Introduction

The autonomous region of Inner Mongolia is located in Northern China. From east to west, it shares its borders with the provinces of Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Shanxi, Hebei, Shaanxi, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Gansu. To its north is Mongolia and Russia.

It is the third largest region of China with an area of 1,200,000 square kilometers (463 323 sq miles), which is 12% of the entire country.

This province was established in 1947 with Hohhot as its capital city.

Mandarin and Mongolian are the official languages of this autonomous region.

Climate

Inner Mongolia has a temperate continental monsoonal type of climate. Winters are long and cold with frequent blizzards. On the other hand, the summers are warm and short., The weather changes from semi-humid in the east to an arid climate in the west. The northeast part of the province is humid and the temperatures fluctuate greatly between day and night.

• Annual rainfall: 80 millimeters (3.2")in the east to 450 millimeters (17.7") in the west
• Average annual temperature: -1°C (30.2º F) - 10°C (50º F)
• Frost free period: 90 to 160 days
• Time to visit: Mid-August and September

Places to Visit

Inner Mongolia has beautiful scenery, a long history and rich culture. Some of the places that should be visited are:

• Wudangzhao Monastery in Baotou
• Dazhao Temple
• Zhaojun Tomb
• Wanbu Huayanjin Pagoda
• Xilamuren Grassland
• Gegentala Grassland
• Huitengxile Grassland
• Badain Jaran Desert
• Tengger Desert
• Kubuqi Desert

People

In 2004, the province of Inner Mongolia had a total population of 24 million. The majority of the residents are Han Chinese with a large percentage of the minority being of Mongolian descent.

Local Food

Inner Mongolian cuisine represents the blend of its cultures. When it comes to local food, meals made from roast lamb, shaomai, finger mutton butter, naked oat flour, instant-boiled mutton, cooked mutton, buckwheat flour, sour milk, cheese and milk tea can be enjoyed.

Economy

Inner Mongolia is renowned for its livestock of, sheep, horses, camels, pigs and cattle. Oats, kaoliang, spring and other grains are also cultivated in some areas. In the areas with irrigation facilities, oil bearing crops like sunflower, linseed and rapeseed along with sugar beets are also cultivated. Rice is also grown in the eastern regions.

In 2008, Inner Mongolia had the nominal GDP of 776.2 billion yuan (US$110 billion).

Useful Links for Inner Mongolia

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