In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing. A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs. The lyrics (words) of songs are typically of a poetic, rhyming nature, though they may be religious verses or free prose.

A song may be for a solo singer, a duet, trio, or larger ensemble involving more voices. Songs with more than one voice to a part are considered choral works. Songs can be broadly divided into many different forms, depending on the criteria used. One division is between "art songs", "pop songs", and "folk songs". Other common methods of classification are by purpose (sacred vs secular), by style (dance, ballad, Lied, etc.), or by time of origin (Renaissance, Contemporary, etc.).

A song is a piece of music for accompanied or unaccompanied voice or voices or, "the act or art of singing," but the term is generally not used for large vocal forms including opera and oratorio. However, the term is, "often found in various figurative and transferred sense (e.g. for the lyrical second subject of a sonata...)." The word "song" has the same etymological root as the verb "to sing" and the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') defines the word to mean "that which is sung".

Cultural types

Art songs

Art songs are songs created for performance in their own right, usually with piano accompaniment, although they can also have other types of accompaniment such as an orchestra or string quartet, and are always notated. Generally they have an identified author(s) and composer and require voice training for acceptable performances. German-speaking communities use the term art song ("Kunstlied") to distinguish so-called "serious" compositions from folk song ("Volkslied"). The lyrics are often written by a poet or lyricist and the music separately by a composer. Art songs may be more formally complicated than popular or folk songs, though many early Lieder by the likes of Franz Schubert are in simple strophic form. They are often important to national identity. Art songs feature in many European cultures, including but not limited to: Russian (romancy), German (Lieder), Italian (canzoni), French (mélodies), Scandinavian (sånger), Portuguese (canções), Spanish (canciones). There are also highly regarded British and American art songs in the English language. Cultures outside of Europe that have a classical music tradition, such as India, may or may not feature art songs. The accompaniment of European art songs is considered as an important part of the composition. The art song of the period in which they originally flowered is often a duet in which the vocalist and accompanist share in interpretive importance. The pieces were most often written to be performed in a home or salon setting, although today the works enjoy popularity as concert pieces. The emergence of poetry during this era was much of what inspired the creation of these pieces by Brahms, Schumann, Schubert and other composers. These composers set poems in their native language. Many works were inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Heinrich Heine. Another method would be to write new music for each stanza to create a unique form; this was through-composed form known in German as ''durchkomponiert''. A combination of both of these techniques in a single setting was called a modified strophic form. Often romantic art songs sharing similar elements were grouped as a song cycle.

Folk songs

Folk songs are songs of often anonymous origin (or are public domain) that are transmitted orally. They are frequently a major aspect of national or cultural identity. Art songs often approach the status of folk songs when people forget who the author was. Folk songs are also frequently transmitted non-orally (that is, as sheet music), especially in the modern era. Folk songs exist in almost every, if not all, culture(s). For more on folk songs, see Folk music.

Popular songs

Modern popular songs are typically distributed as recordings, and are played on the radio, though all other mass media that have audio capabilities are involved. Their relative popularity is inferred from commercially significant sales of recordings, ratings of stations and networks that play them, and ticket sales for concerts by the recording artists. A popular song can become a modern folk song when members of the public who learn to sing it from the recorded version teach their version to others. Popular songs may be called pop songs for short, although pop songs or pop music may instead be considered a more commercially popular genre of popular music as a whole. Many people consider songs in popular music to have in general simpler structures than art songs, however, musicologists who are "both contemptuous and condescending [of popular music] are looking for types of production, musical form, and listening which they associate with a different kind of music...'classical music'...and [thus] they generally find popular music lacking".

See also

Air (music)

Animal song: bird song, whale song, zoomusicology

Aria

Ballad

Canticle

:Category:Musical forms

Hymn

Lied

Madrigal (music)

Song structure (popular music)

Vocal music

Theme song

Poem and song

References

Further reading

Marcello Sorce Keller (1984), "The Problem of Classification in Folksong Research: a Short History", Folklore, XCV, no. 1, 100- 104.

ar:أغنية an:Canta arc:ܙܡܝܪܬܐ ay:Q'uchu az:Mahnı bəstələyənlər ba:Йыр be:Песня be-x-old:Песьня bg:Песен bs:Pjesma br:Kanaouenn ca:Cançó cv:Юрă cs:Píseň cy:Cân da:Sang de:Lied et:Laul el:Τραγούδι es:Canción eo:Kanto fa:ترانه fr:Chanson gd:Òran gl:Canción ko:노래 hy:Երգ hi:गीत hr:Pjesma io:Kansono id:Lagu ia:Canto is:Lag it:Canzone (musica) he:פזמון krc:Джыр ka:სიმღერა sw:Wimbo ku:Stran ky:Ыр la:Carmen lv:Dziesma lb:Lidd lt:Daina lmo:Canson hu:Dal ml:ഗാനം ms:Lagu nah:Cuīcatl nl:Lied ja:歌 no:Sang nn:Song nrm:Caunchoun oc:Cançon mhr:Муро pnb:گانا ps:سندره nds:Leed (Musik) pl:Piosenka pt:Canção ro:Cântec qu:Rimay taki rue:Пісня ru:Песня sq:Kënga scn:Canzuna (mùsica) simple:Song sk:Pieseň szl:Pjosynka so:Hees ckb:گۆرانی sr:Песма sh:Pjesma fi:Laulu (teos) sv:Sång tl:Awitin ta:பாட்டு te:పాట th:เพลง tr:Şarkı (edebiyat) uk:Пісня ur:گیت vi:Bài hát wa:Tchanson war:Karantahon yi:ליד zh-yue:歌 bat-smg:Dainė zh:歌曲

The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smaller connectors used on computer systems.

Description, nomenclature, and variants

A D-sub contains two or more parallel rows of pins or sockets usually surrounded by a D-shaped metal shield that provides mechanical support, ensures correct orientation, and may screen against electromagnetic interference. The part containing pin contacts is called the ''male connector'' or ''plug'', while that containing socket contacts is called the ''female connector'' or ''socket''. The socket's shield fits tightly inside the plug's shield. The plug also may have screws on either side of the shield that fasten into holes in the socket (although sometimes the screws are on the socket: see the DE9 pictured to the left). When screened cables are used, the shields are connected to the overall screens of the cables. This creates an electrically continuous screen covering the whole cable and connector system.

The D-sub series of connectors was invented by ITT Cannon, part of ITT Corporation, in 1952. Cannon's part-numbering system uses ''D'' as the prefix for the whole series, followed by one of ''A'', ''B'', ''C'', ''D'', or ''E'' denoting the shell size, followed by the number of pins or sockets, followed by either ''P'' (plug) or ''S'' (socket) denoting the gender of the part. Each shell size usually (see below for exceptions) corresponds to a certain number of pins or sockets: A with 15, B with 25, C with 37, D with 50, and E with 9. For example, ''DB25'' denotes a D-sub with a 25-position shell size and a 25-position contact configuration. The contacts in either row of these connectors are spaced 326/3000 of an inch apart, or approximately , and the rows are spaced apart (the pins in the two rows are offset by half the distance between adjacent contacts in a row). The suffixes ''M'' and ''F'' (for male and female) are sometimes used instead of the original ''P'' and ''S''.

This naming pattern is not always followed, however. Because personal computers first used DB25 connectors for their serial and parallel ports, when the PC serial port began to use 9-pin connectors, they were often labeled as DB9 instead of DE9 connectors, due to an ignorance of the fact that ''B'' represented a shell size. It is now common to see DE9 connectors sold as DB9 connectors. ''DB9'' nearly always refers to a 9-pin connector with an E size shell. The non-standard 23-pin D-sub connectors for external floppy drives and video output on most of the Amiga computers are usually labeled ''DB23'', even though their shell size is two pins smaller than ordinary DB sockets.

