Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture
Encyclopedia
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture ' onMouseout='HidePop("4215")' href="/topics/Kazakh_language">Kazakh
: ىله قازاق اۆتونومىيالى وبلىسى, Іле Қазақ аутономиялық облысы, İle Qazaq awtonomïyalıq oblısı), in northernmost Xinjiang
, is the only Kazakh
autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China
.
and Altay Prefecture
.
The Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture is west of Mongolia
, south of Russia
and east of Kazakhstan
. Its foreign boundary is 2,000 km. (The Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture
interrupts the border with Kazakhstan for several km.)
The upper course of the Ili River
and that of Irtysh River (Ertix River) flow through the prefecture.
(Qoqek, 塔城地区) and Altay
(阿勒泰地区) Prefectures, both to the Northeast of the capital.
Ili also directly controls 2 county-level cities, 7 counties, and 1 autonomous county. (see Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China#Levels).
Geographically, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture can be divided into two parts. Altay Prefecture
and Tacheng Prefecture
s, together with the city of Kuitun
, occupy most of the Dzungarian Basin in northern Xinjiang, north of the Borohoro Range. The rest of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is located entirely within the Ili River
Basin, between Borohoro and the main range of Tian Shan
. This latter region is exactly coterminous with the historical area that in the past was often called by Russians and Westerners as Kulja or Kuldja (see, e.g. 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica article on Kulja) or Ili.
, Ili was occupied by the Ussuns, a tributary of the Hun. The Ussuns were driven away in the 6th century A.D. by the northern Xiongnu, who established Western Turk Khanate in 552. Later the Kulja territory became a dependency of Dzungaria
. During the Tang Dynasty
, the khanate was Anxi Daduhufu (安西大都护府) of the Tang Empire.
The Uyghurs
, and in the 12th century the Kara-Khitai, took possession of it in turn. Genghis Khan
conquered Kulja in the 13th century, and the Mongol Khans resided in the valley of the Ili. It is supposed that the Oirats
conquered it at the end of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century.
, when the Manchu-ruled Qing Dynasty
under Emperor Qianlong annexed it. Having defeated Dzungars in the Dzunagrian and Ili Basins, as well as the Ishāqī
khoja
s in Kashgaria, the Qing court decided to make the Ili basin the main base of their control in Xinjiang.
In the 1760s, the Qing built nine fortified towns (九城) in the Ili Basin:
Huiyuan Cheng, as the seat of the Ili Governor General , who was the chief commander of the Qing troops in entire Xinjiang, became the administrative capital of the region. It was provided with a large penal establishment and strong garrison.
This city was called New Kulja, Manhcu Kulja, Chinese Kulja, or Ili by the Russians and Westerners, to distinguish it from Nigyuan/Yining, known as Old Kulja or Taranchi Kulja.
The first Ili Governor General was Ming Rui (明瑞). The Qing tradition, not broken until the days of Zuo Zongtang
in the 1870s, was to only appoint Manchus as officials in Xinjiang.
During the insurrection of 1864 the Dungans and the Taranchi
s formed here the Taranchi Sultanate. Huiyuan (Manchu Kulja) was the last Qing fortress in the Ili Valley to fall to the rebels. The insurgent Dungans massacred most of Manchu Kulja's inhabitants; Governor General Mingsioi
(Ming Xü) (明绪) assembled his family and staff in his mansion, and blew it up, dying under its ruins.
The sultanate led to the occupation of the Ili basin (Kulja, in contemporary Western terms) by the Russians in 1871. Ten years later the territory was restored to China, and its boundary with Russia was assigned in accordance to the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881)
.
After Chinese authority was restored, the "Manchu Kuldja" was rebuilt, now as the city of Suiding (today's' Shuiding), some 8 km north of the old Huiyuan site.
On January 7, 1912, Yang Cuanxu (杨缵绪) of Ili occupied Huiyuan (惠远城) and shot the last Qing
Governor General of Ili, Zhi Rui (志锐).
and Quanxi (精河、博乐、温泉) of Ili were made into a new autonomous prefecture now not part of Ili: Bortala
.
are:
Kazakh language
Kazakh is a Turkic language which belongs to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic languages, closely related to Nogai and Karakalpak....
