Chongqing is called Yu for short. It is situated in the southeast of the Sichuan Basin and the confluence between the Yangtze River and the Jialing River. It is the largest and most densely populated municipality directly under the Central Government. Efforts are being made to turn Chongqing into a modern metropolis with the largest foreign market oriented industrial base in West China. On March 14, 1997, Chongqing was officially proclaimed the fourth municipality directly under the jurisdiction of the Central Government.