Linyi is a
prefecture-level city in the south of
Shandong province,
People's Republic of China. As of 2011, Linyi is the largest prefecture-level city in Shandong, both by area and population, Linyi borders
Rizhao to the east,
Weifang to the northeast,
Zibo to the north,
Tai'an to the northwest,
Jining to the west,
Zaozhuang to the southwest, and the province of
Jiangsu to the south. The city Linyi (临沂) literally means "close to the Yi River".