: ىله قازاق اۆتونومىيالى وبلىسى, Іле Қазақ аутономиялық облысы, İle Qazaq awtonomïyalıq oblısı), in northernmost Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, is the only Kazakh
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Geography and coordinates
The following figures excludes both Tacheng PrefectureTacheng Prefecture
Tacheng Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 98,824 km² and a population of 892,397 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The prefecture level city of Karamay forms a separate enclave in the middle of Tacheng.- Subdivisions :Tacheng prefecture is...
and Altay Prefecture
Altay Prefecture
Altay Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km² and a population of 561,667 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture...
.
- AreaAreaArea is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
: 273,200 km² - PopulationPopulationA population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
: 3,880,000 (2000) - Capital: Ghulja (Yining City)
- Geographic coordinates: 79º50'30″ - 84º56'50″ East, 42º14'16″ - 44º50'30″ North
The Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture is west of Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, south of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and east of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. Its foreign boundary is 2,000 km. (The Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture
Börtala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture
Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture , short for Bortala , is a Mongol autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 27,000 square kilometers. Bole is its capital...
interrupts the border with Kazakhstan for several km.)
The upper course of the Ili River
Ili River
thumb|right|300px|Map of the Lake Balkhash drainage basin showing the Ili River and its tributariesThe Ili River is a river in northwestern China and southeastern Kazakhstan .It is long, of which is in Kazakhstan...
and that of Irtysh River (Ertix River) flow through the prefecture.
Subdivisions
As a Sub-provincial Autonomous Prefecture, Ili's primary subdivisions include TachengTacheng Prefecture
Tacheng Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 98,824 km² and a population of 892,397 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The prefecture level city of Karamay forms a separate enclave in the middle of Tacheng.- Subdivisions :Tacheng prefecture is...
(Qoqek, 塔城地区) and Altay
Altay Prefecture
Altay Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km² and a population of 561,667 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture...
(阿勒泰地区) Prefectures, both to the Northeast of the capital.
Ili also directly controls 2 county-level cities, 7 counties, and 1 autonomous county. (see Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China#Levels).
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Uyghur Uyghur language Uyghur , formerly known as Eastern Turk, is a Turkic language with 8 to 11 million speakers, spoken primarily by the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of Western China. Significant communities of Uyghur-speakers are located in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and various other... |
Population (2003 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | Altay Prefecture Altay Prefecture Altay Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km² and a population of 561,667 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture... |
阿勒泰地区 | Ālètài Dìqū | تارباغاتاي ۋىلايىتى | Altay Wilayiti | 561,667 | 117,800 | 5 |
| Tacheng Prefecture Tacheng Prefecture Tacheng Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 98,824 km² and a population of 892,397 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The prefecture level city of Karamay forms a separate enclave in the middle of Tacheng.- Subdivisions :Tacheng prefecture is... |
塔城地区 | Tǎchéng Dìqū | تارباغاتاي ۋىلايىتى | Tarbaghatay Wilayiti | 4,342,166 | 273,200 | 16 | |
| 1 | Yining City | 伊宁市 | Yīníng Shì | غۇلجا شەھىرى | Ghulja Shehiri | 430,000 | 629 | 684 |
| 2 | Kuitun City Kuitun Kuytun or Kuitun is a county-level city with about 285,000 residents in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. Kuitun is located between Wusu and Shihezi on the railway from Urumqi to Kazakhstan, close to a desert.... |
奎屯市 | Kuítún Shì | كۈيتۇن شەھىرى | Küytun Shehiri | 300,000 | 1,171 | 256 |
| 3 | Yining County Yining County The Yining County is a county within the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. The county seat is in the town of Jiliyuzi .... |
伊宁县 | Yīníng Xiàn | غۇلجا ناھىيىسى | Ghulja Nahiyisi | 360,000 | 4,486 | 80 |
| 4 | Huocheng County Huocheng County The Huocheng County is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It's located between Yining and the border to Kazakhstan, occupies an area of 5,466 km² and has a population of 360,000... |
霍城县 | Huòchéng Xiàn | قورغاس ناھىيىسى | Qorghas Nahiyisi | 360,000 | 5,466 | 66 |
| 5 | Gongliu County Gongliu County Tokkuztara County is a county situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of 4,119 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 160,000.There is one township and seven villages.... |
