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<big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big>Land of the Mongols! Land of Genghis Khan! Still land of Mongols Inner Mongolia! </big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big>
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
|name = {{raise|0.2em|Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region<br />Nei Mongol Autonomous Region}}
|native_name = {{lower|0.2em|{{nobold|内蒙古自治区}}}}
|settlement_type = ]
|translit_lang1 = Name
|translit_lang1_type = <span style="font-weight:normal;">Chinese</span>
|translit_lang1_info = 内蒙古自治区 (Nèi Měnggǔ Zìzhìqū)
|translit_lang1_type1 = <span style="font-weight:normal;">Abbreviation</span>
|translit_lang1_info1 = 内蒙 or 内蒙古<ref>{{cite web |url = http://nmg.xinhuanet.com/nmgdcy/lvyou/nmggk.htm |title = Xinhua |work = xinhuanet.com}}</ref> (pinyin: Nèi Měng or Nèi Měnggǔ)
|translit_lang1_type2 = <span style="font-weight:normal;">]</span>
|translit_lang1_info2 = ]
|translit_lang1_type3 = <span style="font-weight:normal;">Mongolian transl.</span>
|translit_lang1_info3 = Öbür mongγol-un öbertegen zasaqu orun{{efn|The Cyrillic spelling, as used in ], would be Өвөр Монголын Өөртөө Засах Орон (Övör Mongolyn Öörtöö Zasakh Oron).<br />In Unicode: {{MongolUnicode|ᠦᠪᠦᠷ<br />ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠨ<br />ᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠭᠡᠨ<br />ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠣ<br />ᠣᠷᠣᠨ}}}}
|image_map = Inner Mongolia in China (+all claims hatched).svg
|mapsize = 275px
|map_alt = Map showing the location of Inner Mongolia
|map_caption = Map showing the location of Inner Mongolia
|latd = 44 |latm = |lats = |latNS = N
|longd = 113 |longm = |longs = |longEW = E
|coordinates_display = inline,title
|coordinates_format = dms
|named_for = From the ] ''öbür monggol'', where ''öbür'' means the front, sunny side of natural barrier (a mountain, mountain range, lake or desert etc..).
|seat_type = Capital
|seat = ] (1947–1949)<br />] (1950–1952; as capital of Chahar Province)<br />] (1953–present)
|seat1_type = Largest city
|seat1 = ]
|parts_type = Divisions
|parts_style = para<!-- list, coll (collapsed list), para (paragraph format) -->
|parts = <!-- parts text, or header for parts list -->
|p1 = 12 ]
|p2 = 101 ]
|p3 = 1425 ]
|leader_title = ]
|leader_name = ]
|leader_title1 = Governor
|leader_name1 = ]
|area_footnotes = <ref name="mofcom">{{cite web |title = Doing Business in China - Survey |url = http://english.mofcom.gov.cn/article/zt_business/lanmub/|publisher=Ministry Of Commerce - People's Republic Of China |accessdate = 5 August 2013}}</ref>
|area_total_km2 = 1183000
|area_rank = ]
|population_footnotes = <ref name="census2010">{{cite web |url = http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/newsandcomingevents/t20110429_402722516.htm |title = Communiqué of the National Bureau of Statistics of People's Republic of China on Major Figures of the 2010 Population Census |publisher = ]}}</ref>
|population_total = 24706321
|population_as_of = 2010
|population_rank = ]
|population_est = 25050000
|pop_est_as_of = 31 December 2014
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title = National Data |url = http://data.stats.gov.cn/english/easyquery.htm?cn=E0103 |publisher = ] |accessdate=19 December 2015}}</ref>
|population_density_km2 = 20.2
|population_density_rank = ]
|demographics_type1 = Demographics
|demographics1_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
|demographics1_title1 = Ethnic composition
|demographics1_info1 = ] - 79%<br/>] - 17%<br /> ] - 2%<br />] - 0.9%<br />] - 0.3%
|demographics1_title2 = Languages and dialects
|demographics1_info2 = ] (official),<ref>{{cite web |title = China |url = http://www.ethnologue.com/country/CN/status |website = Ethnologue}}</ref> ] (official), ], ], ], ], ]
|iso_code = CN-15
|blank_name_sec1 = ] <span style="font-weight:normal;">(2013)</span>
| blank_info_sec1 = ] 1,683.2 billion<br>US$ 273.9 billion (])
|blank1_name_sec1 = &nbsp;- per capita
|blank1_info_sec1 = ] 67,498<br>US$ 10,992 (])
|blank_name_sec2 = ] <span style="font-weight:normal;">(2010)</span>
|blank_info_sec2 = 0.722 (<span style="color:#009900;">high</span>) (])
|website = http://www.nmg.gov.cn<br />(])
|footnotes =
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
|pic = Great Wall in Inner Mongolia.JPG
|piccap = Part of the ]
|order = st
|s = 内蒙古
|t = 內蒙古
|p = Nèi Měnggǔ
|l = Inner Mongolia
|mi = {{IPAc-cmn|n|ei|4|-|m|eng|3|g|u|3}}
|w = Nei<sup>4</sup> Meng<sup>3</sup>-ku<sup>3</sup>
|j = noi<sup>6</sup> mung<sup>4</sup> gu<sup>2</sup>
|y = Noih Mùhnggú
|ci = {{IPA-yue|nɔ̀ːi mʊ̏ŋ kǔː}}
|poj = Lāi-bông-{{Unicode|kó}}
|mong = ᠦᠪᠦᠷ<br />ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ
|monr = Öbür Monggol
|mon = Өвөр Монгол<br />(Övör Mongol)
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
|order = st
|title = Nei Mongol Autonomous Region
|l = Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
|s = 内蒙古自治区
|t = 內蒙古自治區
|p = Nèi Měnggǔ Zìzhìqū
|w = Nei Mengku Tzu-chih-ch'ü
|myr = Nèi Měnggǔ Dz̀jr̀chyū
|j = noi<sup>6</sup> mung<sup>4</sup> gu<sup>2</sup> zi<sup>6</sup>zi<sup>6</sup>keoi<sup>1</sup>
|y = Noih Mùhnggú Jihjihkeuī
|ci = {{IPA-yue|nɔ̀ːi mʊ̏ŋ kǔː tɕìːtɕìːkʰɵ́y}}
|poj = Lāi-bông-{{Unicode|kó}} Chū-tī-khu
|mong = ᠦᠪᠦᠷ<br />ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠨ<br />ᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠭᠡᠨ<br />ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠣ<br />ᠣᠷᠣᠨ
|monr = Öbür mongγol-un Öbertegen Zasaqu Orun
|mon = Өвөр Монголын Өөртөө Засах Орон<br />(Övör Mongolyn Öörtöö Zasakh Oron)
}}
{{Contains Mongolian text}}
{{Contains Chinese text}}


<big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big>Land of the Mongols! Land of Genghis Khan! Still land of Mongols Inner Mongolia! </big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big>
'''Inner Mongolia''' (]: {{MongolUnicode|ᠦᠪᠦᠷ<br />ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ}} in ], and {{linktext|Өвөр}} {{linktext|Монгол}} in ]; {{zh |c = {{linktext|内蒙古}} |p = Nèi Měnggǔ}}), officially '''Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region''' or '''Nei Mongol Autonomous Region''', is an ] of the ], located in the north of the country, containing most of China's border with ] (the rest of the China-Mongolia border is taken up by the ] autonomous region and ] province) and a small section of the border with ]. Its capital is ], and other major cities include ], ], and ].


