Mongolia, Inner

Autonomous region of north China from 1947; bounded to the north by Mongolia and Russia; to the east by Heilongjiang and Jilin; to the southeast by Liaoning; to the south by Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; and to the west by Gansu; area 1,200,00 sq km/463,300 sq mi; population (1996) 23,070,000; less than one-sixth are Mongols. The capital is Hohhot, and Baotou is a town in the region. The region is characterized by grassland and desert. Industries include coal; reserves of iron ore, rare earth oxides europium, and yttrium at Bayan Obo; woollen textiles; dairy-processing; and leather. Agricultural products include cereals under irrigation, animal husbandry, and forestry.

Topography The northern half of the region is occupied by part of the Gobi Desert and is sparsely populated. South of the Huang He River lies the Ordos Desert, an area of poor grassland and large expanses of sand dunes. In the east are the Greater Hingan Mountains.

Climate Inner Mongolia has long, cold winters, with January average temperatures ranging from −23°C/−9°F in the northeast of the region to −10°C/14°F in the south. Summers are short, with July average temperatures varying from 17°C/63°F to 24°C/75°F. Rainfall is low over most of the region, with average annual rainfall dropping to less than 50 mm/2 in in the north and east, but rising to 450 mm/17 in in the mountains of the northwest.

Economy Cultivation occurs along the valley of the Huang He wherever irrigation is possible, the main crops being wheat, sorghum, oats, and millet. Sheep are raised for wool and meat, goats for cashmere wool, and cattle for milk and beef. There are also large herds of horses. Timber is logged in the east of the province.

Inner Mongolia has proven reserves of 220 billion tonnes of coal in the south of the province. Production is around 80 million tonnes a year. China's largest open-cast mine is at Zhunger, near the Erdos bend of the Huang He. The reserves of rare earths are the largest in the world, and there are also large deposits of bauxite, zinc, chromium, and silver.

Modern history Until the 20th century Inner Mongolia was largely in the hands of nomadic Mongolian herdsmen, Chinese settlement being mainly confined to the trading towns and a few irrigated areas in the valley of the Huang He River, which crosses the western part of the province. Following the construction of railways and development of industries, there was a considerable influx of Chinese settlers, especially after the communist government encouraged the extension of arable farming and industrialization. In 1928 the nationalist government split Inner Mongolia into three provinces: Jehol, Chahar, and Suiyuan. In 1947 the communists set up the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, but it did not attain its present boundaries until 1979.