Zhangye

Zhangye 张掖
—  Prefecture-level city  —
张掖市
Location of Zhangye Prefecture within Gansu
Zhangye Location of Zhangye Prefecture within Gansu
Coordinates: 38°36′N 100°27′E
Country	China
Province	Gansu
Area
• Total	16,216.3 sq mi (42,000 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	1,199,515
Time zone	China standard time (UTC+8)
Website	http://www.zhangye.gov.cn/

Zhangye (simplified Chinese: 张掖; traditional Chinese: 張掖; pinyin: Zhāngyè) is a prefecture-level city in China's Gansu province.

History

Zhangye is in the center of the Hexi Corridor. The area was the frontier for much of China's history, forming a natural passage to the Central Asian portion of the empire. In fact, the name Zhangye (lit. "to extend the arm") is an abbreviation of 张国臂掖，以通西域 (lit. To extend the arm of the country, through to the Western Realm. During the Western Han dynasty, Chinese armies were often engaged against the Xiongnu in this area. It was also an important section of the Silk Road.

The city was formerly known as Ganzhou (甘州), a name retained both in the municipal region seat Ganzhou District and the Gan of the province of Gansu. In The Travels of Marco Polo, Marco Polo describes spending a year in a city called Campichu, which has been identified with Ganzhou (Zhangye).

Geography and climate

Zhangye is located in far western Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia and in the south Qinghai. It has a large area of 42,000 km² and is blessed with numerous streams, abundant sunlight and fertile soil, making it an important agricultural centre for Gansu and all of China.

Climate data for Zhangye (1971−2000)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	0.1 (32.2)	3.6 (38.5)	10.0 (50.0)	17.9 (64.2)	23.5 (74.3)	27.2 (81.0)	29.3 (84.7)	28.2 (82.8)	23.2 (73.8)	16.3 (61.3)	8.0 (46.4)	1.7 (35.1)	15.75 (60.35)
Average low °C (°F)	−16.2 (2.8)	−12.2 (10.0)	−4.8 (23.4)	2.2 (36.0)	7.8 (46.0)	11.6 (52.9)	14.2 (57.6)	13.3 (55.9)	7.8 (46.0)	0.1 (32.2)	−6.9 (19.6)	−13.7 (7.3)	0.27 (32.48)
Precipitation mm (inches)	1.4 (0.055)	1.2 (0.047)	3.8 (0.15)	4.8 (0.189)	11.7 (0.461)	24.1 (0.949)	29.6 (1.165)	29.2 (1.15)	16.6 (0.654)	4.6 (0.181)	2.0 (0.079)	1.4 (0.055)	130.4 (5.134)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	2.4	1.8	2.8	3.0	4.4	7.4	9.4	8.3	5.4	2.5	1.8	2.4	51.6
Source: Weather China

Administration

Zhangye has 1 urban district, 4 counties, 1 autonomous county, 97 towns, and 977 villages.

Map
#	Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2010)	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)
1	Ganzhou District	甘州区	Gānzhōu Qū	507,433	4,240	120
2	Minle County	民乐县	Mínlè Xiàn	219,356	3,687	59
3	Linze County	临泽县	Línzé Xiàn	134,328	2,777	48
4	Gaotai County	高台县	Gāotái Xiàn	143,446	4,312	33
5	Shandan County	山丹县	Shāndān Xiàn	161,299	5,402	30
6	Sunan Yugur Autonomous County	肃南裕固族自治县	Sùnán Yùgùzú Zìzhìxiàn	33,653	20,456	2

Demographics

Near Aviko french fry factory in Liuba Town, Minle County, Zhangye

Zhangye has a total population of 1,260,000, only 260,000 being urban residents. There are 26 ethnic minorities other than Han represented including many Hui, Yugur and Tibetans.

Transport

Zhangye is served by China National Highways 227 and 312, and the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway. Zhangye Ganzhou Airport is due to open in October 2011.

Economy

The 2002 GDP was 7.566 billion RMB, almost 9% growth over the previous year. Annual urban income was 5960 RMB,10.4% growth from the previous year and rural income was 3092 RMB, up 5%.

External links

• Official Website(Chinese)