Landsat　TM　images　were　employed　to　characterize　land-cover　types　and　land-cover　changes　in　Fuqing　City　and　its　adjacent　areas　in　Fujian　Province,　southeast　China.　Three　TM　scenes　from　1991,　1994　and　1996　were　used　to　cover　the　city　and　the　adjacent　areas　and　a　five-year　time　period.　Socio-economic　data　were　also　integrated　with　remotely　sensed　data　for　the　study.　Digital　image　processing　with　assistance　of　GIS　has　produced　three　classified　image　maps.　The　comparison　of　the　three　maps　reveals　that　the　urban　expansion　was　very　rapid,　a　large　number　of　arable　lands　have　been　lost,　and　deforestation　has　taken　place　in　the　study　area　during　the　five　study　years.　The　main　driving　forces　to　the　urbanization　appeared　to　be　the　rapid　economic　development　and　traffic　infrastructure.　The　suggestion　on　the　regional　sustainable　development　for　the　county　is　also　presented.　Copyright　(C)　2000　John　Wiley　and　Sons,　Ltd.Landsat　TM　images　were　employed　to　characterize　land-cover　types　and　land-cover　changes　in　Fuqing　City　and　its　adjacent　areas　in　Fujian　Province,　southeast　China.　Three　TM　scenes　from　1991,　1994　and　1996　were　used　to　cover　the　city　and　the　adjacent　areas　and　a　five-year　time　period.　Socio-economic　data　were　also　integrated　with　remotely　sensed　data　for　the　study.　Digital　image　processing　with　assistance　of　GIS　has　produced　three　classified　image　maps.　The　comparison　of　the　three　maps　reveals　that　the　urban　expansion　was　very　rapid,　a　large　number　of　arable　lands　have　been　lost,　and　deforestation　has　taken　place　in　the　study　area　during　the　five　study　years.　The　main　driving　forces　to　the　urbanization　appeared　to　be　the　rapid　economic　development　and　traffic　infrastructure.　The　suggestion　on　the　regional　sustainable　development　for　the　county　is　also　presented.Land-use　changes　in　Fuqing　City　and　surrounding　areas,　southeast　China,　were　analyzed　using　Landsat　TM　satellite　images　from　1991,　1994,　and　1996　and　socioeconomic　data.　A　comparison　of　three　image　maps,　produced　by　digital　image　processing　with　the　help　of　the　geographic　information　system　(GIS),　revealed　very　rapid　urban　expansion,　loss　of　much　arable　land,　and　deforestation　during　the　five　study　years.　The　speed　and　geographic　direction　of　the　urban　expansion　seemed　to　have　been　influenced　mainly　by　rapid　economic　development,　patterns　of　traffic　infrastructure,　and　topography.　Suggestions　for　regional　sustainable　development　are　offered.