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Baiyin (simplified Chinese:白银; traditional Chinese:白銀; pinyin:Báiyín; lit.'White-Silver') is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Gansu province, People's Republic of China. Established in the 1950s as a base for mining non-ferrous metals, its mines are becoming exhausted in recent decades, requiring the city to reinvent its economy.[3][4] Located around 60 km (37 mi) from Gansu's capital Lanzhou, it is part of the Lanzhou-Baiyin Economic Belt.[5]
Baiyin is part loess plateau, part desert. Elevation ranges from 1,275 to 3,321 meters (4,183 to 10,896 feet) above sea-level. The prefecture-level city has either a cool arid climate (KöppenBWk) or a cool semi-arid climate (BSk) is very arid with only 110–352 mm (4.3–13.9 in) of annual precipitation. Annual evaporation is 2,101 mm (82.7 in) resulting in a net loss of approximately 1,800 mm (71 in). The Yellow River flows from south to north for 214 km (133 mi) through Baiyin.
The area is 20,100 km2 (7,800 sq mi), 3,345 km2 (1,292 sq mi) of that urban.
Baiyin has 2 urban districts, 3 counties, 64 townships, 18 towns, and 7 sub-districts with a total population of 1,512,110 as of the 2020 Chinese census, of which 538,514 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of the 2 urban districts of Baiyin and Pingchuan.
The Baiyin Nonferrous operates copper, zinc and selenium mines around Baiyin, although these mines are getting exhausted of ore. Financed by development funds, a high-tech park is being built, which is home to a contact lens factory.[3][9]Pingchuan District and Huining County are the largest coal production bases in Gansu province.
The Yinguang Group, a subsidiary of Norinco, operates a major factory making chemicals for defense and civilian use, the factory was a key project of the first five-year plan.[10]
Baiyin is directly served by the Baotou–Lanzhou railway, Honghui railway, China National Highway 109, China National Highway 341 and G6 Beijing–Lhasa Expressway.
Baiyinnan (白银南站) Railway Station will be put into operation on December 29, 2022.
According to the Seventh National Census in 2020, the city's Permanent Population (hukou) was 1,512,110.[8] In the population, 50.98% were males and 49.02% were females. In the age structure, 18.9% were from 0 to 14 years old, 62.07% were from 15 to 59 years old, 19.03% were over 60 years old, and 13.96% were over 65 years old.[8]