Bashang Plateau (simplified Chinese: 坝上草原; traditional Chinese: 壩上草原; pinyin: Bàshàng Cǎoyuán) covers about 16,000 square kilometres (6,200 sq mi) of northwest Hebei. It is on average 1,300 - 1,600 meters above sea level and is part of the Inner Mongolian Plateau. Though the plateau itself is high it does not have tall mountain peaks nor depressions. From a distance it appears to be hills, but it becomes a flat land when you come upon it. The plateau is dotted with hills and many lakes. The largest lake, Angulinuo Lake is 47.6 square kilometres (18.4 sq mi) in area and 2–6 meters in depth. Average annual temperature on the plateau is 2.6°C, and the lowest recorded temperature is -34.8°C. The average length of frost free period is 110 days, with a minimum of 70 days. Water resources are few, with most of the supply coming from wells. The area supports dry land agriculture, with limited areas of irrigation using ground water. Soil conditions are poor but the plateau is covered mostly by vast natural grasslands, a good environment for animal husbandry.
There are four counties located on the Bashang plateau: Zhangbei, Guyuan, Kangbao and Shangyi.
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