巩留县 | Gǒngliú Xiàn | توققۇزتارا ناھىيىسى | Toqquztara Nahiyisi | 160,000 | 4,124 | 39 |
| 6 | Xinyuan County Xinyuan County Künes County is a county situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of 7,581 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 290,000.-See also:*Nalati grasslands... |
新源县 | Xīnyuán Xiàn | كۈنەس ناھىيىسى | Künes Nahiyisi | 300,000 | 7,583 | 40 |
| 7 | Zhaosu County Zhaosu County The Zhaosu County is a county situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of 10,455 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 150,000.... |
昭苏县 | Zhāosū Xiàn | موڭغۇلكۈرە ناھىيىسى | Mongghulküre Nahiyisi | 160,000 | 10,465 | 15 |
| 8 | Tekes County Tekes County Tekes County is a county within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of 8,067 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 150,000.... |
特克斯县 | Tèkèsī Xiàn | تېكەس ناھىيىسى | Tékes Nahiyisi | 160,000 | 8,080 | 20 |
| 9 | Nilka County Nilka County The Nilka County is a county situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of 10,121 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 150,000.... |
尼勒克县 | Nílèkè Xiàn | نىلقا ناھىيسى | Nilqa Nahiyisi | 160,000 | 10,130 | 16 |
| 10 | Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in northern Xinjiang is the only Xibe autonomous county of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 4,430 square kilometers and a population 160,000... |
察布查尔锡伯自治县 | Chábùchá'ěr Xībó Zìzhìxiàn | ئاپتونوم يېزىسى چاپچال شىبە | Chapchal Shibe Aptonom Nahiyisi | 170,000 | 4,489 | 38 |
Altay Prefecture
Altay Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km² and a population of 561,667 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture...
and Tacheng Prefecture
Tacheng Prefecture
Tacheng Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 98,824 km² and a population of 892,397 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The prefecture level city of Karamay forms a separate enclave in the middle of Tacheng.- Subdivisions :Tacheng prefecture is...
s, together with the city of Kuitun
Kuitun
Kuytun or Kuitun is a county-level city with about 285,000 residents in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. Kuitun is located between Wusu and Shihezi on the railway from Urumqi to Kazakhstan, close to a desert....
, occupy most of the Dzungarian Basin in northern Xinjiang, north of the Borohoro Range. The rest of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is located entirely within the Ili River
Ili River
thumb|right|300px|Map of the Lake Balkhash drainage basin showing the Ili River and its tributariesThe Ili River is a river in northwestern China and southeastern Kazakhstan .It is long, of which is in Kazakhstan...
Basin, between Borohoro and the main range of Tian Shan
Tian Shan
The Tian Shan , also spelled Tien Shan, is a large mountain system located in Central Asia. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak , ....
. This latter region is exactly coterminous with the historical area that in the past was often called by Russians and Westerners as Kulja or Kuldja (see, e.g. 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica article on Kulja) or Ili.
History
Pre-Qing
Before the Qin DynastyQin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
, Ili was occupied by the Ussuns, a tributary of the Hun. The Ussuns were driven away in the 6th century A.D. by the northern Xiongnu, who established Western Turk Khanate in 552. Later the Kulja territory became a dependency of Dzungaria
Dzungaria
Dzungaria, also called Zungaria, is a geographical region in northwest China corresponding to the northern half of Xinjiang. It covers approximately , lying mostly within Xinjiang, and extending into western Mongolia and eastern Kazakhstan...
. During the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, the khanate was Anxi Daduhufu (安西大都护府) of the Tang Empire.
The Uyghurs
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
, and in the 12th century the Kara-Khitai, took possession of it in turn. Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
conquered Kulja in the 13th century, and the Mongol Khans resided in the valley of the Ili. It is supposed that the Oirats
Oirats
Oirats are the westernmost group of the Mongols who unified several tribes origin whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of western Mongolia. Although the Oirats originated in the eastern parts of Central Asia, the most prominent group today is located in the Republic of Kalmykia, a federal...
conquered it at the end of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century.
Qing Dynasty
The Oirats, or more precisely Dzungars, controlled both Dzungaria and the Ili Basin it until 1755 as Zunghar KhanateZunghar Khanate
The Zunghar Khanate was a nomadic power on the Eurasian steppe. It covered the area called Dzungaria and stretched from the west end of the Great Wall of China to present-day eastern Kazakhstan, and from present-day northern Kyrgyzstan to southern Siberia .In 1678 Galdan received from the Dalai...
