Ningxia

Autonomous region (pop., 2002 est.: 5,720,000), northern China. It is bounded by Shaanxi and Gansu provinces and Inner Mongolia autonomous region and has an area of 25,600 sq mi (66,400 sq km). China's Great Wall runs along its northeastern boundary. The capital is Yinchuan. It is nearly coextensive with the ancient kingdom of the Tangut people, whose capital was captured by Genghis Khan in the early 13th century. The region is mostly desert and is sparsely settled, but the vast plain of the Huang He (Yellow River) in the north has been irrigated for centuries; over the years an extensive system of canals has been built.