Based on the definition of the connotation of ecological footprint (EF) and the overview of its back-ground and recent research advances

principle framework and computation method of the EF model are clari-fied. Then

the EF for Shaanxi Province in 2004 is calculated and analyzed by taking the province and its ten urban districts for example. Results indicate that the EF for Shaanxi Province is 2.60 hm2/cap

and the eco-logical deficit is 1.85 hm2/cap.This means that the EF's demand from human activities has already exceeded the carrying capacity of the regional ecological system and the present developing model is not sustainable.In terms of the average EF's demand per person in Shaanxi Province

the demand for farmland is the biggest and the demand for fossil energy use and grassland follows. The people's life consumption is dominated by staple food grain; the energy use

by coal; the biological resource use

by agricultural products. For the bal-ance between EF supply and its demand

the average EFs per person in Xi'an

Xianyang

Yulin

and Baoji are bigger than the whole province (2.60 hm2/cap)

whereas the average EFs per person in Wei'nan

An-kang

Shangluo

and Yangling are smaller than the whole province. Accordingly

it is suggested that signifi-cant efforts should be made for the region to develop economy

positively improve ecological environment

and achieve sustainable development.