<big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big>Land of the Mongols! Land of Genghis Khan! Still land of Mongols Inner Mongolia! </big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big>
The Autonomous Region was established in 1947, incorporating the areas of the former ] provinces of ], ], ], ] and ], along with the northern parts of ] and ].
It is the third largest subdivision of China, spanning approximately {{convert|1,200,000|km2|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} or 12% of China's total land area. It recorded a population of 24,706,321 in the ], accounting for 1.84% of ]'s total population. Inner Mongolia is the country's ] most populous ].<ref name="Census2010">{{cite web |url = http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/statisticaldata/censusdata/rkpc2010/indexch.htm |title = TABULATION ON THE 2010 POPULATION CENSUS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA|work=stats.gov.cn}}</ref> The majority of the population in the region is ], with a sizeable titular ] minority. The official languages are ] and ], the latter of which is written in the ], as opposed to the ], which is used in the state of ].


<big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big>Land of the Mongols! Land of Genghis Khan! Still land of Mongols Inner Mongolia! </big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big>
== Name ==
In Chinese, the region is known as "Inner Mongolia", where the terms of "Inner/Outer" are derived from ] ''dorgi''/''tulergi'' (cf. ] ''dotugadu''/''gadagadu''). Inner Mongolia is distinct from ], which was a term used by the ] and previous governments to refer to what is now the independent ] of ] plus the Republic of ] in ]. In ], the region was called ''Dotugadu monggol'' during ] and was renamed into ''Öbür Monggol'' in 1947, ''öbür'' meaning the southern side of a mountain, while the Chinese term ''nei menggu'' was retained. In recent years, some Mongols began to call Inner Mongolia ''Nan Menggu'' (Mandarin, literally "South Mongolia") and with it came the change of English translation from Inner Mongolia to Southern Mongolia.<ref>Huhbator Borjigin. 2004. The history and political character of the name of 'Nei Menggu' (Inner Mongolia). Inner Asia 6: 61-80.</ref>

== History ==
{{See also|History of Mongolia}}

Much of what is known about the history of Greater Mongolia, including Inner Mongolia, is known through Chinese chronicles and historians. Before the rise of the Mongols in the 13th century, what is now central and western Inner Mongolia, especially the ] region, alternated in control between ] agriculturalists in the south and ], ], ], ], ], and nomadic ] of the north. The historical narrative of what is now Eastern Inner Mongolia mostly consists of alternations between different ] and ] tribes, rather than the struggle between nomads and Chinese agriculturalists.

=== Early history ===
] monuments are found in northern, central and eastern ], Inner Mongolia, north-western China, southern, central-eastern and southern ] territory. Mongolian scholars prove that this culture related to the Proto-Mongols.<ref>History of Mongolia, Volume I, 2003</ref>

During the ], central and western Inner Mongolia (the Hetao region and surrounding areas) were inhabited by nomadic peoples such as the ], Linhu, and ], while eastern Inner Mongolia was inhabited by the ]. During the ], ] (340–295 BC) of the ] based in what is now ] and ] provinces pursued an expansionist policy towards the region. After destroying the ] ] in what is now Hebei province, he defeated the Linhu and ] and created the ] near modern ]. King Wuling of Zhao also built a long wall stretching through the Hetao region. After ] created the first unified Chinese empire in 221 BC, he sent the general ] to ], and incorporated the old Zhao wall into the Qin Dynasty Great Wall of China. He also maintained two commanderies in the region: ] and Yunzhong, and moved 30,000 households there to solidify the region. After the Qin Dynasty collapsed in 206 BC, these efforts were abandoned.<ref>Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian</ref>

During the ], ] sent the general ] to ] in 127 BC. After the conquest, Emperor Wu continued the policy of building settlements in Hetao to defend against the Xiong-Nu. In that same year he established the commanderies of ] and ] in Hetao. At the same time, what is now eastern Inner Mongolia was controlled by the ], who would later on eclipse the Xiongnu in power and influence.

During the ] (25–220 AD), Xiongnu who surrendered to the Han Dynasty began to be settled in Hetao, and intermingled with the Han immigrants in the area. Later on during the ], it was a Xiongnu noble from Hetao, ], who established the ] kingdom in the region, thereby beginning the ] period that saw the disintegration of northern China under a variety of Han and non-Han (including Xiongnu and Xianbei) regimes.

The ] (581–618) and ] (618–907) re-established a unified Chinese empire, and like their predecessors they conquered and settled people into Hetao, though once again these efforts were aborted when the Tang empire began to collapse. Hetao (along with the rest of what now consists Inner Mongolia) was then taken over by the ] (Liao Dynasty), founded by the ], a nomadic people originally from what is now the southern part of Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia. They were followed by the ] of the ]s, who took control of what is now the western part of Inner Mongolia (including western Hetao) . The Khitans were later replaced by the ], precursors to the modern ], who established the ] over Manchuria and northern China.

=== Mongol and Ming periods ===
{{Main|Mongol Empire|Mongolia under Yuan rule|Northern Yuan dynasty|Ming dynasty}}
] entering ].]]
]

After ] unified the ] tribes in 1206 and founded the ], the ] ] empire was ultimately conquered in 1227, and the ] ] fell in 1234. In 1271, ], the grandson of Genghis Khan established the ]. Kublai Khan's summer capital ] (aka Xanadu) was located near present-day ]. During that time ] and ] peoples dominated the area of what is now Inner Mongolia. After the Yuan dynasty was overthrown by the Han-led ] in 1368, the Ming captured parts of Inner Mongolia including Shangdu and ]. The Ming rebuilt the ] at its present location, which roughly follows the southern border of the modern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (though it deviates significantly at the Hebei-Inner Mongolia border). The Ming established the Three Guards composed of the Mongols there. Soon after the ] in 1449, when the Oirat ruler ] captured the Chinese emperor, Mongols flooded south from Outer Mongolia to Inner Mongolia. Thus from then on until 1635, Inner Mongolia was the political and cultural center of the Mongols during the ].<ref>CPAtwood-Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire, p.246</ref>

=== Qing period ===
{{Main|Mongolia under Qing rule}}

The eastern Mongol tribes near and in Manchuria, particularly the ] and Southern ] in today's Inner Mongolia intermarried, formed alliances with, and fought against the ] tribes until ], the founder of the new Jin dynasty, consolidated his control over all groups in the area in 1593.<ref>Atwood, Christopher. Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire, p.449</ref> The ] gained far-reaching control of the Inner Mongolian tribes in 1635, when ]'s son surrendered the ] Mongol tribes to the ]. The Manchus subsequently invaded Ming China in 1644, bringing it under the control of their newly established ]. Under the Qing dynasty (1636–1912), ] was ] in a different way for each region:

]
* "Outer Mongolia": This region corresponds to the modern state of ], plus the Russian-administered region of ], and a part of northern ]. It included the four leagues (''aimag'') of the ] north of the ], as well as the ] and ] regions in northwestern Mongolia, which were overseen by the ] from the city of ].
* "Inner Mongolia": This region corresponded to most of modern Inner Mongolia and some neighbouring areas in ] and ] provinces. The ] and tribes in this region came under six ] (''chuulghan''): ], ], ], ], ], and ].
* "Taoxi Mongolia": The ] and ] banners were separate from the aimags of Outer Mongolia and the chuulghans of Inner Mongolia. This territory is equivalent to modern-day ], the westernmost part of what is now Inner Mongolia.
* The Chahar ] were controlled by the military commander of Chahar (now ]). Their extent corresponded to southern Ulanqab and ] in modern Inner Mongolia, plus the region around ] in ] province. At the same time, the jurisdiction of some border departments of ] and ] provinces also belonged to this region.
* The ] banner was controlled by the military commander of Suiyuan (now ]). This corresponds to the vicinities of the modern city of ]. At the same time, the jurisdiction of some border departments of modern ] province also belonged to this region.
* The ] region in what is now northeastern Inner Mongolia was part of the jurisdiction of the General of ], one of the three generals of ].

