Introduction of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Xinjiang, officially Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China in the northwest of the country. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million square kilometers which takes up about one sixth of the country's territory. Xinjiang borders India's Leh District to the south and Mongolia to the east, Russia to the north, and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India to the west. It is divided into two prefecture-level cities, seven prefectures, and five autonomous prefectures for major ethnic groups in Xinjiang such as Mongol, Kirgiz, Kazakh and Hui minorities. Xinjiang is traditionally an agricultural region, it is also famous for its fruit and fruit produce. Besides, it has abundant oil reserves and is China's largest natural gas-producing region.

Uyghurs are considered to be the descendants of a number of people, including the ancient Uyghurs in Mongolia who arrived at the Tarim Basin after the fall of Uyghur Khaganate in 9th Century, Iranian Saka tribes, and other Indo-European peoples who inhabited the Tarim Basin before the arrival of the Mongolian Uyghurs. The Uyghur language belongs to the Turkish language Family.