, when the Manchu-ruled Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
under Emperor Qianlong annexed it. Having defeated Dzungars in the Dzunagrian and Ili Basins, as well as the Ishāqī
Ishaqi
Ishaqi is a small town in the Balad district of the Salah ad Din Governorate of Iraq about 60 miles north of Baghdad.-1st 2006 incident:...
khoja
Khoja (Turkestan)
Khwāja or Khoja, , a Persian word literally meaning 'master', was used in Central Asia as a title of the descendants of the famous Central Asian Naqshbandi Sufi teacher, Ahmad Kasani . The most powerful religious figure in the late Timurid era was the Naqshbandi Shaykh Khoja Ahrar...
s in Kashgaria, the Qing court decided to make the Ili basin the main base of their control in Xinjiang.
In the 1760s, the Qing built nine fortified towns (九城) in the Ili Basin:
| Original Chinese name | Hanzi | Turkic (Uyghur) name | Modern name of the location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huiyuan Cheng | 惠远城 | Kürä Shahr | Huiyuan town (惠远镇) | Was the residence of the Ili Governor General until 1866, and also known as New Kulja, Manchu Kulja, or Ili at the time. |
| Ningyuan Cheng | 宁远城 | Kulja (Ghulja) | Yining City(伊宁) | Also was known as Old Kulja or Taranchi Taranchi The term Taranchi denotes the Muslim sedentary population living in oases around the Tarim Basin in today's Xinjiang, whose native language is Turkic Karluk, and whose ancestral heritages include Iranic and Tocharian populations of Tarim and the later Turco-Mongol immigrants of the Qarluq, Uyghur,... Kulja |
| Huining Cheng | 惠宁城 | Bayandai | Bayandai township (巴彦岱镇) within Yining City, some 10 to 18 km to the west of the Yining center city | |
| Taleqi Cheng | 塔勒奇城 | Tarchi | Within Huocheng County Huocheng County The Huocheng County is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It's located between Yining and the border to Kazakhstan, occupies an area of 5,466 km² and has a population of 360,000... (霍城县) |
|
| Zhande Cheng | 瞻德城 | Chaghan Usu | Qingshuihe town (清水河镇) in Huocheng County, some 60–70 km NW of Yining | |
| Guangren Cheng | 广仁城 | Ukurborosuk | Lucaogou town (芦草沟镇) in Huocheng County, NE of Qingshuihe | |
| Gongchen Cheng | 拱宸城 | Khorgos | In Huocheng County Huocheng County The Huocheng County is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It's located between Yining and the border to Kazakhstan, occupies an area of 5,466 km² and has a population of 360,000... ; was county seat of Huocheng County until 1966 |
|
| Xichun Cheng | 熙春城 | Khara Bulaq | Area commonly referred to as Chengpanzi (城盘子) in the Hanbin village (汉宾乡) within Yining City, a few km west of the city center | |
| Suiding Cheng | 绥定城 | Ukharliq | County seat of Huocheng County Huocheng County The Huocheng County is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It's located between Yining and the border to Kazakhstan, occupies an area of 5,466 km² and has a population of 360,000... since 1966, some 40 km NW of Yining. Renamed Shuiding town (水定镇) in 1965 |
Governor's residence 1883-1912, when it became known as New/Manchu/Chinese Kulja |
Huiyuan Cheng, as the seat of the Ili Governor General , who was the chief commander of the Qing troops in entire Xinjiang, became the administrative capital of the region. It was provided with a large penal establishment and strong garrison.
This city was called New Kulja, Manhcu Kulja, Chinese Kulja, or Ili by the Russians and Westerners, to distinguish it from Nigyuan/Yining, known as Old Kulja or Taranchi Kulja.
The first Ili Governor General was Ming Rui (明瑞). The Qing tradition, not broken until the days of Zuo Zongtang
Zuo Zongtang
Zuo Zongtang , spelled Tso Tsung-t'ang in Wade-Giles and known simply as General Tso in the West, was a Chinese statesman and military leader in the late Qing Dynasty....
in the 1870s, was to only appoint Manchus as officials in Xinjiang.
Taranchi
The term Taranchi denotes the Muslim sedentary population living in oases around the Tarim Basin in today's Xinjiang, whose native language is Turkic Karluk, and whose ancestral heritages include Iranic and Tocharian populations of Tarim and the later Turco-Mongol immigrants of the Qarluq, Uyghur,...
s formed here the Taranchi Sultanate. Huiyuan (Manchu Kulja) was the last Qing fortress in the Ili Valley to fall to the rebels. The insurgent Dungans massacred most of Manchu Kulja's inhabitants; Governor General Mingsioi
Mingsioi
Mingsioi or Mingxu was a Qing Governor General of Ili in 1864-66, charged with the overall command of the Chinese troops in Xinjiang....