There are now D-sub connectors which have the original shell sizes, but more pins, and their names follow the same pattern. For example, the DE15, usually found in VGA cables, has 15 pins in three rows, all surrounded by an E size shell. The pins are spaced at horizontally and vertically.) The other connectors with the same pin spacing are the DE15, DA26, DB44, DC62, and DD78. Reflecting the same confusion of the letters ''DB'' with just ''D'' as mentioned above, these connectors are also often called DB15HD (or even DB15 or HD15), DB26HD, DB44HD, DB62HD, and DB78HD connectors, respectively, where ''HD'' stands for "high density". They all have three rows of pins, except the DD78, which has four. The "double density" series of D-sub connectors features even denser arrangements and consists of the DE19, DA31, DB52, DC79, and DD100. These each have four rows of pins.

Cannon also produced "hybrid" D-subs with larger contacts in place of some of the normal contacts that could be used for high-current, high-voltage, or co-axial inserts. The DB13W3 variant was commonly used for high-performance video connections; this variant provided 10 regular (#20) pins plus three coaxial contacts for the red, green, and blue video signals. Hybrid D-subs are currently being manufactured in a broad range of configurations by other companies, including Amphenol, Conec, Teledyne Reynolds, Assmann Electronics, Norcomp, Cinch, 3M, and Tyco. Some variants have current ratings up to 40A or operating voltages as high as 13,500V; others are waterproof and meet IP67 standards.

A smaller type of connector derived from the D-sub is called the microminiature D, or micro-D, which is a trademark of ITT Cannon. It is about half the length of a D-sub.

There is yet another similar family of connectors that is easy to confuse with the D-sub family. These connectors have names like ''HD50'' and ''HD68'', and have a D-shaped shell that is about half the width of a DB25. They are common in SCSI attachments.

The original D-sub connectors are now defined by an international standard, IEC 60807-3 / DIN 41652. The United States military also maintains another specification for D-subminiature connectors, the MIL-DTL-24308 standard.

Typical applications

Communications ports

The widest application of D-subs is for RS-232 serial communications, though the standard did not make this connector mandatory. RS-232 devices originally used the DB25, but for many applications the less common signals were omitted, allowing a DE9 to be used. The standard specifies a male connector for terminal equipment and a female connector for modems, but many variations exist. IBM PC-compatible computers tend to have male connectors at the device and female connectors at the modems. Early Apple Macintosh models used DE9 connectors for RS-422 serial interfaces (which can operate as RS-232). Later Macintosh models use 8-pin miniature DIN connectors instead.

On PCs, 25-pin and (beginning with the IBM-PC/AT) 9-pin plugs are used for the RS-232 serial ports; 25-pin sockets are used for the parallel printer ports (instead of the Centronics socket found on the printer itself).

Many uninterruptible power supply units have a DE9F connector on them in order to signal to the attached computer via an RS-232 interface. Often these do not send data serially to the computer but instead use the handshaking control lines to indicate low battery, power failure, or other conditions. Such usage is not standardized between manufacturers and may require special cables.

Network ports

DE9 connectors were used for some token ring networks as well as other computer networks.

The Attachment Unit Interfaces that were used with 10BASE5 "thick net" in the 1980s and 1990s used DA15 connectors for connectivity between the Medium Attachment Units and (Ethernet) network interface cards, albeit with a sliding latch to lock the connectors together instead of the usual hex studs with threaded holes. (The sliding latch was intended to be quicker to engage and disengage and to work in places where jack screws could not be used for reasons of component shape.

Computer video output

A female 9-pin connector on an IBM compatible personal computer may be a video display output such as MDA, Hercules, CGA, or EGA (rarely VGA or others). Even though these all use the same DE9 connector, the displays cannot all be interchanged and monitors or video interfaces may even be damaged if connected to an incompatible device using the same connector.

Later analog video (VGA and later) adapters generally replaced these connectors with DE15 high-density sockets (though some early VGA devices still used DE9 connectors). DE15 connectors are similar to DE9 connectors (see above).

Many Apple Macintosh models (beginning with the Macintosh II) used DA15 sockets for analogue RGB video out. Just prior to this, the Apple IIgs used the same connector for the same purpose, but in a non-compatible way. A digital (and thus also incompatible) RGB adapter for the Apple IIe also used a DA15F. And the Apple IIc used a DA15F for an auxiliary video port which was not RGB, but provided the necessary signals to derive RGB.

Game controller ports

Starting in the late 1970s the Atari 2600 game console used DE9 connectors without the pair of fastening screws (male on the system, female on the controller) for its game controller connectors. In the years following, various video game consoles and home computers adopted the connector for their own game ports, though they were not all interoperable. The common wirings supported digital connections for up, down, left, and right buttons along with one or two others. Some systems supported connecting a pair of analog potentiometers, or paddles, and on some computers a computer mouse or a light pen was also supported via the game port. Like joysticks, these devices were not typically interchangeable between different systems.

Systems utilizing the DE9 connector for their game port included the Atari 8-bit and ST lines; the Commodore VIC-20, 64, 128, and Amiga; the Amstrad CPC (which employed daisy-chaining when connecting two Amstrad-specific joysticks); the MSX, Sharp X68000, and FM-Towns, predominantly used in Japan; the Sega Master System and Sega Genesis; and the Panasonic 3DO. The Sinclair ZX Spectrum lacked a built-in joystick connector of any kind but aftermarket interfaces provided the ability to connect DE9 joysticks.

Many Apple II computers also used DE9 connectors for joysticks, but they had a female port on the computer and a male on the controller, used analog rather than digital sticks, and the pin-out was completely unlike that used on the aforementioned systems. DE9 connectors were not used for game ports on the Apple Macintosh, Apple III, IBM PC systems, or most newer game consoles.

DA15S connectors are used for PC joystick connectors, where each DA15 connector supports two joysticks each with two analog axes and two buttons. In other words, one DA15S "game adapter" connector has 4 analog potentiometer inputs and 4 digital switch inputs. This interface is strictly input-only, though it does provide +5V DC power. Some joysticks with more than two axes and/or more than two buttons use the signals designated for both joysticks. Conversely, Y-adapter cables are available that allow two separate joysticks to be connected to a single DA15 game adapter port; if a joystick connected to one of these Y-adapters has more than two axes or buttons, only the first two of each will work.

The IBM DA15 PC game connector has been modified to add a (usually MPU-401 compatible) MIDI interface, and this is often implemented in the game connectors on third-party sound cards, for example the Sound Blaster line from Creative Labs. The "standard" straight game adapter connector (introduced by IBM) has three ground pins and four +5V power pins, and the MIDI adaptation replaces one of the grounds and one of the +5V pins, both on the bottom row of pins, with MIDI In and MIDI Out signal pins. (There is no MIDI Thru provided.) Creative Labs introduced this adaptation.

Other

25-pin sockets on Macintosh computers are typically SCSI connectors (again in contrast to the Centronics C50 connector typically found on the peripheral), while older Sun hardware uses DD50 connectors for FastSCSI equipment.

The complete range of D-sub connectors also includes DA15s (one row of 7 and one of 8), DC37s (one row of 18 and one of 19), and DD50s (two rows of 17 and one of 16); these are often used in industrial products, the 15-way version being commonly used on rotary and linear encoders.

The early Macintosh and late Apple II computers used an obscure 19-pin D-sub for connecting to external floppy disk drives. The Commodore Amiga used an equally unusual 23-pin version for both its video output and connection to an external floppy disk drive.

TASCAM used DB25 connectors for their multi-track recording audio equipment (TDIF), and Logitek Audio later did the same for its broadcast consoles, though with different pinouts. A few patch panels have been made which have the DB25 connectors on the back with phone jacks (or even TRS jacks) on the front, however these are normally wired for TASCAM, which is more common outside of broadcasting.

In broadcast and professional video, "parallel digital" is a digital video interface that uses DB25 connectors, per the SMPTE 274M specification adopted in the late 1990s. The more common SMPTE 259M "serial digital interface" (SDI) uses BNC connectors for digital video signal transfer.

Wire-contact attachment types

There are at least five different methods used to attach wires to the contacts in D-sub connectors.