The Inner Mongolian ] leader ], a descendant of Genghis Khan, opposed and fought against the Qing until he died of smallpox in 1634. Thereafter, the Inner Mongols under his son ] surrendered to the Qing and was given the title of Prince (Qin Wang, 親王), and Inner Mongolian nobility became closely tied to the Qing royal family and intermarried with them extensively. Ejei Khan died in 1661 and was succeeded by his brother Abunai. After Abunai showed disaffection with Manchu Qing rule, he was placed under house arrested in 1669 in ] and the Kangxi Emperor gave his title to his son Borni. Abunai then bid his time and then he and his brother Lubuzung revolted against the Qing in 1675 during the ], with 3,000 Chahar Mongol followers joining in on the revolt. The revolt was put down within two months, the Qing then crushed the rebels in a battle on April 20, 1675, killing Abunai and all his followers. Their title was abolished, all Chahar Mongol royal males were executed even if they were born to Manchu Qing princesses, and all Chahar Mongol royal females were sold into slavery except the Manchu Qing princesses. The Chahar Mongols were then put under the direct control of the Qing Emperor unlike the other Inner Mongol leagues which maintained their autonomy.

Despite officially prohibiting Han Chinese settlement on the Manchu and Mongol lands, by the 18th century the Qing decided to settle Han refugees from northern China who were suffering from famine, floods, and drought into Manchuria and Inner Mongolia so that Han Chinese farmed 500,000 hectares in Manchuria and tens of thousands of hectares in Inner Mongolia by the 1780s.<ref>{{cite journal |jstor = 3985584 |url = http://www.jstor.org/stable/3985584?seq=4 |title = Land Use and Society in Manchuria and Inner Mongolia during the Qing Dynasty |last = Reardon-Anderson |first = James |date=Oct 2000|volume = 5 |number = No. 4 |journal = Environmental History |page = 506 |publisher = Forest History Society and American Society for Environmental History}}</ref>

Ordinary Mongols were not allowed to travel outside their own leagues. Mongols were forbidden by the Qing from crossing the borders of their banners, even into other Mongol Banners and from crossing into neidi (the Han Chinese 18 provinces) and were given serious punishments if they did in order to keep the Mongols divided against each other to benefit the Qing.<ref>, p. 41.</ref>

During the eighteenth century, growing numbers of ] settlers had illegally begun to move into the Inner Mongolian steppe. By 1791 there had been so many Han Chinese settlers in the ] that the jasak had petitioned the Qing government to legalize the status of the peasants who had already settled there.<ref>{{cite book |title = The Cambridge History of China |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |volume=10 |year=1978 |publisher = Cambridge University Press |location= |isbn= |page=356 |pages= |url= |accessdate=}}</ref>

During the nineteenth century, the Manchus were becoming increasingly sinicized, and faced with the Russian threat, they began to encourage Han Chinese farmers to settle in both Mongolia and Manchuria. This policy was followed by subsequent governments. The railroads that were being built in these regions were especially useful to the Han Chinese settlers. Land was either sold by Mongol Princes, or leased to Han Chinese farmers, or simply taken away from the nomads and given to Han Chinese farmers. The ], a rebellion by an ethnic Chinese secret society called Jindandao occurred in Inner Mongolia in November 1891 and massacred 150,000 Mongols before being suppressed by government troops in late December.

=== Republic of China period ===
{{Further|Mongolia (1911–24)|Inner Mongolian People's Party}}

Outer Mongolia gained independence from the Qing Dynasty in 1911, when the Jebtsundamba Khutugtu of the Khalkha was declared the ] of Mongolia. Although almost all banners of Inner Mongolia recognized the Bogd Khan as the supreme ruler of Mongols, the internal strife within the region prevented a full reunification. The Mongol rebellions in Inner Mongolia were counterbalanced by princes who hoped to see a restored Qing dynasty in Manchuria and Mongolia, as they considered the theocratic rule of the Bogd Khan would be against their modernizing objectives for Mongolia.<ref>Atwood, Christopher. The Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire, p.454</ref> Eventually, the newly formed ] promised a new nation of five races (], ], ], ] and ]),<ref>Atwood, Christopher. The Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire, p.91</ref> and suppressed the Mongol rebellions in the area,<ref>Belov, E.A. Anti-Chinese rebellion led by Babujav in Inner Mongolia, 1915-1916. - Annaly (Moscow), no. 2, 1996.</ref><ref>Belov, E.A. Rossiya i Mongoliya (1911–1919). Moscow: Vost. Lit.Publ.</ref> forcing the Inner Mongolian princes to recognize the Republic of China.

The Republic of China reorganized Inner Mongolia into provinces:
* ] province was created to include the Juuuda and Josutu leagues, plus the ] area in what is now northern ].
* ] province was created to include Xilingol league as well as much of the former territory of the Eight Banners.
* ] province was created to include Ulanqab league, Yekejuu league, and the Hetao region (former Guihua Tümed territory).
* Hulunbuir stayed within ] in Manchuria, which had become a province.
* Most of Jirim league came under the new province of ] in southern Manchuria.
* Taoxi Mongolia, i.e. Alashan and Ejine leagues, was incorporated into neighbouring ] province. Later on ] province was split out of northern Gansu, and Taoxi Mongolia became part of Ningxia.

Some ] maps still show this structure.

=== Mengjiang period ===
{{Main|Mengjiang}}

] was an autonomous area of ], which was a puppet regime of Japan.

In 1931 Manchuria came under the control of the Japanese puppet state ], taking the Mongol areas in the Manchurian provinces (i.e. Hulunbuir and Jirim leagues) along. Rehe was also incorporated into Manchukuo in 1933, taking Juu Uda and Josutu leagues along with it. These areas were administered by Manchukuo until the end of ] in 1945.

In 1937, open war broke out between the ] and the ]. On December 8, 1937, Mongolian Prince ] (also known as "De Wang") declared the independence of the remaining parts of Inner Mongolia (i.e. the Suiyuan and Chahar provinces) as ] or Mengkukuo, and signed close agreements with Manchukuo and Japan. The capital was established at ] (now in ] province), with the puppet government's control extending as far west as the ] region. In August 1945, Mengkiang was taken by Soviet and Outer Mongolian troops during ]. Despite a considerable movement among Inner Mongolia's Mongols(who comprised then around 15% of Inner Mongolia's population, while Han Chinese around 83%) for unification with Outer Mongolia, Inner Mongolia remained part of China.

=== Communist era ===
{{POV-section|date=March 2015}}

The Communist movement gradually gained momentum as part of the Third Communist International in Inner Mongolia during the Japanese period. By the end of WWII, the Inner Mongolian faction of the ComIntern had a functional militia, and actively opposed the attempts at independence by De Wang's Chinggisid princes on the grounds of fighting feudalism. Following the end of ], the ] gained control of Manchuria as well as the Inner Mongolian Communists with decisive Soviet support, and established the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1947. The Comintern army was absorbed into the People's Liberation Army. Initially the autonomous region included just the Hulunbuir region. Over the next decade, as the communists established the ] and consolidated control over mainland China, Inner Mongolia was expanded westwards to include five of the six original leagues (except Josutu League, which remains in ] province), the northern part of the Chahar region, by then a league as well (southern Chahar remains in ] province), the Hetao region, and the Alashan and Ejine banners. Eventually, near all areas with sizeable Mongol populations were incorporated into the region, giving present-day Inner Mongolia its elongated shape. The leader of Inner Mongolia during that time, as both regional CPC secretary and head of regional government, was ].

