Urban areas in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are expanding.

A regional government representative told Wednesday that people living in towns and cities now account for 51.6 percent of the regional total.

This is higher than the national average of 45.7 percent at the end of 2008, according to statistics from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Inner Mongolia launched an initiative in 2001 to build more townships in its vast prairies.

A large number of towns and cities have since emerged in its eastern, central and western areas.

As a result, urban industries have drawn rural workers and boosted economic growth.

Small towns in more than 100 prefectures or counties in the region have also been speeding up urbanization.

Plans have been made to build more roads, pipelines, information networks and public service facilities.

Of the region's total population of 24 million, more than 12.4 million currently live in towns and cities.

(Xinhua News Agency August 7, 2009)