Golmud

In 2017, the population of the total area of Golmud was approximately 240,494.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} A 2018 publication by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission reported that ethnic Han Chinese comprise 69.82% of the city's population, and minority ethnic groups comprise 30.18%.{{Cite web|date=2018-02-28|title=|script-title=zh:青海海西蒙古族藏族自治州格尔木市|trans-title=Qinghai Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Golmud|url=https://www.neac.gov.cn/seac/mztj/201802/1012490.shtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211021191702/https://www.neac.gov.cn/seac/mztj/201802/1012490.shtml|archive-date=21 October 2021|access-date=2021-10-21|website=www.neac.gov.cn|publisher=National Ethnic Affairs Commission|language=zh}} The city's is home to 33 ethnic minorities, of which, the largest are the Mongols, Tibetans, and Hui people.

Golmud is part of Haixi Prefecture in western Qinghai Province. Despite being nominally a "city", the built-up urban area of Golmud comprises only {{convert|72|km2|abbr=on|sp=us}} of the county's {{convert|124500|km²}}. Most of the county lies in the southern Qaidam Basin and in the foothills of the Kunlun Mountains. A large southern exclave is administered as the "town" of Tanggula, separated from the rest of the county by the western panhandle of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The northern part borders Xinjiang to its northwest; the southern exclave borders the Tibetan Autonomous Region to its southwest.

Golmud proper is at an elevation of {{convert|2809|m|sp=us|abbr=on}}. It grew up alongside the Golmud River, which gave it its name.

North of Golmud is the Qarhan Playa, a {{convert|5856|km2|abbr=on}} salt flat with about ten perennial salt lakes. The largest is Dabusun Lake, which receives the waters of the Golmud. The more important smaller lakes are Suli, South Suli, Dabiele, Xiaobiele, Tuanjie, Xiezuo, Dongling, and North and South Hulsan, which receive the waters of smaller inflowing streams. Qarhan is part of the larger Sanhu Depression, which includes East and West Taijinar Lakes. Other major lakes in the southern exclave of Golmud include {{Interlanguage link|Ulan Ul Lake|zh|乌兰乌拉湖}} ({{Lang-zh|c=乌兰乌拉湖|p=Wūlán Wūlā Hú}}){{GEOnet2|32FA882681413774E0440003BA962ED3|Ulan Ul Hu (Approved - N)}}, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and {{Interlanguage link|Migriggyangzham Co|zh|赤布张错|ru|Мигриггъянгджам-Цо}} ({{Lang-zh|c=赤布张错|p=Chìbùzhāng Cuò}}, {{Langx|bo|མི་རིག་རྒྱང་གྲམ་མཚོ}}).{{GEOnet2|32FA8826E9573774E0440003BA962ED3|Migriggyangzham Co (Approved - N)}}, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Golmud has a cold arid climate (Köppen BWk), with long, cold winters, and warm summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature drops to {{convert|−8.4|°C|1}} in January and rises to {{convert|18.5|°C|0}} in July, while the annual mean is {{convert|5.76|°C|1}}. Precipitation is very low, totaling only {{convert|45|mm|2}} per annum, falling on 28 days, most of which are during the summer. Relative humidity averages only 32%, with all months below 40%, some of the lowest levels nationally. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 62% in July to 81% in November, the city receives 3,096 hours of bright sunshine annually.

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| location = Golmud, elevation {{convert|2808|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–2020)