During the ], the administration of Ulanhu was purged, and a wave of repressions was initiated against the Mongol population of the autonomous region.<ref>David Sneath, "The Impact of the Cultural Revolution in China on the Mongolians of Inner Mongolia", in ''Modern Asian Studies'', Vol. 28, No. 2 (May, 1994), pp. 409-430</ref> In 1969 much of Inner Mongolia was distributed among surrounding provinces, with Hulunbuir divided between ] and ], Jirim going to ], Juu Uda to ], and the Alashan and Ejine region divided among ] and ]. This was reversed in 1979.

Inner Mongolia has seen considerable development since ] instituted ] in 1978. For about ten years since 2000, Inner Mongolia's GDP growth has been the highest in the country, (along with ]) largely owing to the success of natural resource industries in the region. GDP growth has continually been over 10%, even 15% and connections with the ] to the north has helped development. However, growth has come at a cost with huge amounts of pollution and degradation to the grasslands.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/19/world/asia/china-mongolians-culture/ |title = Ethnic Mongolians in China concerned about cultural threat |author = Chi Chi Zhang, CNN |date=19 April 2012 |work=CNN}}</ref> Attempts to attract ] to migrate from other regions, as well as urbanise those rural nomads and peasants has led to huge amounts of corruption and waste in public spending, such as ].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1975397,00.html |title = Ordos, China: A Modern Ghost Town |work = TIME.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17390729 |title = Ordos: The biggest ghost town in China |work = BBC News}}</ref> Acute uneven ] has further exacerbated ethnic tensions, many indigenous Mongolians feeling they are increasingly marginalised in their own homeland, leading to ] and 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2012/04/18/atsr-china-inner-mongolian-culture-clash.cnn |title = Inner Mongolians culture clash |date = 18 April 2012 |work = CNN}}</ref><ref>http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/launches-09052013110502.html</ref>

== Geography ==
]

Officially Inner Mongolia is classified as one of the provincial-level divisions of ], but its great stretch means that parts of it belong to ] and ] as well. It borders eight provincial-level divisions in all three of the aforementioned regions (], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]), tying with Shaanxi for the greatest number of bordering provincial-level divisions. Most of its international border is with Mongolia, which, in Chinese, is sometimes called “Outer Mongolia” (外蒙古), while a small portion is with Russia.

] ('']'') grow tall at the ] in ], reflecting the milder climate there.]]
Inner Mongolia largely consists of the northern side of the ], a tilted and sedimented ] block. In the extreme southwest is the edge of the Tibetan Plateau where the autonomous region’s highest peak, ] in the ] reaches {{convert|3556|m|ft|-1}}, and is still being pushed up today in short bursts.<ref name="quaternary">Wei Zhang, Mingyue He, Yonghua Li, Zhijiu Cui, Zhilin Wang and Yang Yu; ; in ''Chinese Science Bulletin''; December 2012, Volume 57, Issue 34, pp 4491-4504</ref> Most of Inner Mongolia is a plateau averaging around {{convert|1200|m|ft|-1}} in altitude and covered by extensive ] and ] deposits. The northern part consists of the ] era ], and is owing to the cooler climate more forested, chiefly with ], ], ], ] and a number of ] and ] species. Where ] is present north of ], forests are almost exclusively coniferous. In the south the natural vegetation is grassland in the east and very sparse in the arid west, and grazing is the dominant economic activity.

Owing to the ancient, weathered rocks lying under its deep sedimentary cover, Inner Mongolia is a major mining district, possessing large reserves of ], ] and ] minerals, which have made it a major industrial region today.

=== Climate ===
Due to its elongated shape, Inner Mongolia has a wide variety of regional climates. Throughout the region, the climate is based off a four-season, ] climate. The winters in Inner Mongolia are very long, cold, and dry with frequent blizzards, though snowfall is so light that Inner Mongolia has no modern glaciers<ref name="quaternary"/> even on the highest Helan peaks. The spring is short, mild and arid, with large, dangerous ], whilst the summer is very warm to hot and relatively humid except in the west where it remains dry. Autumn is brief and sees a steady cooling, with temperatures below {{convert|0|C|F}} reached in October in the north and November in the south.

Officially, most of Inner Mongolia is classified as either a ] or ] regime (] ''BWk, BSk'', respectively). The small portion besides these are classified as ] (Köppen ''Dwb'') in the northeast, or ] (Köppen ''Dwc'') in the far north near ].<ref>Peel, M. C. and Finlayson, B. L. and McMahon, T. A. (2007). . Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633-1644.</ref>

== Administrative divisions ==
{{Main|List of administrative divisions of Inner Mongolia|List of township-level divisions of Inner Mongolia}}

