Benxi

Benxi (Chinese本溪市) is a prefecture -level city in northeast China's Liaoning Province. It has an area of 8,435 km ² and 1.555 million inhabitants ( 2010). According to the Population Benxi is the second smallest prefecture-level city of the province.

Administrative Divisions

Administratively located Benxi is composed of four municipalities and two autonomous circuits. These are:

City Pingshan County (平山区), 177 km ², 350,000 inhabitants;
City Xihu District (溪湖区), 320 km ², 220,000 inhabitants;
Municipality Mingshan (明山区), 410 km ², 300,000 inhabitants;
Municipality Nanfen (南芬区), 619 km ², 80,000 inhabitants;
Autonomous County, Benxi of Manju (本溪满族自治县), 3362 km ², 300,000 inhabitants, capital: greater community Xiaoshi (小市镇);
Autonomous County Huanren of Manju (桓仁满族自治县), 3547 km ², 300,000 inhabitants, capital: greater community Huanren (桓仁镇).

Economy

The city was founded in 1915 as an industrial city. Today Benxi is a major mining and industrial center. There are close to the city's large resources of coal, which led to the establishment of Bengang, the largest plant for the production of special steel in China.

Since 1905, the mine Benxihu promoted coal. Since the 1990s, Benxi is also a major production base of organic foods.