温州位于我国环太平洋西岸18000公里海岸中段，处在长江三角洲和珠江三角洲两大经济区交汇处 , 是浙南的经济、文化中心和交通枢纽。温州古为瓯地，曾为东瓯王驺摇都地。公元323年建郡，为永嘉郡，公元675年始称温州。
    温州历史上以手工业发达著称，是青瓷发源地之一,造纸、造船、丝绸、绣品、漆器、鞋革等在我国历史上均有一定地位。南宋时被辟为对外通商口岸，有“一片繁荣海上头，从来唤作小杭州”之称。

     Wenzhou is located at the middle section of the circum-Pacific 18,000-kilometer-long west coast of China, intersecting the two economic zones of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River Deltas. It is the economic, cultural and transport center of south Zhejiang Province. Being the land of Ou in ancient times, Wenzhou had become the capital of the kingdom of the Eastern Ou. In A.D. 323 it was built as Yongjia Prefecture and in A.D. 675 it began to be called Wenzhou.
    Historically, Wenzhou has been a city renowned for its handicrafts and also as one of the birthplaces of celadon. Its papermaking, shipbuilding, silk, embroidery, lacquerware, shoes and leather products achieved a fairly eminent position in the history of China. As early as the Southern Song Dynasty, it was opened up as a foreign trade port, enjoying a reputation as a prosperous costal city comparable to Hangzhou

◎全市面积 Area
全市陆域面积11784平方公里，海域面积约11000平方公里。
The city covers a total land area of 11, 784 square kilometers and the sea area of some 11,000 square kilometers.

◎行政区划 Administrative Divisions
全市下辖鹿城、龙湾、瓯海3区和瑞安、乐清2市及永嘉、洞头、平阳、苍南、文成、泰顺6县。
The city has jurisdiction over the three districts of Lucheng, Longwan and Ouhai, the two cities of Rui’an and Yueqing and the six counties of Yongjia, Dongtou, Pingyang, Cangnan, Wencheng and Taishun.

◎人口 Population
2006年末全市户籍总人口756.48万人，其中市区人口140.56万人。人口自然增长率为9.2‰。
By the end of 2006, the city had a total population of 7.5648 million, including 1.4056 million urban residents. Its natural population growth rate was 9.20 per thousand.

◎地貌 Topographic Features
温州地势从西南向东北呈梯形倾斜，绵亘有洞宫、括苍、雁荡诸山脉。泰顺的白云尖，海拔1611米，为全市最高峰。地貌可分为西部中低山区，中部低山丘陵盆地区，东部平原滩涂区和沿海岛屿区。
The terrain of Wenzhou inclines in a gradient pattern from southwest to northeast, with the Donggong, Kuocang and Yandang Mountains stretching in an unbroken chain. The Baiyun Peak in Taishun County, with an elevation of 1,611 meters, is the highest peak in the city. Topographically Wenzhou can be divided into three regions, medium low mountains area in the west, low hilly area and basin in the middle of plain area, tidal belt and offshore islands in the east.

◎海岸 Coast
温州海域辽阔，岸线绵长曲折，从乐清湖雾至苍南云亭共355公里，形成磐石、乐清湾等天然良港。
With a vast sea area and twisty sea line, the city has a coastline of 355 kilometers, stretching from Huwu in Yueqing City to Yunting in Cangnan County. It boasts such excellent natural ports as Panshi and Yueqing Bays.

◎滩涂 Tidal Belt
温州有沿海滩涂约80万亩。
In Wenzhou the tidal belt along the coast covers a total area of 53,300 hectares.

◎海洋 Marine Resources
温州是海洋大市。海洋生物资源丰富，沿海滩涂养殖面积达6.5万公顷，养殖蛏、蚶、蛎、虾、蟹、蛤等。南麂列岛有贝、藻类490余种,为国家级海洋型自然保护区。沿海主要渔场有洞头、北麂、南麂、乐清湾等，鱼类有带鱼、黄鱼、鳗鱼、鲳鱼、马蛟、鳓鱼、钙鱼等370余种。
Wenzhou is a city with abundant marine resources. The tidal belt along the coast, with an area of 65,000 hectares, breeds razor clams, sea clams, oysters, shrimps, crabs, hard clams and other kinds of marine life. The Nanji Islands, a national marine nature reserve, have over 490 varieties of shellfish and alga, while the marine coastal fishing grounds in Dongtou County, the Beiji and Nanji Islands and Yueqing Bay boast over 370 varieties of fish, such as hairtail, yellow croaker, eel, butterfish, mackerel, Chinese herring and perch.

◎水文 Water Resources
温州境内较大的水系有瓯江、飞云江、鳌江等，均由西向东注入东海。东部平原地区河道纵横交错，密如蛛网，大小河流有150余条。
Within the boundary of the city, the Qujiang, Feiyun and Aojiang Rivers are among the larger river systems, running from west to east into the East China Sea. Across the eastern plain area over 150 rivers of various lengths crisscross like a spider web.

◎气候 Climate
温州以气候温和而得名，属中亚热带季风气候区，冬夏季风交替显著，雨量充沛，光照丰富，四季分明。年平均气温约18摄氏度，年平均降水量1500～1800毫米，年平均无霜期275～280天。
Wenzhou derives the present name from its mild climate (Wenzhou in Chinese means warm). It is part of the subtropical maritime humid climate zone, noticeable for its alternating dry and monsoon periods, distinct seasons, abundant rainfall and generous sunshine. It has an average annual temperature of 18℃, an annual rainfall between 1,500 and 1,800 mm and a frost-free period of 275 to 280 days.

◎矿产 Mineral Resources
矿产资源中金属矿有锌、铜、铝、锰、锡、钼、银、铁等30余种；非金属矿有明矾石、利石、叶腊石、高岭土、萤石、石英岩、花岗岩等，其中明矾石矿储量占全国储量的80%，有“世界矾都”之称；花岗岩储量及产品质量、花色品种均居全国前列。
Mineral resources are composed of more than 30 metals, such as zinc, copper, aluminum, manganese, tin, molybdenum, silver and iron, as well as nonmetal minerals such as alunite, pyrophyllite, kaolin, fluorite, quartzite and granite. The alunite reserves amount to 80 percent of the national total, giving Wenzhou of the title of “the world alunite capital”, while the granite reserves are among the top in the country in quality and variety.