[Photo from xinye.gov.cn]

Bordered by Hubei province to the south, Xinye county had a population of 830,000 in 2010, and covered an area of 1,062 square kilometers.

Xinye county is mostly flat, abundant in oil, natural gas and geothermal resources. Its GDP totaled 19.53 billion yuan ($3 billion) in 2011 and 21.3 billion yuan in 2012, ranking 25th among 108 counties in Henan province, in the most recent precedence table of comprehensive economic strength.