''Solder-bucket'' (or ''solder-cup'') contacts have a cavity into which the stripped wire is inserted and hand-soldered.

''Insulation displacement'' contacts (IDCs) allow a ribbon cable to be forced onto sharp tines on the back of the contacts; this action pierces the insulation of all the wires simultaneously. This is a very quick means of assembly whether done by hand or automatically.

''Crimp'' contacts are assembled by inserting a stripped wire end into a cavity in the rear of the contact, then crushing the cavity using a crimp tool, causing the cavity to grip the wire tightly at many points. The crimped contact is then inserted into the connector where it locks into place. Individual crimped pins can be removed later by inserting a special tool into the rear of the connector.

''PCB pins'' are soldered directly to a printed circuit board and not to a wire. These connectors are frequently mounted at a right angle to the PCB, allowing a cable to be plugged into the edge of the PCB assembly.

''Wire wrap'' connections are made by wrapping solid wire around a square post with a wire wrap tool. This type of connection is usually used in prototyping.

Usage

The 25-pin D-sub connector is occasionally used in recording studios for multi-channel analog audio and AES digital audio.

The D-sub connector family is now in decline for general usage in the computer industry, due to size and cost. For portable devices such as PDAs, MP3 players or mobile phones, the D-sub connector is usually too large to fit. In the laptop computer sector, where weight and size are crucial, many models no longer include D-subs. Even small form factor desktop PCs may find D-sub connectors too large for their value.

Because of its relative complexity (the D-shaped metal shield, the screws and nuts), D-sub connectors are now quite expensive compared to other, mostly simpler, common connectors. In the retail PC world where margins are very thin, these connectors are a natural target for removal.

The physical design of D-sub connectors is ill-suited for consumer plug-and-play applications. Thin metal pins, especially in higher-density connectors, are easily bent or broken, particularly if frequently plugged in by touch behind equipment. The need to tighten screws for a secure connection is cumbersome. Although ESD- and EMI-resistant D-sub connectors exist, the fundamental design was never intended to protect from electrostatic discharge or electromagnetic interference or facilitate very high frequency interconnections.

For video purposes, the DE15HD connector is in the process of being replaced by DVI and HDMI connectors. A notable exception to this replacement is on the many analog CRT monitors still in use: the analog version of the DVI connector is similar in price and more complex than the D-sub, so the shift away from D-subs is slow in this case. For the majority of other consumer applications, D-sub serial and parallel connectors have been replaced by the physically much simpler and cheaper IEEE 1394 (FireWire), SATA, USB, or Ethernet connectors.

See also

Gender of connectors and fasteners

RS-232 Technical Manual

Micro ribbon

Modular connector

MMJ

References

External links

Comprehensive DB25 wiring diagrams: Tascam, Apple, SCSI, etc..

Ishmael Stefanov-Wagner's web page on D-Subminiature Nomenclature

A list of common computer connectors, including most D-sub

Devices with DE-9 connectors

DE-9 Connector RS-232 Pinout

Category:Electrical signal connectors Category:Audiovisual connectors

ca:D-sub cs:D-Sub de:D-Sub es:D-sub fr:D-sub ko:D-sub hr:Subminijaturni D it:D-subminiature nl:D-sub ja:D-subminiature pl:D-Sub pt:Conector DB ru:D-subminiature fi:D-liitin sv:D-subminatyr

alt	A mid-twenties African American man wearing a sequined military jacket and dark sunglasses. He is walking while waving his right hand, which is adorned with a white glove. His left hand is bare.
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson
alias	Michael Joe Jackson, MJ, King of Pop
birth date	August 29, 1958
birth place	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
death date	June 25, 2009
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
instrument	vocals, guitar, drums, percussion, keyboards
genre	R&B;, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
years active	1964–2009
label	Motown, Epic, Legacy
associated acts	The Jackson 5
relatives	Janet Jackson (sister)
website	130pxMichael Jackson's signature }}

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5, then the Jacksons in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B;, pop and rock artists.

Jackson's 1982 album ''Thriller'' is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including ''Off the Wall'' (1979), ''Bad'' (1987), ''Dangerous'' (1991), and ''HIStory'' (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

Life and career

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family who lived in a small 3-room house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city near Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B; band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy. A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe. In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album, Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B; Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B; Album and Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist. Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt ''Off the Wall'' should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

''Thriller'' and ''Motown 25'' (1982–83)

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows. The album topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." ''Thriller'' was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work. Thanks to the ''Bad'' album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989. ''HIStory'' received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. However, the sales for ''Invincible'' were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG. With ''Thriller'', Christopher Connelly of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers. In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media. "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to ''West Side Story'', and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey. He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona.

In ''Bad'', Jackson's concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana". The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a traditional love ballad, while "Man in the Mirror" is an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution. "Smooth Criminal" was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that ''Dangerous'' presents Jackson as a very paradoxical individual. He comments the album is more diverse than his previous ''Bad'', as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like "Heal the World". The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time". The album is Jackson's first where social ills become a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs. ''Dangerous'' contains sexually charged efforts such as the multifaceted love song, "In the Closet". The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire. The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith"; these songs show Jackson opening up about various personal struggles and worries. In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.

''HIStory'' creates an atmosphere of paranoia. Its content focuses on the hardships and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", along with the R&B; ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs much of his anger at the media. In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments over his "fall from grace", while songs like "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are all operatic pop pieces. In the track "D.S.", Jackson launched a verbal attack against Tom Sneddon. He describes Sneddon as an antisocial, white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive". Of the song, Sneddon said, "I have not—shall we say—done him the honor of listening to it, but I've been told that it ends with the sound of a gunshot". ''Invincible'' found Jackson working heavily with producer Rodney Jerkins. It is a record made up of urban soul like "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless", "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" and mixes hip-hop, pop and R&B; in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".

Vocal style

Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice descended from boy soprano to high tenor. Jackson first used a technique called the "vocal hiccup" in 1973, starting with the song "It's Too Late to Change the Time" from The Jackson 5's ''G.I.T.: Get It Together'' album. Jackson did not use the hiccup technique— somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping— fully until the recording of ''Off the Wall'': it can be seen in full force in the "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" promotional video. With the arrival of ''Off the Wall'' in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded. At the time, ''Rolling Stone'' compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly". 1982 saw the release of ''Thriller'', and ''Rolling Stone'' was of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".

A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation of "come on", used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelled "cha'mone" or "shamone", is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him. The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album ''Dangerous''. ''The New York Times'' noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone". When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals. When commenting on ''Invincible'', ''Rolling Stone'' were of the opinion that—at the age of 43—Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies". Nelson George summed up Jackson's vocals by stating "The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness—that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist".

Music videos and choreography

Referred to as the King of Music Videos, Steve Huey of Allmusic observed how Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers. Before ''Thriller'', Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV, allegedly because he was African American. Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, also helping other black music artists gain recognition. MTV employees deny any racism in their coverage, or pressure to change their stance. MTV maintains that they played rock music, regardless of race. The popularity of his videos on MTV helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map"; MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.; His performance on ''Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever'' changed the scope of live stage show; "That Jackson lip-synced 'Billie Jean' is, in itself, not extraordinary, but the fact that it did not change the impact of the performance is extraordinary; whether the performance was live or lip-synced made no difference to the audience" thus creating an era in which artists re-create the spectacle of music video imagery on stage. Short films like ''Thriller'' largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has frequently been imitated. The choreography in ''Thriller'' has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Indian films to prisons in the Philippines. The ''Thriller'' short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the most successful music video ever by the ''Guinness World Records''.

In the 19-minute music video for "Bad"—directed by Martin Scorsese—Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He occasionally grabbed or touched his chest, torso and crotch. When asked by Oprah in the 1993 interview about why he grabbed his crotch, he replied, "I think it happens subliminally" and he described it as something that was not planned, but rather, as something that was compelled by the music. "Bad" garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; ''Time'' magazine described it as "infamous". The video also featured Wesley Snipes; in the future Jackson's videos would often feature famous cameo roles.

