Hulunbuir
Encyclopedia
Hulunbuir is a region that is governed as a prefecture-level city
in northeastern Inner Mongolia
, in the People's Republic of China
. Its administrative center is located at Hailar District, its largest urban area. Major scenic features are the high steppes of the Hulun Buir grasslands, the Hulun
and Buir
lakes (the latter partially in Mongolia
), and the Khingan range
. Hulun Buir borders Russia
, Mongolia
, Heilongjiang
province and Hinggan League. Hulunbuir is a linguistically diverse
area: next to Mandarin Chinese, Mongolian
dialects such as Khorchin
and Buryat
, the Mongolic language
Dagur
and some Tungusic languages
are spoken there.
, and the eastern part of the area was known as Barga. From 1912-1949, during the Republic of China
period (ROC), Hulunbuir was part of Xing'an
and Heilongjiang
province. During the Japanese occupation of China, Hulunbuir was annexed into the Japanese puppet state
of Manchukuo
, but the ROC did not recognize this development as legal. In the Chinese Civil War
, the Communist Party of China
gained the support of Inner Mongol leaders like Ulanhu
by promising the irredentist expansion of Inner Mongolia into areas that had majorities of Han
and Manchu people. After the 1949 Communist revolution in China, Hulunbuir was annexed into Inner Mongolia
, but the region kept economic ties to the rest of Manchuria via the Chinese Eastern Railway
.
During the Cultural Revolution
, the parts of historic Manchuria inside Inner Mongolia were briefly restored to their original provinces; Hulunbuir was given back to Heilongjiang from 1969 to 1979. Until October 10, 2001, Hulunbuir was administered as a League. The area is 263953 km² (101,913 sq mi) and population 2.710 million as of 2004, while the gross domestic product
was RMB 21.326 billion. The jurisdiction area of the city is actually larger than many Chinese provinces (and 42 U.S. state
s), and Hulunbuir is recognized as the largest city in the world by area, although the actual urban agglomeration
is just a very small part of the region, and the average population density of the area is very low.
, it was known in Mandarin as "Hūlúnbùyǔěr" (呼伦布雨尔/呼倫布雨爾).
, four banners and three autonomous banners.
The largest city in the world based on surface area.
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
in northeastern Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Its administrative center is located at Hailar District, its largest urban area. Major scenic features are the high steppes of the Hulun Buir grasslands, the Hulun
Lake Hulun
Hulun Lake , is a lake in Inner Mongolia, China. It is one of the five largest freshwater lakes in all of China, covering approximately 2,339 km²....
and Buir
Buir Nuur
Buir Lake is a freshwater lake in Mongolia and partly in Inner Mongolia, China. It lies within the Buir Lake Depression. Together with Hulun Lake , it gives the name to Hulun Buir steppe and region....
lakes (the latter partially in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
), and the Khingan range
Greater Khingan
The Greater Khingan Range , also called the Greater Hing'an Range or Greater Hinggan Range, is a volcanic mountain range in the northeastern part of the People's Republic of China. The range extends roughly 1,200 km from north to south, narrowing towards the south...
. Hulun Buir borders Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
province and Hinggan League. Hulunbuir is a linguistically diverse
Language contact
Language contact occurs when two or more languages or varieties interact. The study of language contact is called contact linguistics.Multilingualism has likely been common throughout much of human history, and today most people in the world are multilingual...
area: next to Mandarin Chinese, Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
dialects such as Khorchin
Khorchin dialect
The Khorchin dialect is a variety of Mongolian spoken in the east of Inner Mongolia, namely in Hinggan League, in the north, north-east and east of Hinggan and in all but the south of the Tongliao region...
and Buryat
Buryat language
Buryat is a Mongolic variety spoken by the Buryats that is either classified as a language or as a major dialect group of Mongolian. The majority of Buryat speakers live in Russia along the northern border of Mongolia where it is an official language in the Buryat Republic, Ust-Orda Buryatia and...
, the Mongolic language
Mongolic languages
The Mongolic languages are a group of languages spoken in East-Central Asia, mostly in Mongolia and surrounding areas plus in Kalmykia. The best-known member of this language family, Mongolian, is the primary language of most of the residents of Mongolia and the Mongolian residents of Inner...
