Shenyang, China, from the International Space Station. North is at top. The city is surrounded by snow-covered fields. Shenyang is the sixth largest city in China, with a population of over four million. It is the major industrial and commercial centre of northeast China (Manchuria), and is the capital of Liaoning Province. Rapid industrialisation in the early 21st Century has caused significant air, water and soil pollution from the smelting, mining and petrochemical industries. Numerous southeast-heading smoke plumes are seen across the region. The International Space Station orbits at an altitude of around 360 kilometres. Photographed on 18th January 2005.