• Urumqi
• Uyghur

Xinjiang

新疆维吾尔自治区
Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu

Province Abbreviation(s): 新
Capital	Urumqi
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 1st 1,650,000 km² xx%
Population  - Total (2001)  - Density	Ranked 24th 19,250,000 11.6/km²
Administration Type	Autonomous Region
Chairman of the Government	Ismail Tiliwaldi

Table of contents

1 History 2 Subdivisions 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Culture 7 Tourism 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 External links

History

Traversed by the Silk Road, Xinjiang has been loosely controlled by China since the Han Dynasty. However, because it is far from eastern China, it has been mostly autonomous. It has also been ruled by the Mongols, Uighurs, and the pre-Turkic Tocharians. The Qing Empire established Xinjiang Province in 1884.

In the period before the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Xinjiang was ruled by the warlord Sheng Shicai.

The autonomous region was established on October 1, 1955.

Subdivisions

Conventional	Hanzi	Pinyin	Uyghur
Autonomous prefectures
Urumqi	烏魯木齊市	Wūlǔmùqí	Ürümqi
Karamay	克拉瑪依市	Kèlāmǎyī	Ķaramay
Direct-control cities
Shihezi	石河子市	Shíhézǐ	Xihənzə
Tumushuk?	圖木舒克市	Túmùshūkè
Alar	阿拉尔市	Ālāěr
Wujiaqu	五家渠市	Wǔjiāqú
Prefectures
Turpan	吐魯番地區	Tùlǔfān	Turpan
Kumul	哈密地區	Hāmì	Ķumul
Hotan	和田地區	Hétián	Hotən
Aksu	阿克蘇地區	Ākèsù	Aķsu
Kashgar	喀什地區	Kāshí	Ķəxķər
Autonomous prefectures
Kezilesu?	克孜勒苏州	Kèzīlèsū	Ķizilsu
Bayinguoleng?	巴音郭楞州	Bāyìnguōléng	Bayinƣolin
Changji	昌吉州	Chāngjí	Sanji
Bole	博爾塔拉州	Bóěrtǎlā	Bortala
Illi	伊犁州	Yīlí	Ili

Geography

Xinjiang is the largest political subdivision of China. Xinjiang is divided into two basins by Mount Tianshan. Dzungarian Basin is in the north, and Tarim Basin is in the south.

Xinjiang's lowest point is 155 metres below sea level (lowest point in China as well). Its highest peak is 8611 metres above sea level on the border with Kashmir.

• Neighboring countries: Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (Kashmir).
• Neighboring Provinces: Tibet, Gansu, and Qinghai

The Karakorum highway (KKH) links Islamabad, Pakistan with Kashgar over the Khunjerab Pass.

Rivers include: Tarim River

Major Cities:

• Urumqi
• Turpan
• Kashgar
• Karamay
• Yining
• Shihezi

Xinjiang is known for its fruits and produce including grapes and melons. Cotton, wheat, silk, walnuts, and sheep are also produced. Xinjiang also has large deposits of minerals and oil.

Demographics

Xinjiang is home to several Muslim Turkic groups including the Uighurs and the Kazakhs. Other minority ethnic groups include Hui Chinese, the Kirghiz, the Mongols, the Russians, the Xibes, the Tajik, the Uzbek, the Tatars, and the Manchus.

Xinjiang has seen a similar struggle to Tibet's in maintaining its culture. The percentage of ethnic Han Chinese in Xinjiang has grown from 6 percent in 1949 to 40 percent at present.

The Uighurs trace descent to both the Turkic Uighurs and the pre-Turkic Indoeuropean Tocharians (or Tokharians), and fair-skin, hair and eyes, as well as other 'Caucasoid' physical traits, are not uncommon among them.

+ Populations of ethnicities in 1990
Ethnicity	Population	%
Uighur	7,093,800	47.33
Han	5,647,200	37.68
Kazakh	111.4,700	7.44
Hui	74,100	4.50
Kirgiz	14.1,300	0.94
Mongols	139,700	0.93
Tajik	33,700	0.22
Xibe	33,500	0.22
Manchus	16,200	0.11
Uzbek	11,200	0.07
Russ	7321	0.05
Daur	5531	0.04
Tatar	3910	0.02
Others	6.51	0.34

In 2002, there were 9,632,600 males (growth rate of 1.0%) and 9,419,300 females (growth rate of 2.2%). The population overall growth rate was 10.9‰, with 16.3‰ of birth rate and 5.4‰ mortality rate.

Culture

• Chinese Islamic cuisine

Miscellaneous topics

Professional sports teams in Xinjiang include:

• Chinese Football Association
  • None
• Chinese Basketball Association
  • Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers

East Turkestan separatists who support "Uighur independence" are active in Xinjiang.

External links

• Official site (in Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese)
• Xinjiang University
• Subdivision info (in Simplified Chinese)

1. redirect