• Mesa
  • Guide County

A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a more resistant layer or layers of harder rock, e.g. shales overlain by sandstones. The resistant layer acts as a caprock that forms the flat summit of a mesa. The caprock can consist of either sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone; dissected lava flows; or a deeply eroded duricrust. Unlike plateau, whose usage does not imply horizontal layers of bedrock, e.g. Tibetan Plateau, the term mesa applies exclusively to the landforms built of flat-lying strata. Instead, flat-topped plateaus are specifically known as tablelands.

Guide County is located in the east of Qinghai Province and the southeast of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, covering an area of 3504 square kilometers. It has jurisdiction over 4 towns, 3 townships, 119 administrative villages and 108800 people. 15 ethnic groups, including Han, Tibetan, Hui, Tu and Sala, live in harmony, thrive and make common progress. Guide County is known as "Little Jiangnan of the Plateau", "hometown of Pear Capital" and "back Garden" of Xining, the provincial capital. In 2012, the regional gross domestic product (GDP) reached 2.906 billion yuan. In December 2016, it was listed as the third batch of national comprehensive pilot areas for new urbanization.
Travel Guides In Guide County
Travel Notes In Guide County