Inland port and capital of Jiangsu province, China, 270 km/165 mi northwest of Shanghai; population (2010) 7,165,300. It is a commercial and industrial centre and communications hub, with industries which include iron and steel, engineering, machine tools, motor vehicles, bicycles, electronics, shipbuilding, oil refining, and chemicals, especially petrochemicals. Textiles, including satins, velvets, and brocades, are a traditional manufacture. The bridge over the Chang Jiang River, built in 1968, is the longest in China at 6,705 m/22,000 ft. History The city dates from the 2nd century BC , perhaps earlier. Under various names, Nanjing was the capital of six different dynasties for short periods beween the 3rd and 6th centuries. In about AD 1000 it was named Kiang-ning , but in 1368, under the Ming dynasty, it was named Nanjing (Southern Capital). It was the capital of China 1368–1421, 1928–37, and 1946–49. Nanjing became a treaty port in 1858, and in 1898 it opened to foreign trade. In…