Shandong is China's second most populous province after the Henan province. Shandong is rich in mineral resources and crude oil. Deposits of more than 50 minerals including sulphur, gold, diamond, graphite, coal, iron and magnetise are ranked among the largest in China. Also, Eastern Shandong is the kingdom of gold whose production ranked the top in the country.
Agriculture is a major sector of the province's economy.
Yantai is a key export base of agricultural products, focusing on apples, peanuts and vegetables. Many agricultural products are also ranked the top in the country such as grain, cotton, oil-bearing crops and fruits. Shandong is also one of the four biggest salt production bases of China. In 1999, its aquatic output ranked the first in the country. The province leads the country in the exports of prawns, crabs, scallops, shellfish, algae, abalone, sea cucumber and sea urchin.