is a metropolis

Metropolis

A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...

 in northern China

North China

thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....

 and one of the five national central cities

National Central City

National central city was a concept proposed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China in 2005 as a first step in reforming urbanization in China. National central cities are described as a group of cities in charge of leading, developing, performing...

 of the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality

Direct-controlled municipality of China

Municipality also translated as Direct-controlled municipality or municipality directly under the central government is the highest level classification for cities used by People's Republic of China.-History:...

, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government

Central People's Government

The Central People's Government is the central government of the People's Republic of China in Beijing. According to the 1982 Constitution, "Central People's Government" is synonymous with the State Council.-History:...

. Tianjin borders Hebei Province

Hebei

' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...

 and Beijing Municipality

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

, bounded to the east by the Bohai Gulf portion of the Yellow Sea

Yellow Sea

The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...

.

As a dual-core city, Tianjin is divided into the old city and the Binhai New Area

Binhai New Area

Binhai New Area ，short for Binhai is a major economic development zone within the jurisdiction of Tianjin municipality in China. Binhai New Area locates on the east coast of Tianjin and center of Circum-Bohai-Sea Region.Binhai New Area is a new growth pole in china, and maintain an annual growth...

. Binhai New Area is a new growth pole in China, and it maintains an annual growth rate of nearly 30% of the GDP.