With a total cultivated land of 7.5 million hectares, the region's per capita cultivated land tops the country, reaching 4.81 mu (0.32 hectares).

The region has the nation's largest grassland and natural pastures, with grassland covering 86.67 hectares, or 27 percent of the nation's total, and the effective natural pasture spread over 6.8 million hectares.

The region's Hulunbuir Prairie has the largest natural grassland in the world, and is China's largest pollution-free food resource base for animals.

Xinlingol Prairie leads the country in terms of grassland natural reserves and its grassland is among China's best-preserved regions.

Inner Mongolia is one of the country's most important stock breeding bases, dubbed "the kingdom of animal husbandry". Its output of wool, cashmere and camel hair all top the national total, accounting for one quarter, one third and half of the country's output respectively.

Boasting rich forest resources, the region is hailed as one of the country's most important forest bases. Its 18.67 million hectares of forest area, more than that of any other provincial-level area, accounts for 11 percent of the national total. Its forest coverage rate of 14.8 percent is above the country's average of 13.4 percent.

The region has more than 120 kinds of minerals. Among the 78 kinds of minerals with proven reserves, 7 kinds lead other provincial-level areas of the country in terms of reserve volume, 22 rank in the top three and 42 are in the top 10. In particular, its proven reserves of rare earth oxide account for 90 percent of the country's total.

(China Daily 08/13/2007 page12)