| metric first = Y

| single line = Y

| collapsed = Y

| Jan high C = -0.5

| Feb high C = 4.4

| Mar high C = 9.7

| Apr high C = 15.6

| May high C = 19.7

| Jun high C = 23.2

| Jul high C = 25.7

| Aug high C = 25.0

| Sep high C = 20.4

| Oct high C = 13.7

| Nov high C = 6.4

| Dec high C = 0.4

| Jan mean C = -7.9

| Feb mean C = -3.5

| Mar mean C = 1.9

| Apr mean C = 8.0

| May mean C = 12.6

| Jun mean C = 16.6

| Jul mean C = 18.8

| Aug mean C = 18.0

| Sep mean C = 13.2

| Oct mean C = 5.8

| Nov mean C = -1.5

| Dec mean C = -7.1

| Jan low C = -13.6

| Feb low C = -9.8

| Mar low C = -4.5

| Apr low C = 1.3

| May low C = 5.9

| Jun low C = 10.5

| Jul low C = 12.6

| Aug low C = 12.1

| Sep low C = 7.5

| Oct low C = -0.1

| Nov low C = -7.3

| Dec low C = -12.6

| Jan record high C = 13.9

| Feb record high C = 18.0

| Mar record high C = 24.7

| Apr record high C = 31.3

| May record high C = 31.0

| Jun record high C = 32.7

| Jul record high C = 34.0

| Aug record high C = 35.5

| Sep record high C = 31.0

| Oct record high C = 26.4

| Nov record high C = 20.6

| Dec record high C = 10.0

| Jan record low C = −33.6

| Feb record low C = −26.6

| Mar record low C = −26.1

| Apr record low C = −13.4

| May record low C = −7.8

| Jun record low C = −5.2

| Jul record low C = 1.9

| Aug record low C = −1.4

| Sep record low C = −8.2

| Oct record low C = −20.2

| Nov record low C = −25.4

| Dec record low C = −28.5

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 1.0

| Feb precipitation mm = 0.6

| Mar precipitation mm = 0.9

| Apr precipitation mm = 1.6

| May precipitation mm = 5.0

| Jun precipitation mm = 9.3

| Jul precipitation mm = 13.4

| Aug precipitation mm = 7.8

| Sep precipitation mm = 4.9

| Oct precipitation mm = 0.7

| Nov precipitation mm = 0.8

| Dec precipitation mm = 0.7

| Jan humidity = 38

| Feb humidity = 29

| Mar humidity = 25

| Apr humidity = 23

| May humidity = 27

| Jun humidity = 34

| Jul humidity = 37

| Aug humidity = 35

| Sep humidity = 34

| Oct humidity = 31

| Nov humidity = 32

| Dec humidity = 38

| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 1.9

| Feb precipitation days = 1.0

| Mar precipitation days = 1.4

| Apr precipitation days = 1.3

| May precipitation days = 3.1

| Jun precipitation days = 4.8

| Jul precipitation days = 6.4

| Aug precipitation days = 4.1

| Sep precipitation days = 3.2

| Oct precipitation days = 0.8

| Nov precipitation days = 1.0

| Dec precipitation days = 1.2

| year precipitation days =

| Jan sun = 211.4

| Feb sun = 207.6

| Mar sun = 258.2

| Apr sun = 275.4

| May sun = 289.6

| Jun sun = 260.2

| Jul sun = 270.3

| Aug sun = 269.8

| Sep sun = 249.5

| Oct sun = 269.5

| Nov sun = 234.4

| Dec sun = 217.6

| year sun =

| Jan percentsun = 68

| Feb percentsun = 67

| Mar percentsun = 69

| Apr percentsun = 69

| May percentsun = 66

| Jun percentsun = 60

| Jul percentsun = 61

| Aug percentsun = 65

| Sep percentsun = 68

| Oct percentsun = 79

| Nov percentsun = 77

| Dec percentsun = 73

| year percentsun =

| Jan snow days = 3.2

| Feb snow days = 2.5

| Mar snow days = 2.6

| Apr snow days = 2.0

| May snow days = 0.8

| Jun snow days = 0

| Jul snow days = 0

| Aug snow days = 0

| Sep snow days = 0.1

| Oct snow days = 1.1

| Nov snow days = 1.5

| Dec snow days = 2.0

| year snow days =

| source 1 = China Meteorological Administration{{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans |access-date=27 August 2023}}

{{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans | access-date =27 August 2023 |title=Experience Template }}

{{cite web|url=http://old-cdc.cma.gov.cn/shuju/search1.jsp?dsid=SURF_CLI_CHN_MUL_MMON_19712000_CES&tpcat=SURF&type=table&pageid=3 |script-title=zh:中国地面国际交换站气候标准值月值数据集（1971－2000年）|publisher=China Meteorological Administration |access-date=2010-05-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055035/http://old-cdc.cma.gov.cn/shuju/search1.jsp?dsid=SURF_CLI_CHN_MUL_MMON_19712000_CES&tpcat=SURF&type=table&pageid=3 |archive-date=2013-09-21

}}NOAA{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/China/CSV/GOLMUD_52818.csv

|title = Golmud Climate Normals 1991-2020

|publisher = NOAA

|language = en-us}}

| source =

}}

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Xiaozaohuo, Golmud, elevation {{convert|2767|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals)

