• Baltimore
  • Qilian County

Baltimore (/ˈbɔːltɪmɔːr/ BAWL-tim-or, locally: /bɔːldəˈmɔːr/ bawl-da-MOR or /ˈbɔːlmər/ BAWL-mər) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was designated an independent city by the Constitution of Maryland[a] in 1851, and today is the most populous independent city in the United States. As of 2021, the population of the Baltimore metropolitan area was estimated to be 2,838,327, making it the 20th largest metropolitan area in the country. Baltimore is located about 40 miles (64 km) north northeast of Washington, D.C., making it a principal city in the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area (CSA), the third-largest CSA in the nation, with a 2021 estimated population of 9,946,526.

Prior to European colonization, the Baltimore region was used as hunting grounds by the Susquehannock Native Americans, who were primarily settled further northwest than where the city was later built. Colonists from the Province of Maryland established the Port of Baltimore in 1706 to support the tobacco trade with Europe, and established the Town of Baltimore in 1729. The first printing press and newspapers were introduced to Baltimore by Nicholas Hasselbach and William Goddard respectively, in the mid-18th century.

The Battle of Baltimore was a pivotal engagement during the War of 1812, culminating in the failed British bombardment of Fort McHenry, during which Francis Scott Key wrote a poem that would become "The Star-Spangled Banner", which was eventually designated as the American national anthem in 1931. During the Pratt Street Riot of 1861, the city was the site of some of the earliest violence associated with the American Civil War.

Qilian County, which belongs to Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province, gets its name because it is located in the hinterland of the middle part of Qilian Mountains. It is adjacent to the Gansu Hexi Corridor, the primary passage of the ancient Silk Road, to the north, so it is known as the "north gate" of Qinghai. Qilian County covers an area of 14000 square kilometers, accounting for 41% of the total land area of the whole state. It has jurisdiction over 45 administrative villages in 4 townships and 3 towns, with a total population of 50,000 as of 2013, with 15 ethnic groups, including Han, Tibetan, Mongolian and Hui, with ethnic minorities accounting for 79.2% of the population. The average elevation in the territory is 3169 meters, the county seat is 2787 meters above sea level, the annual average temperature is 1 ℃, and the annual precipitation is about 420mm, which is a typical plateau continental climate. Qilian is an important resource-rich area in Qinghai Province. A variety of mineral resources, known as "China's Ural", is a key county in the development of resources in the province. "Qilian" system
Travel Notes In Qilian County