}} ;Bibliography

George, Nelson (2004). ''Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.

Further reading

External links

Michael Jackson Live: Best Pics – slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Michael Jackson at MTV

FBI file on Michael Jackson

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chinesename	内蒙古自治区
pinyin	Nèi Měnggǔ Zìzhìqū
englishname	Inner Mongolia Autonomous RegionNei Mongol Autonomous Region
localname	140px,
localtranscription1	Öbür mongγol-un öbertegen zasaqu orun
locallanguage1	Mongolian
locallanguage2	Mongolian
designatedminority	Mongolian
abbreviation	内蒙 or 内蒙古
abbrevpinyin	Nèi Měng or Nèi Měnggǔ
isoabbrev	15
map	China Inner Mongolia.svg
maplabel	Inner Mongolia is highlighted on this map. The striped area is nominally part of Inner Mongolia, but is in fact administered by neighbouring Heilongjiang province.
originofname	From the Mongolian ''öbür mongγol'', where ''öbör'' can mean south, inner, breast.
administrationtype	Autonomous region
capital	Hohhot
largestcity	Baotou
secretary	Hu Chunhua
governor	Bagatur
area km2	1183000
arearank	3rd
latitude	37° 24' to 53° 20' N
longitude	097° 05' to 126° 05' E
languages	Mandarin Chinese, Mongolian
popyear	2010
pop	24,706,321
poprank	23rd
popdensity km2	20.2
popdensityrank	28th
gdpyear	2010
gdp	1.17 trillion (US$172.1 billion)
gdprank	15th
gdppercapita	37,287
gdppercapitarank	7th
hdiyear	2008
hdi	0.803
hdirank	13th
hdicat	high
nationalities	Han - 79%Mongol - 17% Manchu - 2%Hui - 0.9%Daur - 0.3%
prefectures	12
counties	101
currency	Chinese yuan
townships	1425
website	http://www.nmg.gov.cn(Simplified Chinese) }}

Inner Mongolia (Mongolian script: 35px, ''Öbür mong'ol''; Cyrillic: Өвөр Монгол; |p=Nèi Měnggǔ}}; officially romanized to Nei Mongol) is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation. Its capital is Hohhot and the largest city is Baotou.

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was established in 1947 on the area of former Republic of China provinces of Suiyuan, Chahar, Rehe, Liaopeh and Hsingan. It is the third-largest subdivision of China spanning about 1,200,000 km² (463,000 sq mi) or 12% of China's total land area. It has a population of about 24 million as of 2004. The majority of the population in the region are Han Chinese, with a substantial Mongol minority. The official languages are Chinese and Mongolian, the latter written in the classical alphabet, as opposed to the Cyrillic used in Mongolia (former Outer Mongolia).

Name

In Chinese, the region is known as "Inner Mongolia", where the terms of "Inner/Outer" are derived from Manchu ''dorgi''/''tulergi''. Inner Mongolia is distinct from Outer Mongolia, which was a term used by the Republic of China and previous governments to refer to what is now the independent state of Mongolia plus the Republic of Tuva in Russia. In Mongolian, the region is known as ''öbür mongγol'' where ''öbör'' can mean south, inner, front, bosom, breast. Some Mongolians use the name "Southern Mongolia" in English as well.

History

Throughout most of history and time, central and western Inner Mongolia, especially the Hetao region, alternated in control between Chinese agriculturalists in the south and Xiongnu, Xianbei , Khitan, Jurchen, Tujue, and Mongol nomads of the north. Eastern Inner Mongolia is properly speaking a part of Manchuria , and its historical narrative consists more of alternations between different groups there rather than the struggle between nomads and Chinese agriculturalists.

During the Zhou Dynasty, central and western Inner Mongolia (the Hetao region and surrounding areas) were inhabited by nomadic peoples such as the Loufan, Linhu, and Dí, while eastern Inner Mongolia was inhabited by the Donghu. During the Warring States Period, King Wuling (340–295 BC) of the state of Zhao based in what is now Hebei and Shanxi provinces pursued an expansionist policy towards the region. After destroying the Dí state of Zhongshan in what is now Hebei province, he defeated the Linhu and Loufan and created the commandery of Yunzhong near modern Hohhot. King Wuling of Zhao also built a long wall stretching through the Hetao region. After Qin Shihuang created the first unified Chinese empire in 221 BC, he sent the general Meng Tian to drive the Xiongnu from the region, and incorporated the old Zhao wall into the Qin Dynasty Great Wall of China. He also maintained two commanderies in the region: Jiuyuan and Yunzhong, and moved 30,000 households there to solidify the region. After the Qin Dynasty collapsed in 206 BC, these efforts were abandoned.

During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu sent the general Wei Qing to reconquer the Hetao region from the Xiongnu in 127 BC. After the conquest, Emperor Wu continued the policy of building settlements in Hetao to defend against the Xiong-Nu. In that same year he established the commanderies of Shuofang and Wuyuan in Hetao. At the same time, what is now eastern Inner Mongolia was controlled by the Xianbei, who would later on eclipse the Xiongnu in power and influence.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD), Xiongnu who surrendered to the Han Dynasty began to be settled in Hetao, and intermingled with the Han immigrants in the area. Later on during the Western Jin Dynasty, it was a Xiongnu noble from Hetao, Liu Yuan, who established the Han Zhao kingdom in the region, thereby beginning the Sixteen Kingdoms period that saw the disintegration of northern China under a variety of Han and non-Han (including Xiongnu and Xianbei) regimes.

The Sui Dynasty (581–618) and Tang Dynasty (618–907) re-established a unified Chinese empire, and like their predecessors they conquered and settled people into Hetao, though once again these efforts were aborted when the Tang empire began to collapse. Hetao (along with the rest of what now consists Inner Mongolia) was then taken over by the Khitan Empire (Liao Dynasty), founded by the Khitans, a nomadic people originally from what is now the southern part of Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia. They were followed by the Western Xia of the Tanguts, who took control of what is now the western part of Inner Mongolia (including western Hetao) . The Khitans were later replaced by the Jurchens, precursors to the modern Manchus, who established the Jin Dynasty over Manchuria and northern China.

After Genghis Khan unified the Mongol tribes in 1206 and founded the Mongol Empire, the Tangut Western Xia empire was ultimately conquered in 1227, and the Jurchen Jin Dynasty fell in 1234. In 1271, Genghis grandson Khubilai established the Yuan Dynasty. Khubilai's summer capital Shangdu (aka Xanadu) was located near present-day Dolonnor. During that time Ongud and Khunggirad peoples dominated the area of Inner Mongolia. After the Yuan Dynasty was evicted by the Han -led Ming Dynasty in 1368, the Ming rebuilt the Great Wall of China at its present location, which roughly follows the southern border of the modern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (though it deviates significantly at the Hebei- Inner Mongolia border). The Ming established the Three Guards composed of the Mongols there. After the Tumu incident in 1450, Mongols flooded south from Northern Mongolia to Southern Mongolia. Thus from then on until 1635, Inner Mongolia was the center of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

The Manchus gained control of the Inner Mongolian tribes in the early 17th century, then invaded Ming Dynasty in 1644, bringing it under the control of their newly established Qing Dynasty. Under the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912), Greater Mongolia was administered in a different way for each region:

"Outer Mongolia": This region corresponds to the modern state of Mongolia, plus the Russian-administered region of Tannu Uriankhai, and a part of northern Xinjiang. It includes the four leagues (''aimag'') of the Khalkha Mongols north of Gobi, as well as the Tannu Uriankhai and Khovd regions in northwestern Mongolia, which were overseen by the General of Uliastai at the city of Uliastai.

"Inner Mongolia": This region corresponds to most of modern Inner Mongolia and some neighbouring areas in Liaoning and Jilin provinces. The banners and tribes in this region came under six leagues (''chuulghan''): Jirim , Juu Uda, Josutu, Xilingol, Ulanqab, and Yeke Juu.