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|collapsed = Y

|Jan high C = -0.8

|Feb high C = 4.1

|Mar high C = 9.6

|Apr high C = 15.6

|May high C = 20.0

|Jun high C = 23.8

|Jul high C = 26.3

|Aug high C = 25.4

|Sep high C = 20.7

|Oct high C = 13.6

|Nov high C = 6.2

|Dec high C = 0.1

|Jan mean C = -10.3

|Feb mean C = -5.6

|Mar mean C = 0.5

|Apr mean C = 6.8

|May mean C = 11.9

|Jun mean C = 16.1

|Jul mean C = 18.2

|Aug mean C = 17.2

|Sep mean C = 12.2

|Oct mean C = 4.0

|Nov mean C = -3.7

|Dec mean C = -9.7

|Jan low C = -18.4

|Feb low C = -14.1

|Mar low C = -7.8

|Apr low C = -1.5

|May low C = 3.9

|Jun low C = 8.5

|Jul low C = 10.6

|Aug low C = 9.7

|Sep low C = 4.8

|Oct low C = -3.8

|Nov low C = -11.5

|Dec low C = -17.4

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 0.5

|Feb precipitation mm = 0.2

|Mar precipitation mm = 0.5

|Apr precipitation mm = 0.7

|May precipitation mm = 3.6

|Jun precipitation mm = 7.1

|Jul precipitation mm = 7.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 5.4

|Sep precipitation mm = 3.6

|Oct precipitation mm = 0.6

|Nov precipitation mm = 0.4

|Dec precipitation mm = 0.3

|Jan humidity = 38

|Feb humidity = 29

|Mar humidity = 27

|Apr humidity = 27

|May humidity = 28

|Jun humidity = 33

|Jul humidity = 38

|Aug humidity = 36

|Sep humidity = 35

|Oct humidity = 33

|Nov humidity = 36

|Dec humidity = 39

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 1.1

|Feb precipitation days = 0.6

|Mar precipitation days = 0.8

|Apr precipitation days = 0.7

|May precipitation days = 2.7

|Jun precipitation days = 4.0

|Jul precipitation days = 5.6

|Aug precipitation days = 3.5

|Sep precipitation days = 2.4

|Oct precipitation days = 0.5

|Nov precipitation days = 0.7

|Dec precipitation days = 0.7

|year precipitation days =

|Jan sun = 227.6

|Feb sun = 216.6

|Mar sun = 262.8

|Apr sun = 276.4

|May sun = 291.0

|Jun sun = 264.2

|Jul sun = 271.7

|Aug sun = 272.6

|Sep sun = 256.2

|Oct sun = 276.7

|Nov sun = 243.8

|Dec sun = 231.3

|year sun =

| Jan percentsun = 73

| Feb percentsun = 70

| Mar percentsun = 70

| Apr percentsun = 70

| May percentsun = 66

| Jun percentsun = 60

| Jul percentsun = 61

| Aug percentsun = 66

| Sep percentsun = 70

| Oct percentsun = 81

| Nov percentsun = 81

| Dec percentsun = 78

| year percentsun =

|Jan snow days = 2.2

|Feb snow days = 1.3

|Mar snow days = 2.0

|Apr snow days = 1.4

|May snow days = 0.8

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0.9

|Nov snow days = 1.2

|Dec snow days = 1.3

|year snow days =

|source 1 = China Meteorological Administration{{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans |access-date=27 September 2023}}

{{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans | access-date =27 September 2023 |title=Experience Template }}

}}

File:Salt harvesting in Golmud Qinghai 1993.jpg

The Qarhan Playa has China's largest reserves of salt, potassium, and magnesium, as well as other valuable minerals. Taken together, the mineral resources in the playa were estimated to be worth over 15 trillion renminbi (RMB) as of 2002.{{citation |contribution-url=http://edu.sina.com.cn/en/2002-07-10/4210.html |contribution=City in Gobi Desert Aims High |title=Shanghai Daily |date=10 July 2002 |location=Shanghai }}. The area's salt has also trapped valuable hydrocarbons. The Sebei-1 and Sebei-2 fields near Suli Lake are also China's 4th-largest onshore reserves of natural gas{{sfn|CNPC|p=19}} and the entire area may have reserves as high as 1 trillion m³ (35 trillion cu. ft.). The larger Sanhu Depression includes East and West Taijinar, which hold China's largest reserves of lithium.

The surrounding countryside also produces gold, copper, jade, lead, and zinc.

