Ocean fishing is a thriving industry. The province is a leading manufacturer of peanut cooking oil. Silkworms have been raised for hundreds of years. Coal, iron ore, bauxite, gold, and petroleum are mined and salt is produced on the coasts. Jinan is renowned for its silks, precious stones, and handicrafts.
Railways are the chief means of transportation.
Between 770 and 476 BC Shandong was a political and military center. The small southern state of Lu was the birthplace of Confucius and Mencius. In the 19th century severe flooding caused widespread immigration to Manchuria and Inner Mongolia. Japan occupied the province after World War I. Chinese Communist forces took control in 1948. The Learning Company, Inc.