Inner Mongolia is divided into twelve ]. Until the late 1990s, most of Inner Mongolia's prefectural regions were known as '']'' ({{zh |c = 盟}}), a usage retained from Mongol divisions of the ]. Similarly, county-level divisions are often known as ''Banners'' ({{zh |c = 旗}}). Since the 1990s, numerous Leagues have converted into ], although Banners remain. The restructuring led to the conversion of primate cities in most leagues to convert to districts administratively (i.e.: ], ] and ]). Some newly founded prefecture-level cities have chosen to retain the original name of League (i.e.: Hulunbuir, Bayannur and Ulanqab), some have adopted the Chinese name of their ] (], ]), and one League (Yekejuu) simply renamed itself ]. Despite these recent administrative changes, there is no indication that the Alxa, Hinggan, and Xilingol Leagues will convert to prefecture-level cities in the near future.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; width:90%; font-size:smaller; text-align:center"
! colspan="14" |'''Administrative divisions of Inner Mongolia'''
|-
| colspan="14" style="font-size:larger;" |]
|-
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | №
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | ]<ref>{{cite web |url = http://files2.mca.gov.cn/cws/201502/20150225163817214.html |title = 中华人民共和国县以上行政区划代码 |publisher = 中华人民共和国民政部}}</ref>
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | English name
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | ]
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Mongolian Transcription
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | ]
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | ]
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Area in km<sup>2</sup><ref name="nj2013">{{zh}}{{cite book |author = 深圳市统计局 |publisher = 中国统计出版社 |title = {{noitalic|《深圳统计年鉴2014》}} |url = http://www.sztj.gov.cn/nj2014/indexce.htm |work = 深圳统计网 |date = |accessdate = 2015-05-29}}</ref>
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Population 2010<ref>{{cite book |author1 = Population Census Office of the State Council |author2 = compiled by Population and Employment Statistics Department, National Bureau of Statistics |title = Tabulation on the 2010 Population Census of the People's Republic of China by Township |year = 2012 |publisher = China Statistics Press |location = Beijing |ISBN = 978-7-5037-6660-2 |edition = 1st |accessdate = 2015-11-17}}</ref>
!! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Seat
!! scope="col" colspan="4" | Divisions<ref>{{cite book |author = 中华人民共和国民政部 |title = {{noitalic|《中国民政统计年鉴2014》}} |date = August 2014 |publisher = 中国统计出版社 |ISBN = 978-7-5037-7130-9}}</ref>
|-
!! scope="col" width="45" | ]
!! scope="col" width="45" | ] ]
!! scope="col" width="45" | ]
!! scope="col" width="45" | ]
|- style="font-weight: bold"
|bgcolor="grey"| &nbsp;
! 150000 !! Inner Mongolia<br>Autonomous Region
|]|| Öbür mongγol-un öbertegen zasaqu orun || {{nobold|內蒙古自治区}} || Nèi Měnggǔ Zìzhìqū || 1183000.00 || 24,706,321 || ] || 22 || 66 || 3 || 11
|-
! 6 !! 150100 !! ]
|]|| Kökeqota || 呼和浩特市 || Hūhéhàotè Shì || 17186.10 || 2,866,615 || ] || 4 || 5 ||bgcolor="grey"| ||bgcolor="grey"|
|-
! 5 !! 150200 !! ]
|]]|| Buɣutu qota || 包头市 || Bāotóu Shì || 27768.00 || 2,650,364 || ] || 6 || 3 ||bgcolor="grey"| ||bgcolor="grey"|
|-
! 3 !! 150300 !! ]
|]]|| Üqai qota || 乌海市 || Wūhǎi Shì || 1754.00 || 532,902 || ] || 3 ||bgcolor="grey"| ||bgcolor="grey"| ||bgcolor="grey"|
|-
! 9 !! 150400 !! ]
|]]|| Ulaɣanqada qota || 赤峰市 || Chìfēng Shì || 90021.00 || 4,341,245 || ] || 3 || 9 ||bgcolor="grey"| ||bgcolor="grey"|
|-
! 10 !! 150500 !! ]
|]]|| Tüŋliyou qota || 通辽市 || Tōngliáo Shì || 59535.00 || 3,139,153 || ] || 1 || 6 ||bgcolor="grey"| || 1
|-
! 4 !! 150600 !! ]
|]]|| Ordos qota || 鄂尔多斯市 || È'ěrduōsī Shì || 86881.61 || 1,940,653 || ] || 1 || 7 ||bgcolor="grey"| ||bgcolor="grey"|
|-
! 12 !! 150700 !! ]
|]]|| Kölön Buyir qota || 呼伦贝尔市 || Hūlúnbèi'ěr Shì || 254003.79 || 2,549,278 || ] || 2 || 4 || 3 || 5
|-
! 2 !! 150800 !! ]
|]]|| Bayannaɣur qota || 巴彦淖尔市 || Bāyànnào'ěr Shì || 65755.47 || 1,669,915 || ] || 1 || 6 ||bgcolor="grey"| ||bgcolor="grey"|
|-
! 7 !! 150900 !! ]
|]]|| Ulaɣančab qota || 乌兰察布市 || Wūlánchábù Shì|| 54447.72 || 2,143,590 || ] || 1 || 9 ||bgcolor="grey"| || 1
|-
! 11 !! 152200 !! ]
|]|| Qiŋɣan ayimaɣ || 兴安盟 || Xīng'ān Méng || 59806.00 || 1,613,250 || ] ||bgcolor="grey"| || 4 ||bgcolor="grey"| || 2
|-
! 8 !! 152500 !! ]
|]|| Sili-yin Ɣool ayimaɣ || 锡林郭勒盟 || Xīlínguōlè Méng || 202580.00 || 1,028,022 || ] ||bgcolor="grey"| || 10 ||bgcolor="grey"| || 2
|-
! 1 !! 152900 !! ]
|]|| Alaša ayimaɣ || 阿拉善盟 || Ālāshàn Méng || 267574.00 || 231,334 || ] ||bgcolor="grey"| || 3 ||bgcolor="grey"| ||bgcolor="grey"|
|}

Many of the ] were converted very recently from ].

The twelve ] of Inner Mongolia are subdivided into 102 ], including 22 ]s, 11 ], 17 ], 49 ], and 3 ]s. Those are in turn divided into 1425 ], including 532 ]s, 407 ]s, 277 ], eighteen ]s, one ], and 190 ]s.

== Economy ==
Farming of crops such as ] takes precedence along the river valleys. In the more arid grasslands, herding of ]s, ] and so on is a traditional method of subsistence. ] and ] are somewhat important in the ] ranges in the east. ] herding is carried out by ] in the Evenk Autonomous Banner. More recently, growing ] and ] have become an economic factor in the ] area.
]]]
Inner Mongolia has abundance of resources especially coal, ], natural gas, ]s, and has more deposits of naturally occurring ], ] and ] than any other ]-level region in China. However, in the past, the exploitation and utilisation of resources were rather inefficient, which resulted in poor returns from rich resources. Inner Mongolia is also an important coal production base, with more than a quarter of the world's coal reserves located in the province.<ref name="thechinaperspective.com">{{cite web |url = http://www.thechinaperspective.com/topics/province/inner-mongolia-autonomous-region/ |title = China Economy @ China Perspective |website = thechinaperspective.com}}</ref> It plans to double annual coal output by 2010 (from the 2005 volume of 260 million tons) to 500 million tons of coal a year.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://english.people.com.cn/200512/27/eng20051227_231175.html |title = People's Daily Online -- Inner Mongolia to double annual coal output by 2010 |work=people.com.cn}}</ref>
]
Industry in Inner Mongolia has grown up mainly around coal, ], forestry-related industries, and related industries.
Inner Mongolia now encourages six competitive industries: energy, chemicals, metallurgy, equipment manufacturing, processing of farm (including ]) produce, and high technology. Well-known Inner Mongolian enterprises include companies such as ], ], and ].

The nominal GDP of Inner Mongolia in 2010 was 1.16 trillion yuan (US$172.1 billion), a growth of 16.9% from 2008, with an average annual increase of 20% from the period 2003-2007. Its per capita GDP reached 37,287 yuan (US$5,460) in 2009. In 2008, Inner Mongolia's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were worth 90.7 billion yuan, 427.1 billion yuan, and 258.4 billion yuan respectively. The urban per capita ] and rural per capita net income were 14,431 yuan and 4,656 yuan, up 16.6% and 17.8% respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://english.people.com.cn/200602/05/eng20060205_240396.html |title = People's Daily Online -- Inner Mongolia's economy maintains a rapid growth momentum |work = people.com.cn}}</ref>

As with much of China, economic growth has led to a boom in construction, including new commercial development and large apartment complexes.

In addition to its large reserves of natural resources, Inner Mongolia also has the largest usable wind power capacity in China<ref name="thechinaperspective.com"/> thanks to strong winds which develop in the province's grasslands. Some private companies have set up ] in parts of Inner Mongolia such as ], Hutengliang and Zhouzi.

=== Economic and Technological Development Zones ===
* ] National ] Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone<ref></ref>
* ] Border Economic Cooperation Area
* Hohhot Export Processing Zone
Hohhot Export Processing Zone was established on June 21, 2002, by the State Council, which is located in the west of the Hohhot, with a planning area of 2.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. Industries encouraged in the export processing zone include Electronics Assembly & Manufacturing, Telecommunications Equipment, Garment and Textiles Production, Trading and Distribution, Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals, Food/Beverage Processing, Instruments & Industrial Equipment Production, Medical Equipment and Supplies, Shipping/Warehousing/Logistics, Heavy Industry.<ref></ref>
* ] Economic and Technological Development Zone
* ] ]
* ] Border Economic Cooperation Area

== Government and politics ==
{{Main|Politics of Inner Mongolia}}
{{See also|List of provincial leaders of the People's Republic of China}}

Under the ], articles 112-122, ]s have limited autonomy in both the political and economic arena. Autonomous regions have more discretion in administering economic policy in the region in accordance with national guidelines. Structurally, the Chairman—who legally must be an ethnic minority and is usually ethnic Mongolian—is always kept in check by the ] Regional Committee Secretary, who is usually from a different part of China (to reduce corruption) and Han Chinese. The current party secretary is ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://china.org.cn/english/features/40664.htm|title=Who's Who in China's Leadership|work=china.org.cn}}</ref> The Inner Mongolian government and its subsidiaries follow roughly the same structure as that of a Chinese province. With regards to economic policy, as a part of increased ] characteristics in China, Inner Mongolia has become more independent in implementing its own economic roadmap.