A pipeline delivers crude oil from Huatugou Oilfield to a refinery at Golmud.{{sfn|CNPC|p=19}} The refinery has a capacity of 1 million metric tons a year; is able to produce 100,000 metric tons a year of methanol and 20,000 MT/yr of polypropylene; and has a 100,000 MT/yr gas fractionator.{{sfn|CNPC|p=19}}

According to the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, the per capita disposable income in Golmud was 6,852 yuan in the first quarter of 2017, a 9.3% increase from the one year prior. Golmud has been one of the areas included in China's Targeted Poverty Alleviation program, which the Commission states has entailed the reconstruction of houses in the city with subpar living conditions, and subsidizing low-income students in the city. The commission also states that the government has been developing the production of traditional woodworking, embroidery, and other local crafts through designated "demonstration areas" ({{Lang-zh|c=示范区|p=shìfàn qū}}).

Statistics for 2001 show that the city's nominal GDP totaled 2.213 billion RMB, a rise of 31.9% from the previous year{{why|date=August 2019}} and the highest growth rate since 1990.{{cite news |url=http://www.gasandoil.com/goc/news/nts23296.htm |title=Golmud City Set to Become China's Salt Lake City |work=Alexander's Gas and Oil Connections |date=28 June 2002 |agency=Xinhua News Agency |access-date=30 January 2006 |archive-date=10 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310141650/http://www.gasandoil.com/goc/news/nts23296.htm |url-status=dead }}

{{see also|Golmud railway station|Golmud South railway station}}

Golmud lies along the Qinghai–Tibet railway, a {{convert|1956|km|abbr=on}} railway that starts from Xining and ends at Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Golmud-Lhasa section, with a length of {{convert|1142|km|abbr=on}}, was the last and most challenging part of the railway to be completed. After five years of construction, the first train for Lhasa left Golmud on 1 July 2006.

In October 2012 construction started on the Golmud–Dunhuang Railway. It will actually branch off the Qinghai–Tibet Railway at the Yinmaxia station north of Golmud, and will cross the Qaidam Basin and the Altyn-Tagh/Qilian system on the way to Dunhuang in the neighboring Gansu province.{{cite web |url=http://news.huochepiao.com/2012-10/2012102013240934.htm |script-title=zh:格尔木至敦煌铁路开工 |publisher=Huochepiao.com |date=2012-10-20 |access-date=26 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121209023055/http://news.huochepiao.com/2012-10/2012102013240934.htm |archive-date=9 December 2012 |url-status=dead }}

The Golmud-Korla Railway running north west from Golmud into Korla, Xinjiang began construction in November 2014 and was completed in 2020.{{Cite web|url=http://www.peoplerail.com/rail/show-456-184719-1.html|script-title=zh:人民铁道网 - 中国铁路新闻门户新疆库尔勒至格尔木铁路拟11月开建 - 运输 -|work=Tianshannet |via=peoplerail.com |date=2014-05-23 |access-date=2020-05-12}}{{Cite web|title=首趟列车出发！12月9日格库铁路新疆段正式通车运营_【高铁网】|url=http://news.gaotie.cn/yunying/2020-12-09/560565.html|access-date=2020-12-09|website=news.gaotie.cn}}

• The Golmud-Lhasa highway, extending {{convert|1050|km|abbr=on}}, is part of the 1,930-km Qinghai-Tibet highway (China National Highway 109) connecting Xining and Lhasa.
• China National Highway 215, runs north from Golmud to Dunhuang, Gansu

{{expand section|date=February 2013}}

• Golmud Airport

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in China}}

Golmud is twinned with:

• {{flagdeco|Nepal}} Bharatpur, Nepal
• {{flagdeco|Bulgaria}} Dobrich, Bulgaria
• {{flagdeco|Israel}} Kiryat Malakhi, Israel{{cite web |script-title=zh:格尔木市戮力打造丝路开放新高地 |url=http://wknzy.com/html/info100517327.html |publisher=Haixi Prefecture Science and Technology Bureau |access-date=26 July 2018 |date=11 April 2017}}

The Golmud Railway is featured as an online multiplayer map in the video game Battlefield 4.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{citation |contribution=20: Qaidam Basin |contribution-url=https://www.cnpc.com.cn/en/xhtml/pdf/20-Qaidam%20Basin.pdf |publisher=China National Petroleum Corporation |location=Beijing |url=http://www.cnpc.com.cn/en/brochures/brochures_index.shtml |title=Brochures |ref={{harvid|CNPC}} }}.
• {{citation |last=Stanford |first=Edward |author-link=Edward Stanford |url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924023258241#page/n3/mode/2up |title=Complete Atlas of China, 2nd ed. |date=1917 |publisher=China Inland Mission |location=London }}.

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090408082218/http://www.gem.gov.cn/ Official website (Chinese)]

{{Commons category|Golmud}}

{{County-level divisions of Qinghai}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Qinghai

Category:Populated places in Tibet

Category:Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Category:National Sanitary City