中国西部地区包括内蒙古、广西、重庆、四川、云南、贵州、西藏、陕西、甘肃、青海、宁夏、新疆等12个省、市、自治区。其土地面积687.1万平方公里，占全国陆地面积的71.6%；2000年五普人口总数3.55亿，占全国总人数的28.1%；实现国内生产总值16648亿元，占全国的17.2%。
西部地区拥有辽阔的疆域，丰富的自然资源和人力资源，具有极大的开发潜力, 是我国国民经济长期持续发展的重要后备基地。
西部地区是我国的四条主要河流，即长江、黄河、珠江、雅鲁藏布江的发源地和主要流域所在地，水能蕴藏量达5.57亿千瓦，占全国水能蕴藏量的82.5%，目前已开发利用的尚不足1%，开发潜力十分可观，全国规划中的十大水电基地有七个分布在西部。西部地区的地质条件复杂，矿产资源极为丰富。在全国已探明的140多种矿产资源中，西部地区有120多种，其中煤炭储量占全国的39.4%，石油储量占27.8%，天然气储量占87.5%；一些稀有金属的储量名列全国乃至世界前茅。
西部是我国目前自然风貌保持最完好的地区，旅游资源得天独厚。气势恢宏的秦兵马俑，享誉世界的敦煌莫高窟，人间仙境九寨沟、黄龙寺，驰名中外的长江三峡，独具魅力的民俗风情。可以预见，在不久的将来，旅游产业将作为西部地区的支柱产业而焕发出勃勃生机。
西部地区地广人稀,经济发展相对缓慢，剩余劳动力较多，每年都有大量劳动力向外转移，劳动力供给丰富，成本低廉，具有人力资源方面的独特优势。
西部地区边境线漫长，与周边国家交流频繁，是中国向西、向北和向南亚国家开放的门户地区，具有特殊的区位优势。西部地区有20多个少数民族与邻国属同一民族，各民族族缘关系悠久，语言文字相通，习俗相近，很多民族有着共同的宗教信仰，与周边各国有着传统的经济文化联系，在资源结构和经济技术结构方面与周边国家存在很强的互补性。西部地区在历史上曾出现过"丝绸之路"时期的开放繁荣，随着国家对外开放由东向西推进，西部将发展成为我国对外开放的"前沿"地区。
新中国成立50年来，西部地区经济社会有了较大的发展，积累了较强的经济技术基础。"三线"建设时期，由于国家的重点投入，西部各省、市、自治区建立起了2000多个大中型企业，形成了一批专业化程度高，辐射能力强的行业，培养了一批专业技术人才，积累了较强的技术力量，不少领域的技术水平领先于全国甚至全世界，从而确立了西部地区在全国工业布局中的重要地位。此外，西部各省、市、自治区还依托本地资源优势，大力发展特色工业，使西部地区在电力、有色金属采选、航空航天、冶炼及压延加工业，通讯设备制造、煤炭、烟草加工等行业形成优势。
西部地区在中国历史上有过耀眼的辉煌。如今，西部又面临着前所未有的机遇。随着西部大开发进军号角的奏响，西部地区各项事业的发展必将进入一个崭新的阶段。
The western region embraces six provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, three autonomous regions of Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Ningxia, Xinjiang and Tibet, and Chongqing Municipality that is directly under the administration of the Central Government. The region, covering 6.87 million square km, takes up 71.6 percent of the country's total land area. As enumerated in the 5th census, there are 0.36 billion persons living in the region, which is home to 28.1 percent of the nation's total population. In 2000,GDP of the western region was 1664.8 billion yuan, contributing 17.2 percent of the national GDP.
The region enjoys vast territory, rich natural resources and plentiful labor power. With tremendous developing potential, the region is the key reserve base for sustainable development of national economy.
As the source and main valley of four major rivers in China: Yangtze, Yellow, Pearl and Yarlung Zangbo Rivers, hydropower capacity of the western region amounts 0.56 billion kw, accounting for 82.5 percent of national total. However, developed and utilized hydropower is less than 1 percent. 7 of 10 hydropower bases in plan are located in the region for substantial developing potential. Physical features are very complicated, abundant mineral resources are contained in the region. Among 140 sorts of surveyed mineral resources, more than 120 sorts of mineral resources have been found in the western region. Of this total, coal is as much as 39.4 percent of national total; petroleum, 27.8 percent; and natural gas, 87.5 percent. Capacities of some rare metals top in China, even in the world.
Natural appearances of the region are preserved best in China at present, so that it is rich in tourism resources. It is famous for grand Majesty Terra-cotta Army, world-famous Macao Grottoes, wonderland Jiuzhai-Huanglong, well-known the Three Gorges, and fascinated folk-custom. It can be foreseen that tourism will be the pillar industry of the western region and is to be vigorous in the future.
With vast territory and low population density, the region's economic development is relatively slow. There are many spare labor forces, and most of them transfer to outside every year. It has the unique advantage on labor power for rich supply and low cost.
The region has long boundary. Exchanges with neighboring countries are frequent. As the door opening to west, to north and to South Asia, the western region enjoys special territorial advantage. More than 20 minority nationalities in the western region are part of the same tribe as the citizen of neighboring countries.
With long history of relationship, they share the same language and character, and close custom. Most of minority nationalities believe the same religion, and traditional economic and cultural relations with neighboring countries are kept well for a long time. So complementarities with neighboring countries in the structures of resources, economy and technology are available. The western region was booming in the period of the Silk Road. While the opening police is carried out from east to west, the western region is bound to be another foreland area opening to outside.
Since the foundation of PRC, the social and economic development of the region has advanced greatly, and laid tough basis of economy and technology. During the period of constructing remote regions away from the coastal areas, with the emphasized input by the state, more than 2000 large and medium sized enterprises had been set up in every province (municipality, autonomous region). A batch of industries of high specialty and strong influence has been formed. Lots of competent persons of specialized techniques have been brought up. Technical level in some fields is at the top of the state even of the world. The western region is regarded as the important role in the national industrial distribution. Besides, in support of rich resources, provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) of the region made great efforts to develop characteristic industry, forming advanced industries of electricity, nonferrous metals mining and dressing, aviation and aerospace technology, smelting and pressing, communication facility manufacturing, coal and tobacco processing.
The western region once was brilliant in history. Today the region faces unprecedented opportunity. While westward bound is brought into effect, development of all causes in the region will enter a new phase.