== Demographics ==
{{Main|Southern Mongols|Mongols in China|List of Chinese ethnic groups}}
]-themed Street in ]]]

When the autonomous region was established in 1947, Han Chinese comprised 83.6% of the population, while the Mongols comprised 14.8% of the population.<ref>], Sharon Stanton Russell(2001). Demography and national security. page 276, table 9.4.</ref> By 2000, the percentage of Han Chinese had fallen to 79.2%. While the Hetao region along the Yellow River has always alternated between farmers from the south and nomads from the north, the most recent episode of Han Chinese migration began in the early 18th century with encouragement from the ], and continued into the 20th century. Han Chinese live mostly in the Hetao region as well as various population centres in central and eastern Inner Mongolia. Over 70% of Mongols are concentrated in less than 18% of Inner Mongolia's territory (], and prefectures ] and ]).

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;"
|-
|+ Territories with Mongol majorities and near-majorities<ref>"Baidu" network: (in Chinese)</ref><ref>"XZQH.org" network: (in Chinese)</ref>
|-
! Name of banner !! Mongol population !! Percentage
|-
| ], ] (2009) || 222,410 || 84.1%
|-
| ], ] (2009) || 28,369 || 82.2%
|-
| ], ] || 284,000 || 75%
|-
| ], ] (2009) || 31,531 || 74.9%
|-
| ], ] || 395,000 || 73.5%
|-
| ], ] (2009) || 43,394 || 72.5%
|-
| ], ] || 57,000 || 65%
|-
| ], ] (2006) || 20,987 || 62.6%
|-
| ], ] || 19,000 || 62%
|-
| ], ] || 93,000 || 56%
|-
| ], ] || 144,000 || 48%
|-
| ], ] || 162,000 || 45%
|-
| ], ] (2006) || 25,903 || 43.6%
|-
| ], ] || 158,000 || 39%
|-
| ], ] (2002) || 108,000 || 36.6%
|}

Mongols are the second largest ethnic group, comprising 17.11% of the population. They include many diverse Mongolian-speaking groups; groups such as the ] and the ] are also officially considered to be Mongols in China. Many of the traditionally nomadic Mongols have settled in permanent homes as their pastoral economy was collectivized during the Maoist Era.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=November 2015}}

Other ethnic groups include the ], the ], the ], the ], the ], and the ].

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Ethnic groups in Inner Mongolia, 2010 census<ref>Department of Population, Social, Science and Technology Statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (国家统计局人口和社会科技统计司) and Department of Economic Development of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission of China (国家民族事务委员会经济发展司), eds. ''Tabulation on Nationalities of 2010 Population Census of China'' (《2010年人口普查中国民族人口资料》). 2 vols. Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House (民族出版社), 2003. (ISBN 7-105-05425-5)</ref>
|-
! ] !! Population !! Percentage
|-
| ] || 19,650,687 || 79.54%
|-
| ] || 4,226,093 || 17.11%
|-
| ] || 452,765 || 1.83%
|-
| ] || 221,483 || 0.90%
|-
| ] || 76,255 || 0.31%
|-
| ] || 26,139 || 0.11%
|-
| ] || 18,464 || 0.07%
|-
| ] || 4,673 || 0.02%
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year!!Population
!colspan=2|]
!colspan=2|]
!colspan=2|]
|-align="right"
!1953<ref name="Compilation">(without ])《中华人民共和国人口统计资料汇编1949—1985》,"People's Republic of demographic data compilation 1949-1985" 中国财政经济出版社，1988。第924页。 "China Financial and Economic Publishing House, 1988. Section 924."</ref>
|6,100,104
|5,119,928
|83.9%
|888,235
|14.6%
|18,354
|0.3%
|-align="right"
!1964<ref name="Compilation" />
|12,348,638
|10,743,456
|87.0%
|1,384,535
|11.2%
|50,960
|0.4%
|-align="right"
!1982<ref name="Compilation" />
|19,274,281
|16,277,616
|84.4%
|2,489,378
|12.9%
|237,149
|1.2%
|-align="right"
!1990<ref>内蒙古自治区统计局(Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Bureau of Statistics) 。</ref>
|21,456,500
|17,290,000
|80.6%
|3,379,700
|15.8%
|
|
|-align="right"
!2000<ref>《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》, (5th National Census)民族出版社，2003。第4—8页。</ref>
|23,323,347
|18,465,586
|79.2%
|3,995,349
|17.1%
|499,911
|2.3%
|-align="right"
!2010<ref></ref>
|24,706,321
|19,650,687
|79.5%
|4,226,093
|17.1%
|452,765
|1.83%
|}

Excludes members of the ] in active service.

==Language and culture==
{{See also|Culture of Mongolia|Music of Mongolia|Music of Inner Mongolia}}

] in Hohhot, the capital, with a bilingual street sign in ] and ]]]

By law, all street signs, commercial outlets, and government documents must be bilingual, written in both Mongolian and Chinese. There are three Mongolian TV channels in the Inner Mongolia Satellite TV network. In public transportation, all announcements are to be bilingual.

Alongside Chinese, Mongolian is the official provincial language of the ], where there are at least 4.1 million ethnic Mongols.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Tsung|first1=Linda|title=Language Power and Hierarchy: Multilingual Education in China|date=October 27, 2014|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|page=59|chapter=3}}</ref> Across the whole of China, the language is spoken by roughly half of the country's 5.8 million ethnic Mongols (2005 estimate)<ref name="Mongolian">{{cite book|last1=Janhunen|first1=Juha|title=Mongolian|date=November 29, 2012|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|page=11|chapter=1}}</ref> However, the exact number of Mongolian speakers in China is unknown, as there is no data available on the language proficiency of that country's citizens. The use of Mongolian in China, specifically in Inner Mongolia, has witnessed periods of decline and revival over the last few hundred years. The language experienced a decline during the late Qing period, a revival between 1947 and 1965, a second decline between 1966 and 1976, a second revival between 1977 and 1992, and a third decline between 1995 and 2012.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Tsung|first1=Linda|title=Language Power and Hierarchy: Multilingual Education in China|date=October 27, 2014|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|chapter=3}}</ref> However, in spite of the decline of the Mongolian language in some of Inner Mongolia's urban areas and educational spheres, the ethnic identity of the urbanized Chinese-speaking Mongols is most likely going to survive due to the presence of urban ethnic communities.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Iredale|first1=Robyn|last2=Bilik|first2=Naran|last3=Fei|first3=Guo|title=China's Minorities on the Move: Selected Case Studies|date=August 2, 2003|page=84|chapter=4}}</ref> The multilingual situation in Inner Mongolia does not appear to obstruct efforts by ethnic Mongols to preserve their language.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Janhunen|first1=Juha|title=Mongolian|date=November 29, 2012|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|page=16|chapter=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Otsuka|first1=Hitomi|title=More Morphologies: Contributions to the Festival of Languages, Bremen, 17 Sep to 7 Oct, 2009|date=30 Nov 2012|page=99|chapter=6}}</ref> Although an unknown number of Mongols in China, such as the Tumets, may have completely or partially lost the ability to speak their language, they are still registered as ethnic Mongols and continue to identify themselves as ethnic Mongols.<ref name="Mongolian"/><ref>{{cite book|last1=Iredale|first1=Robyn|title=China's Minorities on the Move: Selected Case Studies|date=August 2, 2003|publisher=Routledge|pages=56, 64–67|chapter=3}}</ref> The children of inter-ethnic Mongol-Chinese marriages also claim to be and are registered as ethnic Mongols.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Janhunen|first1=Juha|title=Mongolian|date=November 29, 2012 |publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|page=11|chapter=1}}{{cite book |last1=Iredale|first1=Robyn|last2=Bilik|first2=Naran|last3=Fei|first3=Guo|title=China's Minorities on the Move: Selected Case Studies|date=August 2, 2003|page=61|chapter=3}}</ref>