"Taoxi Mongolia": The Alashan Öölüd and Ejine Torghuud banners were separate from the aimags of Outer Mongolia and the chuulghans of Inner Mongolia. This is equivalent to modern-day Alxa League, the westernmost part of what is now Inner Mongolia.

The Chahar Eight Banners were controlled by the military commander of Chahar (now Zhangjiakou). Their extent corresponds to southern Ulanqab and Bayan Nur in modern Inner Mongolia, plus the region around Zhangjiakou in Hebei province. At the same time, the jurisdiction of some border departments of Zhili and Shanxi provinces also overlapped into this region.

The Guihua Tümed banner was controlled by the military commander of Suiyuan (now Hohhot). This corresponds to the vicinities of the modern city of Hohhot. At the same time, the jurisdiction of some border departments of Shanxi province also overlapped into this region.

The Hulunbuir region, in what is now northeastern Inner Mongolia, was part of the jurisdiction of the General of Heilongjiang, one of the three generals of Manchuria.

Ordinary Mongols were not allowed to travel outside their own leagues. While there had been Han Chinese farmers in what is now Inner Mongolia since the time of Altan Khan, mass settlement began in the late nineteenth century. The Manchus were becoming increasingly sinicized, and faced with the Russian threat, they began to encourage Han Chinese farmers to settle in both Mongolia and Manchuria. This policy has been followed by subsequent governments. The railroads that were being built in these regions were especially useful to the Han Chinese settlers. Land was either sold by Mongol Princes, or leased to Han Chinese farmers, or simply taken away from the nomads and given to Han Chinese farmers.

During the Republic of China era, Outer Mongolia regained independence. There also existed Mongol rebellions in Inner Mongolia in the early era, which were suppressed by the Republic of China. Inner Mongolia was reorganized into provinces:

Rehe province was created to include the Juu Uda and Josutu leagues, plus the Chengde area in what is now northern Hebei.

Chahar province was created to include Xilingol league as well as much of the former territory of the Eight Banners.

Suiyuan province was created to include Ulanqab league, Yeke Juu league, and the Hetao region (former Guihua Tümed territory).

Hulunbuir stayed within Heilongjiang in Manchuria, which had become a province.

Most of Jirim league came under the new province of Fengtian in southern Manchuria.

Taoxi Mongolia, i.e. Alashan and Ejine leagues, was incorporated into neighbouring Gansu province. Later on Ningxia province was split out of northern Gansu, and Taoxi Mongolia became part of Ningxia.

Some Republic of China maps still show this structure.

Manchuria came under the control of the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo in 1931, taking the Mongol areas in the Manchurian provinces (i.e. Hulunbuir and Jirim leagues) along. Rehe was also incorporated into Manchukuo in 1933, taking Juu Uda and Josutu leagues along with it. These areas were administered by Manchukuo until the end of World War II in 1945.

In 1937, open war broke out between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. On December 8, 1937, Mongolian Prince De Wang declared the independence of the remaining parts of Inner Mongolia (i.e. the Suiyuan and Chahar provinces) as Mengkiang or Mengkukuo, and signed close agreements with Manchukuo and Japan. The capital was established at Zhangbei (now in Hebei province), with the puppet government's control extending as far west as the Hohhot region. In August 1945, Mengkiang was taken by Soviet and Outer Mongolian troops during Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation. Despite a considerable movement among Inner Mongolia's Mongols(who comprised then around 15% of Inner Mongolia's population, while Han Chinese around 83%) for unification with Outer Mongolia, Inner Mongolia remained part of China.

Following the end of World War II, the Chinese Communists gained control of Manchuria with decisive Soviet support, and established the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1947. Initially the autonomous region included just the Hulunbuir region. Over the next decade, as the communists established the People's Republic of China and consolidated control over mainland China, Inner Mongolia was expanded westwards to include five of the six original leagues (except Josutu League, which remains in Liaoning province), the northern part of the Chahar region, by then a league as well (southern Chahar remains in Hebei province), the Hetao region, and the Alashan and Ejine banners. Eventually, near all areas with sizeable Mongol populations were incorporated into the region, giving present-day Inner Mongolia its elongated shape. The leader of Inner Mongolia during that time, as both regional CPC secretary and head of regional government, was Ulanhu.

During the Cultural Revolution, the administration of Ulanhu was purged, and a wave of repressions against the Mongol population of the autonomous region was initiated. In 1969 much of Inner Mongolia was distributed among surrounding provinces, with Hulunbuir divided between Heilongjiang and Jilin, Jirim going to Jilin, Juu Uda to Liaoning, and the Alashan and Ejine region divided among Gansu and Ningxia. This was reversed in 1979.

Geography

Officially Inner Mongolia is classified as one of the provincial-level divisions of North China, but its great stretch means that parts of it belong to Northeast China and Northwest China as well. It borders eight provincial-level divisions in all three of the aforementioned regions (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu), tying with Shaanxi for the greatest number of bordering provincial-level divisions. Most of its international border is with Mongolia, which, in Chinese, is sometimes called "Outer Mongolia" (外蒙古), while a small portion is with Russia.

Due to its size, Inner Mongolia has a wide variety of temperatures but the following climactic characteristics apply provincial-wide: four-season monsoon-influenced climate, with long, cold, very dry winters, quick and dry springtime and autumnal transitions (the former of which is prone to sandstorms), and very warm to hot summers. Generally, cold arid or steppe climatic regimes (Köppen ''BWk, BSk'', respectively) dominate, but there are some areas classified as humid continental (Köppen ''Dwb''), located primarily in higher elevations and in the northeast, and subarctic (Köppen ''Dwc''), located in the far north.

Administrative divisions

Inner Mongolia is divided into 12 prefecture-level divisions. Until the late 1990s, most of Inner Mongolia's prefectural regions were known as ''Leagues'' (), a usage retained from Mongol divisions of the Qing Dynasty. Similarly, county-level divisions are often known as ''Banners'' (). Since the 1990s, numerous Leagues have converted into prefecture-level cities, although Banners remain. The restructuring led to the conversion of primate cities in most leagues to convert to districts administratively (Hailar, Jining, and Dongsheng). Some newly founded prefecture-level cities have chosen to retain the original name of League (Hulunbuir, Bayan Nur, and Ulanqab), some have adopted the Chinese name of their primate city (Chifeng, Tongliao), and one League, Ikh Juu, simply renamed itself Ordos. Despite these recent administrative changes, there is no indication that the Alxa, Hinggan, and Xilin Gol Leagues will convert to prefecture-level cities in the near future.

! Map	! #	! Conventional	! Hanzi	! Hanyu Pinyin	Mongolian language>Mongolian	! Transcription from Mongolian	! Administrative Seat
2	Bayan Nur	巴彦淖尔市	Bāyànnào'ěr shì		Bayan Naγur Qota	Linhe District
3	Wuhai	乌海市	Wūhǎi shì		Üqai Qota	Haibowan District
4		鄂尔多斯市	È'ěrduōsī shì		Ordos Qota	Dongsheng District
5	Baotou	包头市	Bāotóu shì		Buγutu Qota	Kundulun District
6	Hohhot	呼和浩特市	Hūhéhàotè shì		Kökeqota	Huimin District
7	Ulanqab	乌兰察布市	Wūlánchábù shì		Ulaγančabu Qota	Jining District
9	Chifeng	赤峰市	Chìfēng shì		Ulaγanqada Qota
10	Tongliao	通辽市	Tōngliáo shì		Töngliyao QotaBayisingtu Qota	Horqin District
12	Hulunbuir	呼伦贝尔市	Hūlúnbèi'ěr shì		Kölün Buir Qota	Hailar District
Colspan=7 align=center
1		阿拉善盟	Ālāshàn méng		Alaša Ayimaγ	Alxa Left Banner
8		锡林郭勒盟	Xīlínguōlè méng		Sili-yin Ɣool Ayimaγ	Xilinhot
11		兴安盟	Xīng'ān méng		Kingγan Ayimaγ	Ulan Hot

Many of the prefecture-level cities were converted very recently from leagues.

