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Baotou

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Baotou is a large city in the Inner Mongolia region of China.

Baotou
Baotou

It sits in the western part of the region. The Yellow River flows along the southern border of the city. The name Baotou comes from the Mongolian language. It means "place with deer." Because of this name, people often call it the "City of Deer."

Baotou
Baotou

The city is also known as the "City of Steel in the Grasslands." This is because it is built on the Mongolian grassland. It has a very large park called Saihantalah Grasslands Park. This park is one of the biggest urban parks in China. It is home to thirty kinds of wild birds and animals.

Industry is a huge part of how the city works. Baotou is a major center for making steel. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviet Union helped build the Iron and Steel Base there. This was one of 156 important projects to help China's economy. Today, the city also focuses on rare-earth minerals. These minerals come from the Bayan Obo Mining District about 120 kilometers away. The city refines over half of the rare-earth minerals produced in the whole world.

鸟瞰五当召
鸟瞰五当召

This makes Baotou a very important place for modern technology.

Long ago, the area was home to people called nomads. Some of these people were the ancestors of the Mongols. A famous warrior named Lü Bu was born in the Jiuyuan District during the Han dynasty. The city itself was officially made a town in 1809. It was built in a good spot where the Yellow River makes a great bend. In the early 1900s, it was a small trading town with busy streets. A railway from Beijing was built in 1923 to help the city grow. Later, in 1934, a new airport was opened to connect the city to other places.

Baotou has seen many big changes and events over the years. In 1996, a strong earthquake hit the city. It was a very hard time because many people lost their homes. However, the city was rebuilt and even won an award for its new urban environment. The city's population is about 2,709,400 people. Most people in the city live in urban areas. The weather in Baotou can be quite extreme. The winters are long, cold, and very dry. The summers are hot, and strong winds often blow in the spring.

The things made in Baotou help people all over the world. The rare-earth minerals from this city are used in many items. You can find them in smartphones and televisions. They are also used to make parts for wind turbines and electric vehicle motors. While this industry is helpful, it can be hard on nature. The refining process creates waste that is kept in the Baotou Tailings Dam. The city also has a large Buddhist monastery called Badekar Monastery. This is the largest one in all of Inner Mongolia.

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File:Baotou.jpg
Baotou.jpg
File:鸟瞰五当召.JPG
鸟瞰五当召.JPG
File:Saihantalah Park, Baotou.jpg
Saihantalah Park, Baotou.jpg
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