As of the end of 2017, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region governs 9 prefecture-level cities, 3 leagues, and a total of 12 prefecture-level administrative divisions.

1. Hohhot City: meaning "green city" in Mongolian, it is located in the Tumochuan Plain in the central part of the autonomous region, surrounded by Yinshan Mountain to the north and the Yellow River to the south.

It has a total area of ??17,200 square kilometers and a permanent population of 3.0896 million. It governs 9 banner counties and districts and 1 national economic and technological development zone.

Hohhot is the capital of the autonomous region and is known as the "Breast Capital of China".

2. Baotou City: Baoketu in Mongolian means "the place with deer" and is located in the central part of the autonomous region.

It has a total area of ??28,000 square kilometers and a permanent population of 2.878 million. It governs 9 banner counties and districts and 1 national-level rare earth high-tech industrial development zone.

Baotou is rich in mineral resources and has the largest rare earth reserves in the world. It is known as the "Prairie Steel City" and "Rare Earth Capital".

3. Wuhai City: Located at the junction of the Ningxia-Mongolia-Shaanxi-Gansu Economic Zone and the central area along the Yellow River Economic Belt, it is the window for the autonomous region to open to the west and south and an important node city of the "One Belt and One Road", with a total area of ??1,754 square kilometers.

The population is 561,000, and the urbanization rate is 94.7%.

4. Chifeng City: It is the Chinese translation name of Mongolian Ulan Hada. It is named after the ocher-red peaks in the northeast of the city.

Chifeng City is located in the southeast of the autonomous region, with a total area of ??90,000 square kilometers, jurisdiction over 12 banner counties and districts, and a permanent population of 4.3 million. It is the most populous league city in the autonomous region.

5. Tongliao City: Located in the eastern part of the autonomous region and in the hinterland of the Horqin Grassland, it has a total area of ??59,000 square kilometers and a registered population of 3.21 million. It governs 8 banner counties and cities and 1 economic and technological development zone.

The city's Mongolian population is 1.55 million, making it the area with the highest concentration of Mongolian population in the country.

Tongliao City is a national civilized city, a national sanitary city and a national garden city.

6. Ordos City: meaning palace guard in Mongolian, it is located in the southwest of the autonomous region, with a total area of ??87,000 square kilometers, a permanent population of 2.0687 million, and jurisdiction over 9 banner areas.

7. Hulunbuir City: It is named after Hulun Lake and Bell Lake. Hulun and Belmont mean otter and male otter respectively.

It is located in the northeast of the autonomous region, with a total area of ??253,000 square kilometers, accounting for 21.4% of the autonomous region's area.

The city has a permanent population of 2.53 million and governs 14 banner cities.

8. Bayannur City: means fertile lake in Mongolian, located in the west of the autonomous region.

The city has a total area of ??65,000 square kilometers, a permanent population of 1.68 million, and jurisdiction over 7 counties and districts.

The conditions for agricultural and animal husbandry production are unique.

The Yellow River flows for 345 kilometers. The Hetao Irrigation District is the largest self-flow irrigation district in Asia, with more than 11 million acres of cultivated land.

9. Ulanqab City: meaning red mountain pass in ancient language, it is located in the central part of the autonomous region with a total area of ??54,500 square kilometers, a permanent population of 2.11 million, and jurisdiction over 11 banner counties and cities.

Ulanqab is a hub-type regional central city.

Located at the junction of the three provinces of Mongolia, Shanxi and Hebei, it is an important passage from my country to Mongolia, Russia and Eastern European countries.

10. Xing'an League: Manchu means hills.

Xing'an League is located in the northeastern part of the autonomous region, in the transition zone from the Daxing'an Mountains to the Songnen Plain.

With a total area of ??nearly 60,000 square kilometers and a total population of 1.65 million, it governs 6 banners, counties and cities. It is a national demonstration city for national unity and progress.

Hung Yen League is an old revolutionary base and the place where the party’s regional ethnic autonomy policy was first put into practice.

11. Xilingol League: Mongolian means river on the plateau. It is located in the central part of the autonomous region. It is the grassland area with the most complete types of grassland and vegetation in my country. It has a total area of ??203,000 square kilometers and a 1,103-kilometer border with Mongolia. There are Erenhot, Zhuhai and Engadabqi has two national first-class ports open to Mongolia.

12. Alxa League: Mongolian means colorful land. It is located in the westernmost part of the autonomous region, at the intersection of Hobaoyinyu Economic Zone and Longhailan New Economic Zone. It has a total area of ??270,000 square kilometers and a permanent population of 248,000. It governs

The three banners are the league cities with the largest area and the smallest population in Inner Mongolia.

It has Ceke Port, a national first-class and the third largest year-round open land port in Inner Mongolia.

Extended information: Hohhot is the capital of the autonomous region, a national historical and cultural city, an outstanding tourist city in China, a national model city for national unity and progress, a national innovative pilot city, a national garden city and a national forest city. It is known as the "Breast Capital of China".

Hohhot has more than 2,000 years of written records and city-building history.

Yunzhong County was built during the Warring States Period and was one of the 36 counties established by Qin Shihuang.

Shengle City was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Fengzhou City was built during the Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties.

In the late Ming Dynasty, Altan Khan built Hohhot (named Guihua City by the Ming court).

Suiyuan City was built in the Qing Dynasty and belonged to Suiyuan Province from the Republic of China to the liberation.

It was peacefully liberated in 1949, merged with Mengsu and Suizhou in 1954, and restored its original name of Hohhot.