] in Inner Mongolia speak ] such as ], Xilingol, ], ] and Kharchin Mongolian and, depending on definition and analysis, further dialects<ref>e.g. {{unicode|Sečenbaγatur, Qasgerel, Tuyaγ-a, B. ǰirannige, U Ying ǰe.}} 2005. ''{{unicode|Mongγul kelen-ü nutuγ-un ayalγun-u sinǰilel-ün uduridqal}}''. Kökeqota: ÖMAKQ.</ref> or closely related independent Central ]<ref>e.g. ]. 2006. Mongolic languages. In: Brown, K. (ed.): ''The encyclopedia of language & linguistics''. Amsterdam: Elsevier: 231-234.</ref> such as ], ], Barghu ] and the arguably ] dialect ]. The standard pronunciation of Mongolian in China is based on the Chakhar dialect of the ], located in central Inner Mongolia, while the grammar is based on all ].<ref>{{unicode|Sečenbaγatur}} et al. 2005: 85</ref> This is different from the Mongolian state, where the standard pronunciation is based on the closely related ] dialect. There are a number of independent languages spoken in ] such as the somewhat more distant Mongolic language ] and the ] ]. Officially, even the Evenki dialect ] is considered a language.<ref>Janhunen, Juha. 1997. The languages of Manchuria in today’s China. In: Northern Minority languages: Problems of survival. ''Senri ethnological studies'', 44: 123-146. See pages 130-133</ref>

The ] of Inner Mongolia speak a variety of dialects, depending on the region. Those in the eastern parts tend to speak ], which belongs to the ] group of dialects; those in the central parts, such as the ] valley, speak varieties of ], another subdivision of Chinese, due to its proximity to other Jin-speaking areas in China such as the ] province. Cities such as Hohhot and Baotou both have their unique brand of Jin Chinese such as the ] which are sometimes incomprehensible with dialects spoken in northeastern regions such as ].

The vast grasslands have long symbolised Inner Mongolia. Mongolian art often depicts the grassland in an uplifting fashion and emphasizes Mongolian nomadic traditions. The ]s of Inner Mongolia still practice their traditional arts. Inner Mongolian cuisine has Mongol roots and consists of ]-related products and ''hand-held lamb'' (手扒肉). In recent years, franchises based on ] have appeared Inner Mongolia, the best known of which is '']'' (小肥羊). Notable Inner Mongolian commercial brand names include ] and ], both of which began as dairy product and ] producers.

Among the ] of Inner Mongolia, Jinju (晉劇) or ] is a popular traditional form of entertainment. See also: ].

A popular career in Inner Mongolia is circus acrobatics. The internationally known Inner Mongolia Acrobatic Troupe travels and performs with the renowned Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

== Religion ==
{{Bar box
|float = right
|title = Religion in Inner Mongolia (2005-2010)
|bars =
{{Bar percent|] and ] folk religion<br/>(worship of ] and ])|SkyBlue|80}}
{{Bar percent|], other Eastern religions,<br/>or no belief|Orange|17.1}}
{{Bar percent|]|DodgerBlue|2}}
{{Bar percent|]|Green|0.91}}
}}
] of ] in the town of ] in Inner Mongolia, in the ]. The worship of Genghis is shared by Chinese and ].{{efn|The White Sulde (White Spirit) is one of the two spirits of Genghis Khan (the other being the Black Sulde), represented either as his white or yellow horse or as a fierce warrior riding this horse. In its interior, the temple enshrines a statue of Genghis Khan (at the center) and four of his men on each side (the total making nine, a symbolic number in Mongolian culture), there is an altar where offerings to the godly men are made, and three white suldes made with white horse hair. From the central sulde there are strings which hold tied light blue pieces of cloth with a few white ones. The wall is covered with all the names of the Mongol kins. The Chinese worship Genghis as the ancestral god of the ].}}]]
{{Main|Religion in Inner Mongolia}}

According to researches conducted by the Religious Studies Department of Minzu University of China, adherents of the five officially recognised religions of the state (], ], ], ] and ]) constitute only 3.7% of the population of Inner Mongolia.<ref name="Yang-Lang">Fenggang Yang, Graeme Lang. ''Social Scientific Studies of Religion in China''. BRILL, 2012. ISBN 9004182462. pp. 184-185, reporting the results of surveys held in 2004 by the ]. Quote from page 185: « ''the registered adherents of the five official religions comprise only 3.7% of those in Inner Mongolia. When we compare this final statistic with Minzu University research team's finding that '''80% of the inhabitants of Inner Mongolia''' worship ''Tian'' (loosely translated "Heaven") and ''aobao'' (traditional stone structures that serve as altars for sacrifice), it is evident that the official calculations of registered religious believers are markedly low, and the policy decisions based on these numbers lack the necessary grounding in reality.'' ''Foreign religions can be transformed into indigenous ethnic religions, and the traditional folk religions of China's ethnic minorities can integrate and neutralize non-native religions. Thus, China's ethnic religions should not be regarded as social burdens or challenges, but rather as valuable cultural assets.''»</ref> According to the Chinese General Social Survey of 2009, ] is the religious identity of 2% of the population of the region,<ref name="Wang2015">China General Social Survey (CGSS) 2009. Results reported by: </ref> while a demographic analysis of the year 2010, reported that Muslims form the 0.91%.<ref name="2010-Islam">Min Junqing. ''The Present Situation and Characteristics of Contemporary Islam in China''. JISMOR, 8. . Data from: Yang Zongde, ''Study on Current Muslim Population in China'', Jinan Muslim, 2, 2010.</ref>

At the same time, 80% of the inhabitants of the region declare to worship '']'' and '']'', features of both ] and ].<ref name="Yang-Lang" />

The ] of ], present in the form of various Genghis Khan temples, is a tradition of Mongolian shamanism, in which he is considered a ] and divine ancestor, an embodiment of the '']'' (Heaven, God of Heaven).<ref>John Man. ''Genghis Khan: Life, Death and Resurrection''. Bantam Press, London, 2004. ISBN 9780553814989. pp. 402-404</ref> His worship in special temples, greatly developed in Inner Mongolia since the 1980s, is also shared by the ], claiming his spirit as the founding principle of the ].<ref>John Man. ''Genghis Khan''. Bantam, 2005. ISBN 0553814982. p. 23</ref>

] (]) is the dominant form of Buddhism in Inner Mongolia, also practiced by many ], and its influence may be far larger than what the official adherents statistics would testify. Another form of Buddhism, practiced by the Chinese, are the schools of ].

