Myhometown--xinjiang

　　XinjiangwassetupasanautonomousregiononOctober1,1955.Ithasanareaofmorethan1.66millionsquarekilometers,onesixthofthetotalsizeofChinaandlargerthananyotherprovinceorautonomousregion.

　　Climate

　　SituateddeepintheinteriorofAsiaandnotpenetratedbytheaircurrentsfromtheoceans,theXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegionhasconspicuouscontinentalclimate,withhighlychangeabletemperature,greatdifferenceintemperaturebetweendayandnight,abundantsunshine,intenseevaporationandlittleprecipitation.ThemeanannualtemperatureofXinjiangis11.7oC--thehottestmonth,July,averagingabout25oCandthecoldestmonth,January,-20oCinthenorth)and-10oCinthesouth--andameanannualprecipitationof150mm.

　　AdministrativeDivisionandPopulation

　　Itisdividedinto2prefecture-levelcities,5districts,5autonomousprefectures,14county-levelcities,61countiesand6autonomouscountieswithapopulationof19.25millionby2000,ofwhich5millionaretheUygurs,theprincipalminoritygroupthere,therestaretheHans,Kazaks,Mongolians,Huis,Xibes,Kirgizes,Ozbeks,Tajiks,Russians,Manchus,DaursandTatars.

　　Food

　　BakedFullGoat,BakedBaozi,PellicleBaozi,Kebab,BraisedJemmyandGoat'sHoof,Youtazi(OilPagoda),etc.

　　Culture

　　TheUygurdances,suchasthe"Bowls-on-HeadDance","DrumDance","IronRingDance","PutaDance"and"SainaimDance".Uygurmusicalinstruments,suchastheDutar,strummedRawapandDap.

　　BriefIntroduction

　　TheXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion(Xinforshort)islocatedinNorthwestChina,withitscapitalcityinUrumqi.

　　Surroundedbyloftymountains,Xinjiangisknownfarandwideasthehomeoffruitsandmelons.Itsmainagriculturalproducesincludewheat,corn,cottonandplentyoffruitlikeHamimelon,grape,fig,Iliapple,etc.BeingoneofChina'sfivemajorpastoralareas,ithasadvancedlivestockbreeding.Italsohasrichresourcesofpetroleum,bowlder,goldandnonferrousmetals

　　Xinjiangiswellknownfortheexpanseofitsareaandrichnessofnaturalresources,aswellforitswonderfulscenicspotsandenchantingspectaclesofnature.Many"mosts"ofChinaarefoundinXinjiang--thedriest,hottest,andcoldestplacesareinXinjiang,andChina'slongestinlandriver,lowestlandandgreatestdesertarehereaswell.Herethetouristcanseeamostspectacularandengrossingtopographyoftheworld,locallyknownas"Yadan".Thelongestinlandriver,TheTurpanBasinisthesecondlowestlandontheearthnexttotheDeadSeainJordon,whiletheMountQogir,8,611metersabovesealevel,issecondinheightonlytotheMountEverest.

　　HistoricalandculturaltourisminXinjiangismostattractiveforitsuniquecharm.TheSilkRoad,whichrunsacrossXinjianghorizontally,isknowntothewholeworld.Xinjiangisendowedwith236ancientculturalsites,tombs,architectures,Buddhistcaves,stonesculptures,andmoderncommemorativemonumentsofhistorical,artistic,andscientificvalue.WithintheterritoryofXinjiang,thereareanumberofancientcityruinssuchasGaochangAncientCity,CitySiteinStateofLoulan,andtheSiteofNiya.Theregionhasestablished22naturereserves.

　　Vastinarea,Xinjianghasvarioustypesofgeographicalconditionsandmultitudeofregionalandeth