Xi County, Shanxi

Xi County or Xixian is a county in the southwest of Shanxi province, China. It is located in the northwest of the administrative area of the prefecture-level city of Linfen. The county spans an area of 1413 km2, and according to the 2010 Chinese census, Xi County had a population of 103,617.

Toponymy
The county was named after a definition in the Erya which stated "that which is wet shall be called xi", in reference to the county's wet period during the spring.

History
During the Han dynasty, the area was organized as Puzi County.

Under the Northern Wei, the northern portion of present-day Xi County was organized as part of, and the southern portion was part of Pingchang County.

In 579 CE, the Northern Zhou established Changshou County in the area, under the jurisdiction of.

In 585 CE, the area was reorganized as, which existed on and off until the area was reorganized as Xichuan County in the mid 14th century.

In 1912, the area was reorganized as Xi County, as it is today, belonging to.

Under the People's Republic of China, the county was under the jurisdiction of, until it was reorganized as Linfen in 1970.

Geography
The county is located on the western edge of the Lüliang Mountains, with an average elevation ranging from 950 m to 1300 m above sea level. Xi County's highest point is 1953 m above sea level.

The, a tributary of the Yellow River, flows through the county.

Administrative divisions
Xi County administers three towns and five townships.

Towns
The county's three towns are, , and.

Townships
The county's five townships are, , , , and.

Demographics
The county's population per the 2010 Chinese census was 103,617, up from the 95,895 reported in the 2000 Chinese census. In 1999, the county's population was estimated to be 97,758.