Laoting County

Laoting County, often mispronounced as Leting County in accordance with the alternative frequently used Mandarin pronunciation, is a county in the northeast of Hebei province, People's Republic of China, facing the Bohai Sea to the east and south. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Tangshan. The county spans an area of 1308 km2, and, as of 2017, has a population of approximately 419,100.

History
The area of present-day Laoting County has been inhabited since the Neolithic era. During the time of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the area belonged to the state of Guzhu. During the Qin dynasty, the area was part of Liaoxi Commandery. In the Han and Jin dynasties, it belonged to. During the Northern Wei, the area was organized as Lao'an Ting. The area belonged to Macheng County during the Tang dynasty.

In 1189, during the Jin dynasty (not to be confused with the earlier, aforementioned Jin dynasty), Laoting County was established, which the area remains organized as to this day.

Geography and climate
Laoting has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa), with four distinct seasons and some maritime moderation during the summer. Winters are cold and very dry, with a January daily average temperature of −5.8 °C, while summers are hot and humid, with a July daily average temperature of 24.9 °C. The annual mean temperature is 10.59 °C. With the monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 45% in July to 65% in October, the area receives 2,588 hours of bright sunshine per year. A majority of the annual rainfall occurs in July and August alone.

Administrative divisions
The county administers 1 subdistrict, 11 towns, 2 townships, and 2 other township-level divisions.

The county's sole subdistrict is.

The county's 11 towns are, , , , , , , , , , and.

The county's 2 townships are and.

Laoting County also administers the township-level divisions of the Hebei Laoting Economic Development Zone and the Laoting County Urban Industrial Assembly Area.

Demographics
As of 2017, it has a population of approximately 419,100. About 112,300 people (26.80% of the population) are aged 60 and older, while 72,700 (17.35%) are 65 and older. The county had 3,358 births in 2017, and 3,183 deaths, giving it a rate of natural increase of 0.41‰ (per mille).

The county's population comprises 30 different recognized ethnic groups, of which, about 6,000 (1.43%) belong to ethnic minorities. Sizeable ethnic minority groups in Laoting County include the Manchu, the Hui, and the Mongols.

Economy
Per a 2020 government publication, urban residents have a per capita disposable income of 36,980 renminbi (RMB), an 8.5% increase from the previous year, while rural residents average a disposable income of 17,570 RMB, a 9.2% year-over-year increase.