Inner Mongolia

Introduction
Land
- Relief and drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Population composition
- Settlement patterns
Economy
- Agriculture
- Resources and manufacturing
- Transportation
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
History

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Wide autumn valley with golden grass in the foreground and low, tree-covered mountains of the Greater Khingan Range in the distance under a clear sky.

Map of East and Central Asia highlighting the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China in orange. The region borders Mongolia and Russia to the north and is shown within the context of surrounding countries such as Kazakhstan, North Korea, and Japan. Major cities like Hohhot and Beijing are labeled, and a small inset map shows Inner Mongolia's location within China. Boundary lines distinguish international borders, disputed borders, and lines of control.

Wide view of Hailaer Hasar Bridge spanning a river in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, with modern high-rise buildings and green spaces on both sides.

Wide view of rolling green grassland with scattered trees and distant hills in Inner Mongolia, China.

Map of eastern Asia highlighting Manchuria in northeastern China, which includes the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, and part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The highlighted area borders Russia, Mongolia, and North Korea.

At a Glance

Inner Mongolia summary

Related Questions

How did Tang dynasty border policies affect trade and raids in Inner Mongolia?
How did Tibetan Buddhism influence Mongolian cultural life in Inner Mongolia?
How did coal deposits help industrial development in Inner Mongolia?
How did glaciation shape valleys in the Da Hinggan Range?
How did the Baotou-Lanzhou railway improve links between northern and northwestern China?
How did the Jining-Ulaanbaatar railway connect China with Mongolia and Russia?
How did veterinary care and improved pasture management change livestock raising after 1950?
How does Inner Mongolia differ politically from the independent country of Mongolia?
How does cashmere production connect herding with manufacturing in Inner Mongolia?
How does the Gobi Desert affect Inner Mongolia’s climate?
How does the Yellow River shape the geography of south-central Inner Mongolia?
How high is the Inner Mongolian Plateau above sea level?
How is the Argun River connected to the Amur River?
How large is Inner Mongolia in area?
What are banners in the administration of Inner Mongolia?
What happens at the Obo shrine festival in Inner Mongolia?
What is the Mongolian long song style called urtiin duu?
What is the capital city of Inner Mongolia?
What major landforms make up Inner Mongolia’s landscape?
What mountain range dominates eastern Inner Mongolia?
What seasonal celebrations are observed by Mongols in Inner Mongolia?
What traditional handicrafts are produced in Inner Mongolia?
When did Inner Mongolia receive administrative autonomy before the communist era?
When did Outer Mongolia become independent?
When was Inner Mongolia’s former territory restored after the 1969 boundary changes?
When was the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region founded?
Where is Inner Mongolia located within China?
Where is shamanism especially strong among Mongols in Inner Mongolia?
Which Chinese provinces and autonomous regions border Inner Mongolia?
Which cities are the main urban and industrial centres of Inner Mongolia?
Which competitions are held during the Obo Festival?
Which countries border Inner Mongolia to the north?
Which crops are grown in Inner Mongolia near the Yellow River?
Which ethnic group makes up most of Inner Mongolia’s population?
Which form of Buddhism is followed by most Mongols in Inner Mongolia?
Which minority group is the largest in Inner Mongolia?
Which oil-bearing crops are grown in irrigated parts of Inner Mongolia?
Which part of the Yellow River is navigable in Inner Mongolia?
Which products are manufactured in Baotou?
Which religions are practiced by Han Chinese communities in Inner Mongolia?
Which religious community in Hohhot follows Islam?
Which river forms most of Inner Mongolia’s border with Russia?
Which writing system is traditionally used for the Mongolian language in Inner Mongolia?
Why are Baotou, Hohhot, and Jining important transportation centres?
Why are sheep the main livestock raised in Inner Mongolia?
Why did Baotou become a major industrial city in China?
Why did Chinese farmers move into Mongolia during the 19th century?
Why did Han dynasty emperors fight the Xiongnu?
Why did Inner Mongolia become a meeting place between farming peoples and nomadic herders?
Why did the Beijing government reduce the size of Inner Mongolia in 1969?
Why has the Mongolian long song tradition been recognized by UNESCO?
Why is Chinese the most widely used language in Inner Mongolia?
Why is irrigation important for farming in Inner Mongolia?
Why is livestock raising important to Inner Mongolia’s economy?
Why is water transportation limited in Inner Mongolia?
Why was the creation of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region significant in Chinese history?
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?
What caused the Russo-Japanese War?
Where was the Russo-Japanese War fought?
How did the Russo-Japanese War end?
What is the climate in Guangzhou?
What UNESCO World Heritage site is found at the heart of Beijing?
What are the major ethnic groups in China?

Geography & Travel States & Other Subdivisions

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External Websites

BBC News - Sweeping change across China's Inner Mongolia
Indiana University Bloomington - Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center - Mongols and Inner Mongolia
eHRAF World Cultures - Inner Mongolia

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Inner Mongolia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Inner Mongolia

autonomous region, China

Also known as: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nei Menggu Zizhiqu, Nei Mongol Zizhiqu, Nei-meng-ku Tzu-chih-ch’ü(Show More)

Written by

Chu-yuan Cheng

Professor of Economics, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. Consultant, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. Author of China's Economic Development and others.

Chu-yuan ChengAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 15, 2026 •History

Inner Mongolia, autonomous region of China. It is a vast territory that stretches in a great crescent for some 1,490 miles (2,400 km) across northern China. It is bordered to the north by Mongolia (formerly Outer Mongolia) and Russia; to the east by the Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning; to the south by the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, and Shaanxi and the Hui Autonomous Region of Ningxia; and to the west by the...

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