Dagur
Daur language
The Daur or Dagur language is a Mongolic language primarily spoken by members of the Daur ethnic group.-Distribution:Daur is a Mongolic language consisting of four dialects: Amur Daur in the vicinity of Heihe, the Nonni Daur on the west side of the Nonni River from south of Qiqihaer up to the Morin...
and some Tungusic languages
Tungusic languages
The Tungusic languages form a language family spoken in Eastern Siberia and Manchuria by Tungusic peoples. Many Tungusic languages are endangered, and the long-term future of the family is uncertain...
are spoken there.
History
Traditionally, Hulunbuir was a part of ManchuriaManchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, and the eastern part of the area was known as Barga. From 1912-1949, during the Republic of China
Republic of China (1912–1949)
In 1911, after over two thousand years of imperial rule, a republic was established in China and the monarchy overthrown by a group of revolutionaries. The Qing Dynasty, having just experienced a century of instability, suffered from both internal rebellion and foreign imperialism...
period (ROC), Hulunbuir was part of Xing'an
Xing'an
Xing'an or Hsingan refers to a former province, which once occupied western Heilongjiang and part of northwest Liaoning provinces of China. The name is related to that of the Greater Khingan Mountains...
and Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
province. During the Japanese occupation of China, Hulunbuir was annexed into the Japanese puppet state
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
, but the ROC did not recognize this development as legal. In the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
gained the support of Inner Mongol leaders like Ulanhu
Ulanhu
Ulanhu was the founder of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China, Ulanhu had the nickname of "Mongolian Khan" during his political career.-Career:...
by promising the irredentist expansion of Inner Mongolia into areas that had majorities of Han
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
and Manchu people. After the 1949 Communist revolution in China, Hulunbuir was annexed into Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, but the region kept economic ties to the rest of Manchuria via the Chinese Eastern Railway
Chinese Eastern Railway
The Chinese Eastern Railway or was a railway in northeastern China . It connected Chita and the Russian Far East. English-speakers have sometimes referred to this line as the Manchurian Railway...
.
During the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, the parts of historic Manchuria inside Inner Mongolia were briefly restored to their original provinces; Hulunbuir was given back to Heilongjiang from 1969 to 1979. Until October 10, 2001, Hulunbuir was administered as a League. The area is 263953 km² (101,913 sq mi) and population 2.710 million as of 2004, while the gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
was RMB 21.326 billion. The jurisdiction area of the city is actually larger than many Chinese provinces (and 42 U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s), and Hulunbuir is recognized as the largest city in the world by area, although the actual urban agglomeration
Agglomeration
In the study of human settlements, an urban agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area. In France, INSEE the French Statistical Institute, translate it as "Unité urbaine" which means continuous...
is just a very small part of the region, and the average population density of the area is very low.
Names
The city was once a league (盟) of Inner Mongolia, until 10 October 2001. During the Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, it was known in Mandarin as "Hūlúnbùyǔěr" (呼伦布雨尔/呼倫布雨爾).
Administrative subdivisions
Hulunbuir is divided into 13 different county-level jurisdictions: one district, five county-level citiesCounty-level city
A county-level city is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions....
, four banners and three autonomous banners.
| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2004 est.) |
Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Hailar District | 海拉尔区 | Hǎilā'ěr Qū | 260,000 | 1,440 | 181 |
| 2 | Manzhouli City Manzhouli - Administration :Manzhouli is divided into ten subdistricts and one town. Six of the subdistricts of Manzhouli are grouped into a district. Technically however, only a prefecture-level city can have districts, so Manzhouli's lone district is not officially listed.- History :In ancient times the... |
满洲里市 | Mǎnzhōulǐ Shì | 160,000 | 696 | 230 |
| 3 | Zhalantun City Zhalantun Zalantun or Zhalantun , formerly known in Manchu as ' or , is a city with an estimated population of 132,408 and administrative division of Hulunbuir prefecture, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It is in the northeastern part of Inner Mongolia, in the southeastern foothills of the... |
扎兰屯市 | Zhālántún Shì | 440,000 | 16,800 | 26 |