== Tourism ==
In the capital city ]:
* ] is a ] temple built in 1580. Dazhao Temple is known for three sites: a ] of ] made from ], elaborate carvings of ]s, and ]s.
* ], also known as Chongfu temple, is a ] temple built in 1697 and favoured by the ] of the ].
* ] is the largest ] temple in the Höhhot area, and once the center of power of ] in the region.
* ] is the tomb of ], a ] palace lady-in-waiting who became the consort of the ] ruler Huhanye Shanyu in 33BC.
* ] is located in the capital of Inner Mongolia Hohhot. It is also called Jingangzuo Dagoba, used to be one building of the Cideng Temple (Temple of Merciful Light) built in 1727.
* Wanbu-Huayanjing Pagoda (万部华严经塔) in Hohhot. It was built during the reign of Emperor Shengzong (983-1031) of the Khitan Liao Dynasty (907-1125) and is still well preserved.

Elsewhere in Inner Mongolia:
* The ], the ] of ], is located in ].
* ], on the border close to ], is a popular retreat for urban residents wanting to get a taste of grasslands life.
* The Arshihaty Stone Forest in ] has magnificent granite rock formations formed from natural erosion.
* ], or "singing sands gorge," is located in the ] and contains numerous tourist attractions including sand sledding and camel rides.
* Remains of Zhongjing (Central Capital) built in 1003 by Emperor Shengzong of the ] ] (907-1125) in Ningcheng County.
* Remains of Shangjing (Upper Capital) built in 918 by Yelu Abaoji the 1st emperor of the Khitan Liao Dynasty (907-1125). Also called Huangdu it was one of the five capitals of the Liao Dynasty.
* Zuling Mausoleum of Abaoji Khan. It was built in 926 for Abaoji the 1st Emperor of the Liao Dynasty. Located north-west of Shifangzi village.
* Tablets of Juyan. Han Dynasty (206BC - 220 AD) inscriptions on wood and bamboo. In 1930 Folke Bergman of the Sino-Swedish expedition first discovered 10,000 tablets at ] in the Gobi Desert.
* Ruins of Shangdu (Xanadu) the Summer Capital of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty built in 1256 by Kublai Khan.
* White pagoda of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) in Kailu (開魯), Tongliao. It is still well preserved.
* Ruins of Chagan Khoto (查干浩特) capital of the last Mongol ] ] (1588-1634). Located in Ar Horqin Banner.

<center>
<gallery mode=packed heights=150px>
File:C-shaped jade dragon.jpg|Jade dragon of the ] (4700BC-2900BC) found in Hongshan District, ].
File:P8050566WuLanBuTong.JPG|Ulaanbutan grassland
File:Inner Mongolia grassland (2005).jpg|Inner Mongolian grassland
File:Statue at the Wang Zhaojun Tomb.jpg|Honorary tomb of Wang Zhaojun (born c. 50BC) in Hohhot.
File:Fresco Songjingtu, Liao Dynasty Tomb at Baoshan.jpg|Fresco in the ] (907-1125) tomb at Baoshan, Ar Horqin.
File:Cooking, mural from Tomb in Aohan, Liao Dynasty.jpg|] cooking. Fresco in the Liao Dynasty (907-1125) tomb at Aohan.
File:Khara-khoto.jpg|Remains of the city Khara-Khoto built in 1032. Located in Ejin Khoshuu, Alxa Aimag.
File:美岱召古城全景沙盘.jpg|Maidari Juu temple fortress (美岱召, Meidai Zhao) built by ] in 1575 near ].
File:美岱召new stone arch.png|Newly built arch in front of the Maidari Juu temple fortress (1575).
File:Da Zhao Temple in Hohhot3.JPG|Da Zhao temple (also called Ikh Zuu) built by ] in 1579.
File:InnerMongoliaBuddhistTemple.jpg|Wudang Zhao temple (1749) near Baotou, Inner Mongolia. Called Badgar Zuu in Mongolian.
File:Five Pagoda Temple, Huhhot, Inner Mongolia.JPG|Five Pagoda temple (1727) in Hohhot.
File:Badain Jaran Temple Reflection.JPG|Badain Jaran temple (1868) in western Inner Mongolia.
File:Genghis khan mausoleum.jpg|Genghis Khan Mausoleum (1954).
File:GhinggisKhanMausoleumGate.jpg|Genghis Khan Mausoleum (1954).
File:AlshaaUul.jpg|Alshaa mountain scenery.
File:AlshaaBaruunHiid.jpg|Alxa Western Monastery (Alshaa Baruun Hiid) built in 1756.
</gallery>
</center>

== Chinese space program ==
One of China's space vehicle launch facilities, ] (JSLC) (酒泉卫星发射中心), is located in the extreme west of Inner Mongolia, in the ]'s ]. It was founded in 1958, making it the PRC's first launch facility. More Chinese launches have occurred at Jiuquan than anywhere else. As with all Chinese launch facilities, it is remote and generally closed to the public. It is named as such since Jiuquan is the nearest urban center, although Jiuquan is in the nearby province of Gansu. Many space vehicles have also made their touchdowns in Inner Mongolia. For example, the crew of ] landed in ], near ].

== Education ==
=== Colleges and universities ===
{{See also|List of universities and colleges in Inner Mongolia}}
* ] (öbür mongγol-un tariyalang-un yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古农业大学)
* ] (öbür mongγol-un yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古大学)
* ] (hulunbuir surγaγuli / 呼伦贝尔学院)
* ] (ulaγanqada degedü surγaγuli / 赤峰学院)
* ] (öbür mongγol-un ed-ün jasaγ aju aqui-yin degedü surγaγuli / 内蒙古财经学院)
* ] (öbür mongγol-un emnelge-yin degedü surγaγuli / 内蒙古医学院)
* ] (öbür mongγol-un baγsi-yin yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古师范大学)
* ] (öbür mongγol-un ündüsüten-ü yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古民族大学)
* ] (内蒙古科技大学)
* ] (öbür mongγol-un aju üiledbüri-yin yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古工业大学)

All of the above are under the authority of the autonomous region government. Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

== See also ==
{{Portal|China|Mongolia}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* Borjigin, Monkbat. "" (; Japanese title: 内モンゴル自治区における言語教育について ). ''Journal of Chiba University Eurasian Society'' (千葉大学ユーラシア言語文化論集) 16, 261-266, 2014-09-25. Chiba University Eurasian Society (千葉大学ユーラシア言語文化論講座). Chiba University Repository. ]. - In English with a Japanese abstract.
* {{cite book|author=Yin-tʻang Chang|title=The Economic Development and Prospects of Inner Mongolia (Chahar, Suiyuan, and Ningsia)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zlklAAAAMAAJ&q=chahars+1919&dq=chahars+1919&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZpIjooInKAhXEbSYKHa6VBUoQ6AEIITAB|year=1933|publisher=Commercial Press, Limited|page=117}}

== External links ==
{{Commons|Inner Mongolia}}
*
**
* {{Wikivoyage-inline}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Inner Mongolia
|North = {{Flag|Russia}}
|Northeast = ]
|East = ]<br />]
|Southeast = ]<br />]
|South = ]
|Southwest = ]
|West = ]
|Northwest = {{Flagicon|Mongolia}} ], ], ], ], ], and ]s, ]
}}

{{Province-level divisions of the People's Republic of China}}
{{Inner Mongolia topics}}
{{Inner Mongolia}}
{{Mongol autonomy in the People's Republic of China}}

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Revision as of 12:41, 8 March 2016

Land of the Mongols! Land of Genghis Khan! Still land of Mongols Inner Mongolia!

Land of the Mongols! Land of Genghis Khan! Still land of Mongols Inner Mongolia!

Land of the Mongols! Land of Genghis Khan! Still land of Mongols Inner Mongolia!

Land of the Mongols! Land of Genghis Khan! Still land of Mongols Inner Mongolia!