Xinjiang

Xinjiang (新疆; Pinyin: Xīnjiāng; Postal Pinyin: Sinkiang; Wade-Giles: Hsin-chiang; literal meaning: "New Frontier") Uighur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, sometimes known as Chinese Turkestan or Eastern Turkestan (Turkestan also spelt Turkistan). The capital is Urumqi. Xinjiang's area is 1,650,000 km² (637,000 sq.mi) and the population is estimated at about 19 million.

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

Xinjiang contains 2 prefecture-level cities, 7 prefectures, and 5 autonomous prefectures. Below them, there are 11 districts, 20 county-level cities, 62 counties, and 6 autonomous counties. Four of the county-level cities do not belong to any prefecture, so are administered directly by the province. They are the direct-control county-level administrative units (直轄縣級行政單位).

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 Xinjiang-Kyrgyzstan border is marked by the Tian Shan mountain range. The Torugart Pass (3752 m) is located on this border.

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

Economy

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.

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 birthrate and 5.4‰ mortality rate.

Culture

• Chinese Islamic cuisine

Tourism

Miscellaneous topics

Main article: List of East Turkestan-related topics

Xinjiang is the home of the Lop Nur testing site for China's nuclear weapons program.

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

External links

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