Qinghai is a province of China, named after Qinghai Lake. It borders Gansu on the northeast, the Xinjiang Autonomous Region on the northwest, Sichuan on the southeast, and Tibet Autonomous Region on the southwest. A large part of Qinghai, until the early 20th century most often referred to by its Mongol name Kokonur in English, lies outside of China proper and has been an ethnic melting pot for centuries, mixing Tibetan, Mongol, Turkic, Han Chinese influences. Although it preserved cultural and ethnic ties with central Tibet, it was ruled by local authorities during the last several centuries. It was a battleground during the Tang and subsequent Chinese dynasties when they fought against successive Tibetan tribes. Qinghai is located on the northeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. The Yellow River (Huang He) originates in southern part of the province, while the Yangtze and Mekong have their sources in the southwestern part. The average elevation of Qinghai is over 3000 meters above sea level. Mountain ranges include the Tanggula Mountains and Kunlun Mountains. By area, Qinghai is the largest province in China - excluding autonomous regions, which are technically not provinces; but if they were, Xinjiang would be the largest. Qinghai Lake (Koko Nor) is the largest salt water lake in China, and the second largest in the world. [Source: Wikipedia]
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