The twelve prefecture-level divisions of Inner Mongolia are subdivided into 101 county-level divisions, including twenty-one districts, eleven county-level cities, seventeen counties, forty-nine banners, and three autonomous banners. Those are in turn divided into 1425 township-level divisions, including 532 towns, 407 townships, 277 sumu, eighteen ethnic townships, one ethnic sumu, and 190 subdistricts.

See the List of administrative divisions of Inner Mongolia for a complete list of county-level divisions.

Economy

Farming of crops such as wheat takes precedence along the river valleys. In the more arid grasslands, herding of goats, sheep and so on is a traditional method of subsistence. Forestry and hunting are somewhat important in the Greater Khingan ranges in the east. Reindeer herding is carried out by Evenks in the Evenk Autonomous Banner. More recently, growing grapes and winemaking have become an economic factor in the Wuhai area. Inner Mongolia has abundance of resources especially coal, cashmere, natural gas, rare earth elements, and has more deposits of naturally occurring niobium, zirconium and beryllium than any other province-level region in China. However in the past, the exploitation and utilisation of resources were rather inefficient, which resulted in poor returns from rich resources. Inner Mongolia is also an important coal production base in north China. It plans to double annual coal output by 2010 (from the 2005 volume of 260 million tons) to 500 million tons of coal a year. Industry in Inner Mongolia has grown up mainly around coal, power generation, forestry-related industries, and related industries. Inner Mongolia now encourages six competitive industries: energy, chemicals, metallurgy, equipment manufacturing, processing of farm (including dairy) produce, and high technology. Well-known Inner Mongolian enterprises include companies such as ERDOS, Yili, and Mengniu.

The nominal GDP of Inner Mongolia in 2010 was 1.16 trillion yuan (US$172.1 billion), a growth of 16.9% from 2008, with an average annual increase of 20% from the period 2003-2007. Its per capita GDP reached 37,287 yuan (US$5,460) in 2009. In 2008, Inner Mongolia's primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were worth 90.7 billion yuan, 427.1 billion yuan, and 258.4 billion yuan respectively. The urban per capita disposable income and rural per capita net income were 14,431 yuan and 4,656 yuan, up 16.6% and 17.8% respectively.

As with much of China, economic growth has led to a boom in construction, including new commercial development and large apartment complexes.

As the winds in the grasslands are very strong, some private companies have set up wind parks in parts of Inner Mongolia such as Bailingmiao, Hutengliang and zhouzi.

Economic and Technological Development Zones

Baotou National Rare Earth Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

Erenhot Border Economic Cooperation Area

Hohhot Export Processing Zone

Hohhot Export Processing Zone was established on June, 21st 2002 by State Council, which is located in the west of the Hohhot, with a planning area of 2.2 sqkm. Industries encouraged in the export processing zone include Electronics Assembly & Manufacturing, Telecommunications Equipment, Garment and Textiles Production, Trading and Distribution, Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals, Food/Beverage Processing, Instruments & Industrial Equipment Production, Medical Equipment and Supplies, Shipping/Warehousing/Logistics, Heavy Industry.

Hohhot Economic and Technological Development Zone

Hohhot Export Processing Zone

Manzhouli Border Economic Cooperation Area

Government and politics

Under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, articles 112-122, autonomous regions have limited autonomy in both the political and economic arena. Autonomous regions have more discretion in administering economic policy in the region in accordance with national guidelines. Structurally, the Chairman — who legally must be an ethnic minority and is usually ethnic Mongolian — is always kept in check by the Communist Party Regional Committee Secretary, who is usually from a different part of China (to reduce corruption) and Han Chinese. The current party secretary is Hu Chunhua. The Inner Mongolian government and its subsidiaries follow roughly the same structure as that of a Chinese province. With regards to economic policy, as a part of increased federalism characteristics in China, Inner Mongolia has become more independent in implementing its own economic roadmap.

Demographics

When the autonomous region was established in 1947, Han Chinese comprised 83.6% of the population, while the Mongols comprised 14.8% of the population. By the year 2000, the percentage of Han Chinese fell to 79.17%. While the Hetao region along the Yellow River has always alternated between farmers from the south and nomads from the north, the most recent episode of Han Chinese migration began in the early 18th century with encouragement from the Qing Dynasty, and continued into the 20th century. Han Chinese live mostly in the Hetao region as well as various population centres in central and eastern Inner Mongolia. Over 70% of Mongols are concentrated in less than 18% of Inner Mongolia's territory (Hinggan League, and prefectures Tongliao and Chifeng).

Mongols are the second largest ethnic group, comprising 17.13% of the population, an increase of 2,33% since 1947. They include many diverse Mongolian-speaking groups; groups such as the Buryats and the Oirats are also officially considered to be Mongols in China. Many of the traditionally nomadic Mongols have settled in permanent homes as their pastoral economy was collectivized during the Maoist Era.

Other ethnic groups include the Daur, the Evenks, the Oroqen, the Hui, the Manchus, and the Koreans.

align=center colspan=3	Ethnic groups in Inner Mongolia, 2000 census
Ethnicities of China>Ethnicity !! Population !! Percentage
Han Chinese	18,465,586	79.17%
Mongol	3,995,349
Manchu people	Manchu	499,911
Hui people	Hui	209,850
Daur people	Daur	77,188
Evenks	26,201
Koreans in China	Koreans	21,859
Russians	5,020

Excludes members of the People's Liberation Army in active service.

Culture

The Han Chinese of Inner Mongolia speak a variety of dialects, depending on the region. The eastern parts tend to speak Northeastern Mandarin, which belongs to the Mandarin group of dialects; those in the central parts, such as the Huang He valley, speak varieties of Jin, another subdivision of Chinese, due to its proximity to other Jin-speaking areas in China such as the Shanxi province. Cities such as Hohhot and Baotou both have their unique brand of Jin Chinese which are sometimes incomprehensible with dialects spoken in northeastern regions such as Hailar.

Mongols in Inner Mongolia speak a variety of dialects of the Mongolian language, including Chahar, Bairin, Ordos, Ejin-Alxa, Barghu-Buryat, etc.; the standard pronunciation of Mongolian in China is based on the Chahar dialect of the Plain Blue Banner, located in central Inner Mongolia. This is different from independent Mongolia, where the standard pronunciation is based on the Khalkha dialect. The Daur, Evenks, and Oroqin speak their own respective languages.

By law, all street signs, commercial outlets, and government documents must be bilingual, written in Mongolian and Chinese. There are three Mongolian TV channels in the Inner Mongolia Satellite TV network. In public transportation, all announcements are to be bilingual. Many ethnic Mongols, especially the young, speak fluent Chinese. Mongolian is receding urban areas. But rural ethnic Mongols have kept their traditions. In terms of written language, Inner Mongolia has retained the classic Mongol written script as opposed to Outer Mongolia's adoption of the Cyrillic alphabet.

The vast grasslands have long symbolised Inner Mongolia. Mongolian art often depicts the grassland in an uplifting fashion and emphasizes Mongolian nomadic traditions. The Mongols of Inner Mongolia still practice their traditional arts. Inner Mongolian cuisine has Mongol roots and consists of dairy-related products and ''hand-held lamb'' (手扒肉). In recent years, franchises based on Hot pot have appeared Inner Mongolia, the most famous of which is ''Xiaofeiyang'' (小肥羊). Famous Inner Mongolian commercial brand names include Mengniu and Yili, both of which began as dairy product and ice cream producers.

Among the Han Chinese of Inner Mongolia, Jinju (晉劇) or Shanxi Opera is a popular traditional form of entertainment. See also: Shanxi.

The famous actress Siqin Gaowa is an ethnic Mongol from Inner Mongolia.

A popular career in Inner Mongolia is circus acrobatics. The famous Inner Mongolia Acrobatic Troupe travels and performs with the renowned Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Tourism

In the capital city Hohhot:

Dazhao Temple is a Lamaist temple built in 1580. Dazhao Temple is known for three sites: a statue of Buddha made from silver, elaborate carvings of dragons, and murals.

