Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

I

Introduction

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, provincial-level administrative region in far northwestern China. Also called Sinkiang Uighur Autonomous Region or Eastern Turkistan, the region is bounded on the west and northwest by Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan; on the north by Russia; on the northeast by Mongolia; on the east by the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai; on the south by Tibet; and on the southwest by Afghanistan and the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmīr. Xinjiang is China’s largest region, with a total area of about 1,646,800 sq km (about 635,800 sq mi), approximately one-sixth of China’s total land area. From east to west the region extends about 1,900 km (about 1,200 mi) and from north to south about 1,450 km (about 900 mi).

II

Physical Geography and Climate

Tall mountains surround Xinjiang on three sides. The Altay Mountains lie on the north, the Kunlun Mountains and the Karokoram Range are on the south, and the Pamirs mountain region is to the west and southwest. The world’s second highest peak, K2 (Mount Godwin Austen), with an elevation of 8,611 m (28,251 ft) lies on the border with Jammu and Kashmīr. The Tian Shan extend from east to west in northern Xinjiang. North and south of the Tian Shan are two great basins—the Tarim Pendi to the south and the Junggar Pendi to the north. Xinjiang’s main settled areas lie along the fringes of these basins. At the eastern end of the Tian Shan is the Turpan Pendi (Turfan Depression), which contains China’s lowest point, with a depth of 154 m (505 ft) below sea level. South of the Turpan Pendi is Lop Nur, an unpopulated salt lake and marsh area that is the site of China’s nuclear-testing facilities. Each great basin has a large desert, the Takla Makan in the south and the Gurbantünggüt in the north, and these are among the driest places on earth. Drainage throughout the region is internal, meaning that almost none of the rivers empty into the sea but evaporate in the deserts or lakes. The largest rivers are the Tarim and the Ili.

Xinjiang’s climate is dry and continental, with warm summers and long, cold winters. North of the Tian Shan in the Junggar Pendi, the city of Ürümqi has an average annual precipitation of only 178 mm (7 in), a January average temperature of -11° C (12° F), and a July average of 25° C (77° F). The area south of the Tian Shan, in the Takla Makan, receives no precipitation in some years. Most precipitation occurs at higher elevations in the mountains and especially on the west- and north-facing slopes. As a result, much of the available moisture is stored in glaciers. As these melt they feed the region’s streams and rivers, providing water for the cities and irrigated agriculture of the basins. Plant life in Xinjiang is limited to hardy shrubs and trees that can endure the dry and cold conditions of the harsh winters; evergreen forests grow in the mountains. Wildlife includes wild horses, camels, and yaks. Diverse species of migratory birds pass through the region.

III

Population

The 2003 population of Xinjiang was 19.3 million. The 1900 estimated population was only 2.1 million. More than 90 percent of the people were various non-Han Chinese nationalities; the largest group was the Uygurs, a Muslim Turkic people. By 1949 the population had more than doubled to 4.3 million. During the 1950s and early 1960s Xinjiang experienced heavy migration of ethnic Han Chinese from eastern China. This, coupled with high birth rates among the minority nationalities, as well as increased life expectancy, caused considerable population growth.

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In the mid-1990s about 40 percent of the population were Uygurs; Han Chinese accounted for slightly less. Other non-Han minorities include Kazaks, Hui (also Chinese Muslims), Kyrgyz, and Mongolians. The Han are concentrated mainly in the cities, although a significant Han population remains on military farms that were set up in the 1950s to resettle landless war veterans from the east. Han dominate the cities as administrative and industrial workers, whereas the non-Han ethnic nationalities remain largely rural and engage in various farming and herding activities.

Most cities in Xinjiang lie near the flanks of the mountains, strung along the paths of the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China and Rome. Ürümqi is Xinjiang’s capital and largest city, as well as its industrial, commercial, and transportation hub. The city is also the major cultural center of the region and contains Xinjiang University as well as leading research institutes. Other large cities include Shihezi, Aksu, and Hami; smaller cities include Kashi, Korla, Yining, and Turpan. Kashi, located in the western Tarim Pendi, is unusual in that it has a largely Uygur population.

IV

Economy

Agriculture was the traditional economic base of Xinjiang, and farming occurs where rivers flow onto the basins and are harnessed for irrigation. New industries have recently developed to exploit available local resources, which include extensive oil, natural gas, and coal deposits. Also important are copper, lead, zinc, and nickel, and various nonmetallic resources such as limestone, mica, and gypsum. In addition, a variety of industries such as textile manufacturing and food processing have developed to satisfy local demand. Xinjiang has established new trade links with the independent countries of Central Asia that were created when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) disbanded in 1991. As a result there has been rapid growth in cross-border trading of consumer and industrial goods.

Transportation links largely follow the former routes of the Silk Road and traverse east to west along the flanks of the Tian Shan and Kunlun mountains. The most developed highways and rail lines are north of the Tian Shan in the Junggar Pendi, where most of the larger cities are located. A main rail line connects Ürümqi with Lanzhou and Beijing to the east and also extends west into Kazakhstan to connect to the former Soviet railroads of Central Asia.