Dingxi

Dingxi (Chinese: 定西; pinyin: Dìngxī) is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Gansu province, People's Republic of China.

Dingxi

定西市
Prefecture-level city
Minyang town in Min County panorama
Location of Dingxi City jurisdiction in Gansu
Dingxi
Location of the city center in Gansu
Coordinates (Dingxi municipal government): 35°36′29″N 104°35′31″E
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceGansu
Municipal seatAnding District
Area
 • Total19,609.24 km2 (7,571.17 sq mi)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total3,031,200
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
ISO 3166 codeCN-GS-11

Geography and climate

Dingxi City is located in central Gansu province, 98 km (61 mi) east of Lanzhou, giving it the nickname the "eastern gateway". The Wei River, a tributary of the Yellow River flows through the district and provides it with the majority of its water. Dingxi is semi-arid, with little precipitation. Even though sunlight here can be intense, temperatures are generally cool. The surrounding terrain is mostly loess hills and ravines in the north and highlands in the south. The area is 20,300 km2 (7,800 sq mi).

Climate data for Dingxi (Anding District, 1981–2010 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 1.1
(34.0)		 4.1
(39.4)		 9.4
(48.9)		 16.1
(61.0)		 20.6
(69.1)		 23.8
(74.8)		 25.9
(78.6)		 24.7
(76.5)		 19.8
(67.6)		 13.8
(56.8)		 8.4
(47.1)		 3.1
(37.6)		 14.2
(57.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) −6.9
(19.6)		 −2.9
(26.8)		 2.5
(36.5)		 8.7
(47.7)		 13.6
(56.5)		 17.1
(62.8)		 19.3
(66.7)		 18.3
(64.9)		 13.7
(56.7)		 7.5
(45.5)		 0.9
(33.6)		 −5.0
(23.0)		 7.2
(45.0)
Average low °C (°F) −12.9
(8.8)		 −8.3
(17.1)		 −2.7
(27.1)		 2.6
(36.7)		 7.3
(45.1)		 11.0
(51.8)		 13.6
(56.5)		 13.0
(55.4)		 8.9
(48.0)		 2.7
(36.9)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 −10.7
(12.7)		 1.7
(35.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 3.2
(0.13)		 4.1
(0.16)		 11.1
(0.44)		 24.3
(0.96)		 46.7
(1.84)		 53.3
(2.10)		 68.3
(2.69)		 85.0
(3.35)		 45.6
(1.80)		 30.1
(1.19)		 3.8
(0.15)		 1.6
(0.06)		 377.1
(14.87)
Average relative humidity (%) 61 59 58 55 56 63 67 70 72 72 65 60 63
Source: China Meteorological Administration[1]

History

Dingxi was important in the development of some of China's earliest cultures, specifically along the Wei River, one of the Yellow River's biggest tributaries. Numerous Neolithic sites from various cultures are found throughout the area.[2]

A series of earthquakes in July 2013 killed at least 89 people and injured more than 500 others.

Administration

Dingxi has 1 urban district, 6 counties, and 119 towns with a total population of 2,698,622.[3]

Map
Name Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population
(2010 census)		 Area (km²) Density (/km²)
City proper
Anding District 安定区 Āndìng Qū 420,614 4,225 99.55
Rural
Tongwei County 通渭县 Tōngwèi Xiàn 349,539 2,899 120.57
Longxi County 陇西县 Lǒngxī Xiàn 453,259 2,657 170.59
Weiyuan County 渭源县 Wèiyuán Xiàn 324,215 2,034 159.40
Lintao County 临洮县 Líntáo Xiàn 507,386 2,851 177.97
Zhang County 漳县 Zhāng Xiàn 192,957 2,164 89.17
Min County 岷县 Mín Xiàn 450,654 3,500 128.76

Transport

Economy

Dingxi has been one of the most poverty-stricken regions in Gansu province and China as a whole.[4] Up to 1999, some citizens still lacked food and clothing.

Agriculture and natural resource based industries are the key to Dingxi's economy. There are more than 300 different kinds of Chinese medicinal plants and herbs found in the area. Dingxi's Anding County is China's number one grower of yams. Zanthoxylum (also called Sichuan Pepper or prickly ash fruit), walnuts, wild apricots, and other fruit are some of Dingxi's famous dried exports. Potato is an important crop, and Dingxi has been described as the 'Potato Capital of China'.[5]

References
  1. 中国气象数据网 - WeatherBk Data (in Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  2. 中国·定西党政网 历史沿革. Dingxi People's Government.
  3. Main data bulletin of the sixth national census in 2010 Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine, 2011-05-09 (in Chinese)
  4. 中国·定西党政网 亲切关怀. Dingxi People's Government.
  5. 中国·定西党政网 定西简介. Dingxi People's Government.
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