Xiaozhao Temple, also known as Chongfu temple, is a Lamaist temple built in 1697 and favoured by the Qing Dynasty emperor Kangxi.

Xilituzhao Temple is the largest Lamaist temple in the Höhhot area, and once the center of power of Lamaism in the region.

Zhaojun Tomb is the tomb of Wang Zhaojun, a Han Dynasty palace lady-in-waiting who became the consort of a Xiongnu ruler.

Five-pagoda Temple is located in the capital of Inner Mongolia Hohhot. It is also called Jingangzuo Dagoba, used to be one building of the Cideng Temple.

Elsewhere in Inner Mongolia:

The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, the cenotaph of Genghis Khan, is located in Ordos City.

Bashang Grasslands, on the border close to Beijing, is a popular retreat for urban residents wanting to get a taste of grasslands life.

The Arshihaty Stone Forest in Hexigten Global Geopark has magnificent granite rock formations formed from natural erosion.

Xiangshawan, or "singing sands gorge," is located in the Gobi Desert and contains numerous tourist attractions including sand sledding and camel rides.

Chinese space programme

One of China's space vehicle launch facilities, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) (), is located in the extreme west of Inner Mongolia, in the Alxa League's Ejin Banner, about 1,600 km from Beijing. It was founded in 1958, making it the PRC's first launch facility. More Chinese launches have occurred at Jiuquan than anywhere else. As with all Chinese launch facilities, it is remote and generally closed to the public. It is named as such since Jiuquan is the nearest urban centre, although Jiuquan is in the nearby province of Gansu. Many space vehicles have also made their touchdowns in Inner Mongolia. For example, the crew of Shenzhou 6 landed in Siziwang Banner, near Hohhot.

Education

Colleges and universities

Chifeng University (ulaγanqada degedü surγaγuli / 赤峰学院)

Inner Mongolia Agricultural University (öbür mongγol-un tariyalang-un yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古农业大学)

Inner Mongolia Finance and Economics College (öbür mongγol-un ed-ün jasaγ aju aqui-yin degedü surγaγuli / 内蒙古财经学院)

Inner Mongolia Medical College (öbür mongγol-un emnelge-yin degedü surγaγuli / 内蒙古医学院)

Inner Mongolia Normal University (öbür mongγol-un baγsi-yin yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古师范大学)

Inner Mongolia University (öbür mongγol-un yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古大学)

Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities (öbür mongγol-un ündüsüten-ü yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古民族大学)

Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology (内蒙古科技大学)

Inner Mongolia University of Technology (öbür mongγol-un aju üiledbüri-yin yeke surγaγuli / 内蒙古工业大学)

All of the above are under the authority of the autonomous region government. Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

See also

Leagues of Inner Mongolia

List of administrative divisions of Inner Mongolia

East Asian snowstorms of 2009-2010

East Asian snowstorms of 2010-2011

Notes and references

External links

Inner Mongolia Government website

Mongolian edition

Category:Autonomous regions of the People's Republic of China Category:States and territories established in 1947

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Name	James May
Birth name	James Daniel May
Birth date	January 16, 1963
Birth place	Bristol, England
Residence	Hammersmith, West London, England
Nationality	British
Other names	''Captain Slow'', Captain sense of direction
Ethnicity	White British
Known for	Presenting:
Education
Years active	–
Alma mater	Lancaster University
Employer	BBC, ''The Daily Telegraph'',
Occupation	Author, writer, journalist,television presenter, pianist, media personality
Home town	Bristol, England
Height
Partner	Sarah Frater (–present)
Website	}}

James Daniel May (born 16 January 1963) is an English television presenter, journalist and writer.

May is best known as co-presenter of the motoring programme ''Top Gear'' alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. May has presented a variety of other programmes on themes including science and technology, childhood toys, cars, food and drink, and the plight of manliness in modern times. In addition he has released a variety of DVDs and books with similar themes, and writes a weekly column for ''The Daily Telegraph's'' motoring section.

On ''Top Gear'', May has the nickname "Captain Slow", for his careful driving style, a love of small, underpowered cars and habit of getting lost and distracted while driving. However, in a July 2010 episode of Top Gear he drove a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, reaching a speed of .

Early life

James May was born in Bristol, one of four children; he has two sisters and a brother. In his early years, May attended Caerleon Endowed Junior School in Newport, Monmouthshire. He spent his teenage years in South Yorkshire where he attended Oakwood Comprehensive School in Rotherham and was a choirboy at Whiston Parish Church. He was also at school with ''Life On Mars'' and ''Ashes to Ashes'' star Dean Andrews. A keen flautist and pianist, he later studied music at Lancaster University, where he was a member of Pendle College. After graduating, May briefly worked at a hospital in Chelsea as a records officer, and had a short stint in Her Majesty's Civil Service.

Personal life

May currently lives in Hammersmith, London with dance critic Sarah Frater, whom he has dated since 2000.

May has owned a number of cars: Bentley T2, Triumph 2000, Rover P6, Alfa Romeo 164, 1971 Rolls-Royce Corniche, Jaguar XJS, Range Rover, Fiat Panda, Datsun 120Y, Vauxhall Cavalier Mk1, Ferrari F430, 1984 Porsche 911, 2005 Porsche Boxster S (which he claims is the first car he has ever purchased new), Mini Cooper, Citroën Ami, Mazda MX-5 and several classic motorcycles including a Yamaha XJR1300, Moto Guzzi V11 Sport, a Triumph Daytona 675R and a 1978 Guzzi California. He has a penchant for prestige cars like Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, simple and basic cars such as the Fiat Panda, and motorcycles. He often uses a Brompton folding bicycle for commuting. He passed his driving test on his second attempt, and justified this by saying "All the best people pass the second time".

May obtained a light aircraft pilot's licence in October 2006 having trained at White Waltham Airfield. He has owned a Luscombe 8A 'Silvaire' and an American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathlon.

May received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Lancaster University on 15 July 2010.

Journalism

During the early 1980s, May worked as a writer for ''The Engineer'' and later ''Autocar'' magazine, from which he was dismissed. He has since written for several publications, including a regular column called ''England Made Me'' in ''Car Magazine'', articles for ''Top Gear'' magazine, and a weekly column in ''The Daily Telegraph''.

He has written a book titled ''May On Motors'', which is a collection of his published articles, and co-authored ''Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure'', based on the TV series of the same name.

He has also written the afterword to ''Long Lane with Turnings'', published in September 2006, the final book by motoring writer L. J. K. Setright. In the same month he co-presented a tribute to Raymond Baxter. His book, ''Notes From The Hard Shoulder'', was published on 26 April 2007. ''James May's 20th Century'', a book to accompany the television series of the same name, was published on 6 September 2007.

Dismissal from ''Autocar''

In an interview with Richard Allinson on BBC Radio 2, May confessed that he was fired in 1992 from ''Autocar'' magazine after putting together a hidden message or acrostic in one issue. At the end of the year, the magazine's "Road Test Year Book" supplement was published. Each spread featured four reviews and each review started with a large red letter (known in typography as an initial). May's role was to put the entire supplement together, which "was extremely boring and took several months". He went on to say:

So I had this idea that if I re-edited the beginnings of all the little texts, I could make these red letters spell out a message through the magazine, which I thought was brilliant. I can't remember exactly what it said, but it was to the effect that "You might think this is a really great thing, but if you were sitting here making it up you'd realise it's a real pain in the arse". It took me about two months to do it and on the day that it came out I'd actually forgotten that I'd done it because there's a bit of a gap between it being "put to bed" and coming out on the shelves. When I arrived at work that morning everybody was looking at their shoes and I was summoned to the managing director of the company's office. The thing had come out and nobody at work had spotted what I'd done because I'd made the words work around the pages so you never saw a whole word. But all the readers had seen it and they'd written in thinking they'd won a prize or a car or something.

