China's coastline. Thanks to its advantageous geographic location, Shanghai is an excellent sea and river port, boasting easy access to the vast hinterland.

With a pleasant northern subtropical maritime monsoon climate, Shanghai enjoys four distinct seasons, generous sunshine and abundant rainfall. Its spring and autumn are relatively short compared with summer and winter. The average annual temperature is 16 degrees Celsius. The city has a frost-free period lasting up to 230 days a year, and receives and average annual rainfall of 1,200 millimetres . However, nearly 60% of the precipitation comes during the May-September flood season, which is divided into three rainy periods, namely, the Spring Rains, the Plum Rains and the autumn Rains.

The city covers an area of 6,340.5 square kilometres, 0.06% of China's total territory, which extends about 120 kilometres in north and south and nearly 100 kilometres in east and west. Shanghai has an urban area of 2,057 square kilometres, land area of 6,219 square kilometres and water area of 122 square kilometres. The city's Chongming Island is the third largest island in China, covering an area of 1,041 square kilometres.

Dotted with many rivers and lakes, the Shanghai area is known for its rich water resources. Most of the rivers are tributaries of the Huangpu River. Originated from the Taihu Lake, the 113-kilometre-long Huangpu River winds through the downtown area of the city. The river is about 300 to 770 metres wide with an average width standing at 360 metres. The ice-free Huangpu River is the main waterway in the Shanghai area.

Except for a few hills lying in the southwest corner, most parts of the Shanghai area are flat and belong to the alluvial plain of the Yangtze River Delta. The average sea level elevation is about four metres.

Shanghai is divided into 15 districts and 5 counties. There are 205 towns, 9 townships, 99 subdistrict committees, 3,278 neighbourhood committees and 2,935 villagers' committees
in the city.