NINGSIA

in full Hui Autonomous Region Of Ningsia, Chinese (WadeGiles romanization) Ning-hsia-hui-tsu Tzu-chih-ch', Pinyin Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu, autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in northern China and bounded on the west by Kansu, on the north by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and on the east by Shansi sheng (province) and otherwise surrounded by Kansu sheng. Ningsia is nearly coextensive with the ancient kingdom of the Tangut people. Irrigation canals on the Ningsia plains of the Huang Ho (river) dating from about 220 BC provide evidence that the area has long been inhabited. In the 11th century AD it became part of the kingdom of Tangut in western China. Yin-ch'uan, its chief city, was captured by Genghis Khan early in the 13th century and remained a tributary to China. After this conquest it was named Ningsia (Peaceful Hsia). In 1914 the area became a part of the province of Kansu, and in 1928 it was constituted as the province of Ningsia. In 1954 it again merged with Kansu; in 1956 that part of Ningsia largely occupied by Mongolians became a part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In 1958 the rest of the former province became the Hui Autonomous Region of Ningsia. The capital is Yin-ch'uan. Most of the region is desert, but the vast plain of the Huang Ho in the north has been irrigated for centuries. Over the years many canals have been built. The network of willow-lined canals and paddy fields gives the landscape a look resembling that of southern China. The river enters from a plateau in Kansu and flows east and then north into Inner Mongolia. West of the plain are the Ho-lan Mountains, which serve as a shelter against the sandstorms from the Ala Shan, a desert to the west. The plain is extremely arid, receiving only 8 inches (200 mm) of rainfall per year. The climate is continental. The ethnic composition of Ningsia includes the Han (Chinese-speaking Chinese), Hui (Chinese Muslims), Mongolians, and Manchu. The people speak Mandarin Chinese, Tibetan, and Mongolian. Most of the population live in rural areas and farm the land. Ningsia is one of China's more sparsely settled regions. In the widely scattered cities, most workers are engaged in handicrafts, although mining and manufacturing, recently developed, offer employment opportunities. Abundant wheat and high-quality rice are produced on the Ningsia plain. Cash crops include sesame and sugar beet. Other crops are millet, cotton, melons, and apricots. Sheep are raised. The Manchu particularly, are well known for raising and breeding pigs. The province's mineral resources are limited to coking-coal reserves in the P'ing-lo area, near the Inner Mongolian border. Industry and agriculture in Ningsia have been aided in their development by the Pao-t'ouLan'chou railway, an extension of the main PekingPao-t'ou railway. Area 23,000 square miles (60,000 square km). Pop. (1985 est.) 4,060,000. in full Hui Autonomous Region of Ningsia, Chinese (Wade-Giles) Ning-hsia-hui-tsu Tzu-chih-ch', (Pinyin) Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu, autonomous region located in north-central China. It is bounded on the east in part by Shensi; on the east, south, and west by Kansu; and on the north by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Most of the region is desert, but the vast plain of the Huang Ho (Yellow River) in the north has been irrigated for agriculture for centuries. The total area of the autonomous region is about 25,600 square miles (66,400 square kilometres). Its capital is Yin-ch'uan. Ningsia is nearly coextensive with the ancient kingdom of the Tangut people, known in China as the Hsi Hsia; after its conquest by Genghis Khan, it was named Ningsia (Peaceful Hsia).