Zhangye

Zhangye () is a prefectur-level ceety in Cheenae's Gansu province.

History
Zhangye is in the centre o the Hexi Corridor. The aurie wis the frontier for hintle o Cheenae's history, formin a naitural passage tae the Central Asian portion o the empire. In fact, the name Zhangye (lit. "tae extend the airm") is an abbreviation o 张国臂掖，以通西域 (lit. Tae extend the airm o the kintra, throu tae the Wastren Realm. Durin the Wastren Han dynasty, Cheenese armies war eften engaged against the Xiongnu in this aurie. It wis an aa an important section o the Silk Road.

The ceety wis ance kent as Ganzhou (甘州), a name retained baith in the municipal region seat Ganzhou Destrict an the Gan o the province o Gansu.  In The Travels of Marco Polo, Marco Polo describes spendin a year in a ceety cried Campichu, which haes been identifee'd wi Ganzhou (Zhangye).The Travels of Marco Polo, by Marco Polo , translated by Henry Yule. Book 1, Chapter 45.

Geography an climate
Zhangye is locatit in far wastren Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolie an in the sooth Qinghai. It haes a lairge aurie o 42,000 km² an is blessed wi numerous streams, abundant sunlicht an fertile soil, makin it an important agricultural centre for Gansu an aw o Cheenae.

Admeenistration
Zhangye haes 1 urban destrict, 4 coonties, 1 autonomous coonty, 97 touns, an 977 veelages.

 Cairt 400px # Name Hanzi Hanyu Pinyin Population(2004 est.) Aurie (km²) Density(/km²)1Ganzhou Destrict甘州区Gānzhōu Qū500,0004,2401202Minle Coonty民乐县Mínlè Xiàn240,0003,687653Linze Coonty临泽县Línzé Xiàn150,0002,777544Gaotai Coonty高台县Gāotái Xiàn160,0004,312375Shandan Coonty山丹县Shāndān Xiàn190,0005,402356Sunan Yugur Autonomous Coonty肃南裕固族自治县Sùnán YùgùzúZìzhìxiàn40,00020,4562

Demographics
Zhangye haes a tot population o 1,260,000, anerlie 260,000 bein urban residents. Thare are 26 ethnic minorities ither than Han representit includin mony Hui, Yugur an Tibetans.

 Transport 
Zhangye is served bi Cheenae Naitional Heich-gates 227 an 312, an the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway.

Economy
The 2002 GDP wis 7.566 billion RMB, amaist 9% growthe ower the previous year. Annual urban income wis 5960 RMB,10.4% growthe frae the previous year an rural income wis 3092 RMB, up 5%.

References

Freemit airtins
Offeecial Wabsteid (Cheenese) 

Category:Prefectur-level diveesions o Gansu
Category:Populatit places alang the Silk Road