Helan County

Helan County () is a county of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia, and borders Inner Mongolia to the northwest. It has a total area of , and a population of approximately 180,000 people.
Characteristics.
Helan County has developed industry in recent years; its newly developed industrial area is in the northern suburbs of Yinchuan, about eight kilometers from the city center. The area is accessible via national highway and freeway, and sits on about of land. This industrial area provides employment for residents of the county, and promotes agricultural development. The county government is located in the town of Xigang, and the county's postal code is 750200.
Geography.
The Yellow River flows through Helan county from the southeast to the northeast. In total, 21.25 kilometers of the river flows through the county. The quality of the river water is very high, and it is used for irrigation in the county.
The western part of the county is home to the Helan Mountains.
Climate.
Helan County belongs to the mainland climate region. Winters are long and cold, and summers are quite wet. Spring and Fall are relatively short. The average temperature during the summer is , with a record high of . The average temperature in winter is , with a record low of . Daily temperatures are highly variable, changing by an average of 10 degrees Celsius (20 °F) each day. Due to the large variety of topography in the county, regional climates also vary considerably. Notably, winter in the Helan Mountains region can last up to 10 months out of every year.
There is relatively little rainfall in Helan County, with an average of each year. Daylight hours are long, totaling an average of 66% of each year.
Administrative divisions.
Helan County has 4 towns 1 township and 2 other.
Economy.
On the flood plains of the Yellow River, agriculture is the primary form of industry. Forestry is an important industry in the shade of the Helan Mountains.