May's original message, punctuated appropriately, reads: "So you think it's really good, yeah? You should try making the bloody thing up; it's a real pain in the arse."

This was referenced by Jeremy Clarkson during episode 2 of series 17 (in the course of the "hot hatch"-challenge in Italy) when May was noting Autocar's opinion on the car he had purchased, and Clarkson replied "Autocar.... The magazine that sacked you...?"

Radio and television

His past television credits include presenting ''Driven'' on Channel 4 in 1998-99, narrating an eight-part BBC One series called ''Road Rage School'', and co-hosting the ITV1 coverage of the ''2006 London Boat Show.'' He also wrote and presented a Christmas special called ''James May's Top Toys'' (for BBC One) exploring the toys of his childhood. This list was followed up the next year by a sequel of sorts, broadcast on BBC Two, entitled ''James May: My Sister's Top Toys'', this time attempting to investigate the gender divide of toy appeal. In series 3, episode 3 of Gordon Ramsay's ''The F Word'', May managed to beat Ramsay in eating animal penises and with his fish pie recipe.

''Top Gear''

May first co-presented ''Top Gear'' in 1999, before it was axed by the BBC because of poor viewing figures. He rejoined the show in the second series of the present ''Top Gear'' format in 2003, where he earned the nickname "Captain Slow" owing to his careful driving style. Despite this sobriquet, he has done some especially high-speed driving, including in ''Top Gear'' Series 9, taking a Bugatti Veyron to its top speed of 253 mph (407 km/h) which is nearly one-third of the speed of sound at sea level and later on taking a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport edition to 259 mph (417 km/h). In an earlier episode he also tested the original version of the Bugatti Veyron against the new Pagani Zonda F. On the show he claimed that it was 'a piece of cake' driving those cars, but seconds later Jeremy Clarkson played a tape showing him spinning wildly over the test track in the Zonda. Originally he did not want to do this test, but Clarkson had hurt his neck in the previous episode while driving a truck through a brick wall and Richard Hammond claimed that he was busy selling fish at Morrisons. He is often mocked for a poor sense of direction, shown getting lost many times throughout the course of the series, including race tracks and even being mocked once by Jeremy and Hammond for mistaking a normal Range Rover as the camera crew. He also flew in a Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon at a speed of around 1320 mph for his television programme, ''James May's 20th Century''. He also became one of the first people – with co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson and an Icelandic support crew – to travel by car to the magnetic North Pole, using a modified Toyota Hilux. He claims to be the first person on the north pole who didn't want to go there. He was also one of the first people to drive across the Makgadikgadi salt plains in Botswana. He has driven a 1.3 litre Suzuki SJ413 through the Bolivian jungle and along Death Road and over the Andes to the Pacific Ocean in Chile. He also drove a modified Toyota Hilux (also used as a crew car during the North Pole expedition) up the side of the erupting volcano Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland.

Science

May has also presented a documentary for Sky about sharks called ''Inside Killer Sharks'' and a series looking at inventions and discoveries during the twentieth century, entitled ''James May's 20th Century''. In late 2008, the BBC broadcast ''James May's Big Ideas'', a three-part series in which May travelled around the globe in search of implementations for concepts widely considered science fiction.

''James May on the Moon''

In June 2009 May presented a documentary on BBC Two called ''James May on the Moon'' commemorating 40 years since man first landed on the moon. This was followed by another documentary on BBC Four called ''James May at the Edge of Space'', where May was flown to the edge of space (70,000 ft) in a U.S. Air Force Lockheed U-2 spy plane. Highlights of the footage from the training for the flight, and the flight itself was used in ''James May on the Moon'', but was shown fully in this programme. This made him one of the highest flying persons, along with the pilot, at that time, after the crew of the International Space Station.

''James May's Toy Stories''

Beginning in October 2009, May presented a 6-part TV series showing favourite toys of the past era and whether they can be applied in the modern day. The toys featured were Airfix, Plasticine, Meccano, Scalextric, Lego and Hornby. In each show, May attempts to take each toy to its limits, also fulfilling several of his boyhood dreams in the process. For example, in August 2009, May built a full-sized house out of Lego at Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey. Plans for Legoland to move it to their theme park fell through in September 2009 because costs to deconstruct, move and then rebuild were too high and despite a final Facebook appeal for someone to take it, it was demolished on 22 September, with the plastic bricks planned to be donated to charity. Also for the series, he recreated the banked track at Brooklands using Scalextric track, and an attempt at the world's longest working model railway along the Tarka Trail between Barnstaple and Bideford in North Devon, although the attempt was foiled due to vandals placing coins on the track, causing a short circuit. The running order was:

Episode number !! Featured toy !! Feat accomplished
One	Airfix	Building a 1:1 scale Spitfire model in the plastic injection moulding style of Airfix
Two	Plasticine
Three	Meccano
Four	Scalextric
Five	Lego
Six	Hornby Railways>Hornby
2011 Special	Great Train Race

Drink

In late 2006, the BBC broadcast ''Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure'', a series in which May, a committed bitter drinker, travelled around France with wine expert Oz Clarke. A second series was broadcast in late 2007, this time with May and Clarke in the Californian wine country, and was followed by a third series in 2009 called ''Oz and James Drink to Britain''.

Programme !! Notes
''Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure''	Book released (October 2006), DVD released (2007)
''Oz and James Drink to Britain''	Book released (January 2009), DVD released (2009)

Television

Year !! Title !! Role
1999	Top Gear (1977 TV series)>Top Gear (Original Format)''	Presenter
2003	Top Gear (current format)>Top Gear (Current Format)''
2005	''James May's Top Toys''
2006	''Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure''
2006	''Inside Killer Sharks''
2006	''Petrolheads''
2007	''Top Gear of the Pops''
2007	''James May's 20th Century''
2007	''James May: My Sisters' Top Toys''
2008	''Top Ground Gear Force''
2008	''James May's Big Ideas''
2009	''Oz and James Drink to Britain''
2009	''James May on the Moon''
2009	''James May at the Edge of Space''
2009	''James May's Toy Stories''
2010	''James May's Man Lab''
2011	''James May's Things You Need To Know''

DVD

Title !! Label !! Year
''James May's Motormania Car Quiz''	DMD	2006
''James May's 20th Century''	ITV
''James May's Big Ideas''	DMD
''James May's Moon Adventures''	BBC
''James May's Amazing Brain Trainer''	DMD
''James May's Toy Stories''	BBC
''Oz and James Big Wine Adventure: Series One''	BBC
''Oz and James Big Wine Adventure: Series Two''	BBC
''Oz and James Drink to Britain: Series Three''	BBC
''Top Gear Apocalypse''	BBC

As The DVD Contains Both "On The Moon" and "The Edge Of Space", The Classification Name Is "Moon Adventures" or "James May On The Moon".

Books

Title !! Publisher !! Year
''May on Motors: On the Road with James May''	Virgin Books	2006
''Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure''	BBC Books
''May on Motors''	Virgin Books
''Notes from the Hard Shoulder''	Virgin Books
''James May's 20th Century''	Hodder & Stoughton
''James May's Magnificent Machines''	Hodder & Stoughton
''Oz and James Drink to Britain''	Pavilion (Anova)
''James May's Car Fever'' (H/B)	Hodder & Stoughton
''James May's Car Fever'' (P/B)	Hodder & Stoughton
''James May's Toy Stories''	Conway (Anova)
''James May's Car Fever: Volume 2''	Hodder & Stoughton
''How to Land an A330 Airbus''	Hodder & Stoughton

References

External links

''Telegraph Motoring'' - James May's weekly column

James May on Top Gear

''Daily Mail'' article on May

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:British television presenters Category:People from Bristol Category:Top Gear Category:English writers Category:Alumni of Lancaster University Category:Motoring journalists

cs:James May da:James May de:James May es:James May fa:جیمز می fr:James May it:James May he:ג'יימס מיי hu:James May nl:James May ja:ジェームズ・メイ no:James May pl:James May ro:James May ru:Мэй, Джеймс fi:James May sv:James May