| 4 | Yakeshi City Yakeshi Yakeshi is a county-level city of Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China.It has a population of 391,627 and an area of . It is situated next to the Hailar River east of Hailar District, the seat of Hulunbuir, and on the north side of the Greater Khingan Range.The city's economy is... |
牙克石市 | Yákèshí Shì | 400,000 | 27,590 | 14 |
| 5 | Genhe City Genhe Genhe , formerly Ergun Left Banner , is a city in the far northeast of Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It is administratively a county-level city of Hulunbuir City.-Climate:... |
根河市 | Gēnhé Shì | 170,000 | 19,659 | 9 |
| 6 | Ergun City | 额尔古纳市 | É'ěrgǔnà Shì | 90,000 | 28,000 | 3 |
| 7 | Arun Banner Arun Banner Arun Banner is a banner of northeastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, bordering Heilongjiang province to the south and east. It is under the administration of Hulunbuir City, and is north-northwest of the city of Qiqihar in Heilongjiang province.-References:*... |
阿荣旗 | Āróng Qí | 320,000 | 12,063 | 27 |
| 8 | New Barag Right Banner New Barag Right Banner New Barag Right Banner is a banner of northern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, bordering Mongolia in all directions but the east. It is also located not too far from the shores of Hulun Lake, and is under the administration of Hulunbuir City.... |
新巴尔虎右旗 | Xīnbā'ěrhǔ Yòu Qí | 30,000 | 25,102 | 1 |
| 9 | New Barag Left Banner New Barag Left Banner New Barag Left Banner is a banner of Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, bordering Mongolia to the south. It is under the administration of Hulunbuir City.-References:*... |
新巴尔虎左旗 | Xīnbā'ěrhǔ Zuǒ Qí | 40,000 | 22,000 | 2 |
| 10 | Old Barag Banner Old Barag Banner Old Barag Banner is a banner of northeastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It is located from Hailar District, the administrative centre of Hulunbuir City, which administers this banner.-References:*... |
陈巴尔虎旗 | Chénbā'ěrhǔ Qí | 60,000 | 21,192 | 3 |
| 11 | Oroqin Autonomous Banner Oroqin Autonomous Banner Oroqin Autonomous Banner is an autonomous banner that lies directly south of the urban district of Hailar in the prefecture-level city of Hulunbuir. It has an area of 60,378 km ². According to the 2000 census, there are 292,097 inhabitants with a population density of 4.84 inhabitants per km²... |
鄂伦春自治旗 | Èlúnchūn Zìzhìqí | 280,000 | 59,800 | 5 |
| 12 | Evenk Autonomous Banner Evenk Autonomous Banner Evenk Autonomous Banner is an autonomous banner that lies directly south of the urban district of Hailar in the prefecture-level city of Hulunbuir, People's Republic of China. It has an area of 19,111 km ². According to the 2000 census, there are 146,808 inhabitants with a population density of... |
鄂温克族自治旗 | Èwēnkèzú Zìzhìqí | 140,000 | 19,111 | 7 |
| 13 | Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner is one of three autonomous banners in Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, created for the Daur people. It lies on the Nen River, borders Heilongjiang province to the east, south, and southwest, and is under the administration of Hulunbuir City.-References:*... |
莫力达瓦达斡尔族自治旗 | Mòlìdáwǎ Dáwò'ěrzú Zìzhìqí | 320,000 | 10,500 | 30 |
The largest city in the world based on surface area.
Demographics (as of 2000)
| ethnic group | population | share |
|---|---|---|
| Han Han Chinese Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the... |
2,199,645 | 81.85% |
| Mongols Mongols Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia... |
231,276 | 8.6% |
| Manchu Manchu The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which... |
111,053 | 4.13% |
| Daur | 70,287 | 2.62% |
| Hui Hui people The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's... |
30,950 | 1.15% |
| Evenks Evenks The Evenks are a Tungusic people of Northern Asia. In Russia, the Evenks are recognized as one of the Indigenous peoples of the Russian North, with a population of 35,527... |
25,418 | 0.95% |
| Koreans Korean people The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:... |
8,355 | 0.31% |
| Russians Russians The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.... |
4,741 | 0.18% |
| Oroqen Oroqen The Oroqen people are an ethnic group in northern China. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. According to the 2000 Census, 44.54% live in Inner Mongolia and 51.52% along the Heilongjiang River in the province of Heilongjiang... |
3,144 | 0.12% |
| Xibe Xibe The Xibe or Sibo are a Tungusic ethnic group living mostly in northeast China and Xinjiang. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.- History :... |
956 | 0.04% |
| Other | 1,403 | 0.05% |
Further reading
- Jinri Nei Menggu: Hulun Bei'er 今日内蒙古: 呼伦贝尔 (Inner Mongolia today: Hulun Buir). 内蒙古人民出版社 (Inner Mongolia People's Publishing HouseInner Mongolia People's Publishing HouseThe Inner Mongolia People's Publishing House is a publishing company based in Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It was established in 1951...
), 呼和浩特 Hohhot 1997, ISBN 7204035453, 9+129 pages
External links
- Hulunbuir government website (in Chinese)
- Inner Mongolian postcodes (in English)