Yulin 榆林市 |
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Prefecture-level city | |
Location of Yulin City jurisdiction in Shaanxi |
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Coordinates: 38°17′N 109°44′E / 38.283°N 109.733°ECoordinates: 38°17′N 109°44′E / 38.283°N 109.733°E | |
Country | People's Republic of China |
Province | Shaanxi |
Municipal seat | Yuyang District |
Area | |
• Total | 43,578 km2 (16,826 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1,084 m (3,556 ft) |
Population | |
• Total | 3,380,000 |
• Density | 78/km2 (200/sq mi) |
Time zone | China Standard (UTC+8) |
Licence plates | 陕K |
Website | yl |
Yulin (Chinese: 榆林; pinyin: Yúlín) is a prefecture-level city in the Shanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the north, Shanxi to the east, and Ningxia to the west. It has an administrative area of 43,578 km2 (16,826 sq mi) and a population of 3,380,000.
Yulin is the northernmost prefecture-level city of Shaanxi, and borders Ordos City (Inner Mongolia) to the north, Xinzhou and Lüliang (Shanxi) to the east, Yan'an to the south, and Wuzhong (Ningxia) to the west. To the north and northwest of the city lies the Ordos Desert, though the countryside is very green due to the many small shrubs which have been planted to slow the process of desertification. The city is based in a valley which extends north-south, which rises to a very large vantage point to the north east, where a spectacular view of the west and northwest is seen.
Lake Hongjiannao lies on the border of Yulin and Ordos City, Inner Mongolia (39°06′N, 109°53′E). It is China's largest "desert freshwater lake". The lake is relatively recent, formed around 1929 due to increased rainfall in the early 20th century; before, the basin was a wetland. The lake is supplied by four rivers, but there is no outflow. When its surface area was about 60 km2 (23 sq mi), its maximum depth was 10.5 m (34 ft) and the average depth 8.2 m (27 ft). However, the lake has been shrinking sharply over the past decade, to 32 km2 (12 sq mi) at the present. The shrinking has been attributed to reservoir construction, mining, and agricultural irrigation.