Anhui Province is about 570 km from south to north and 450 km from east to west. It covers an area of 139.6 thousand square kilometers, about 1.45 percent of the total area of the country.

There are various landforms in Anhui Province. The Yangtze River and Huaihe River flow through the province and divide the whole province into three main natural areas: the area to the north of the Huaihe River, the area between the Huaihe River and the Yangtze River, and the area to south of the Yangtze River.

Anhui is quite diverse topographically. The north of the province is part of the North China Plain while the north-central areas are part of the Huaihe River watershed. Both of these regions are very flat and densely populated. The land becomes more uneven further south, with the Dabie Mountains occupying much of southwestern Anhui and a series of hills and ranges cutting through southeastern Anhui. The Yangtze River finds its way through south Anhui in between these two mountainous regions. The highest peak in Anhui is Lotus Peak, part of the Huangshan Mountains in southeastern Anhui. It has an altitude of 1860 meters.

Major rivers include the Huaihe in the north and the Yangtze in the south. The largest lake is Chaohu Lake in the center of the province, with an area of about 800 square kilometers. The southeastern part of the province near the Yangtze River has many lakes as well.

As with topography, Anhui Province differs in climate from north to south. The north is more temperate and has clear-cut seasons. January temperatures average at around -1 to 2C to the north of the Huaihe River, and 0 to 3C to the south of the Huaihe River; in July temperatures average at 27C or above. Plum rains occur in June and July and may cause flooding.

The annual average temperature of the province is 14C -17C, the average sunshine lasts 1800-2500 hours, the average frost-free period reaches 200-250 days and the average rainfall remains 800-1800 mm per year.

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