The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the first of five province-level autonomous regions established in China, is celebrating its 60th anniversary of founding on Wednesday.

A grand gathering and a gala will be held in the afternoon and evening, respectively, in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia in northern China, which a central government delegation will attend.

The region, where the people of Mongolian ethnic group are densely populated, has witnessed fast growth of economy since it came into being in Ulanhot on May 1, 1947.

With an area of 1.18 million square kilometers, Inner Mongolia covers 12 percent of China's territory and is the third biggest among 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the Chinese mainland.

Its population stood at 23.92 million at the end of 2006, 4.23 million of which are of Mongolian ethnic group.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2007)