(Ming Xü) (明绪) assembled his family and staff in his mansion, and blew it up, dying under its ruins.
The sultanate led to the occupation of the Ili basin (Kulja, in contemporary Western terms) by the Russians in 1871. Ten years later the territory was restored to China, and its boundary with Russia was assigned in accordance to the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881)
Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881)
The Treaty of Saint Petersburg , also known as Treaty of Ili, was the treaty between the Russian Empire and the Chinese Empire, signed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 12 February 1881...
.
After Chinese authority was restored, the "Manchu Kuldja" was rebuilt, now as the city of Suiding (today's' Shuiding), some 8 km north of the old Huiyuan site.
On January 7, 1912, Yang Cuanxu (杨缵绪) of Ili occupied Huiyuan (惠远城) and shot the last Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
Governor General of Ili, Zhi Rui (志锐).
Republic of China
In July 1945, Chingil, BoleBole, Xinjiang
Bole or Bortala is a county-level city in Xinjiang. The area is 7517 km² and the total population is 403,700 . Bortala means "brown grasslands/steppe" in Mongolian. Bortala is the seat of Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, which borders to Kazakhstan. Bortala has a railway and highway...
and Quanxi (精河、博乐、温泉) of Ili were made into a new autonomous prefecture now not part of Ili: Bortala
Börtala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture
Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture , short for Bortala , is a Mongol autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 27,000 square kilometers. Bole is its capital...
.
People's Republic
In 1949, Ili was made a special area (专区) of Xinjiang, with one city and 9 counties, and was upgraded to a city in 1952. On November 27, 1954, the Ili Autonomous Prefecture was established to include the prefectures of Ili, Altay, and Tacheng. The Ili Prefecture was abolished in 1955. Its 1 city and 9 counties are now under the direct control of the autonomous prefecture.Demographics
- HanHan ChineseHan Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
: 45.2% - Kazakhs: 25.4%
- UyghursUyghur peopleThe Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
: 15.9% - HuiHui peopleThe Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
: 8.3% - MongolsMongolsMongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
: 1.69% - XibeXibeThe Xibe or Sibo are a Tungusic ethnic group living mostly in northeast China and Xinjiang. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.- History :...
: 0.83%
Border crossings
Ili Kazak's 8 functioning ports of entryPort of entry
In general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
are:
- With Kazakhstan
- Aqimbek (阿黑木别克) of Altay PrefectureAltay PrefectureAltay Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km² and a population of 561,667 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture...
- Bakhtu (巴克图), 17 km from TachengTacheng-References:* Khālidī, Qurbanʻali, Allen J. Frank, and Mirkasym Abdulakhatovich Usmanov. An Islamic Biographical Dictionary of the Eastern Kazakh Steppe, 1770-1912. Brill's Inner Asian library, v. 12. Leiden: Brill, 2004....
; another primary point or port - Dulat (都拉塔), in Qapqal Xibe Autonomous CountyQapqal Xibe Autonomous CountyQapqal Xibe Autonomous County in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in northern Xinjiang is the only Xibe autonomous county of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 4,430 square kilometers and a population 160,000...
: under Ili - Jeminay (吉木乃) of Altay PrefectureAltay PrefectureAltay Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km² and a population of 561,667 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture...
；another primary point or port (国家一类口岸) - Khorgas (霍尔果斯), in Huocheng CountyHuocheng CountyThe Huocheng County is situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It's located between Yining and the border to Kazakhstan, occupies an area of 5,466 km² and has a population of 360,000...
; under Ili; a primary Chinese "national" border crossing point or port of entry (国家一类口岸) - Muzart (木扎尔特), in Zhaosu CountyZhaosu CountyThe Zhaosu County is a county situated within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of 10,455 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 150,000....
: directly controlled by Ili; another primary point or port
- Aqimbek (阿黑木别克) of Altay Prefecture
- With Mongolia
- Khiziltaw (红山嘴) of Altay PrefectureAltay PrefectureAltay Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km² and a population of 561,667 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture...
- Taskhin (塔克什肯) of Altay PrefectureAltay PrefectureAltay Prefecture is located in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km² and a population of 561,667 . It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture...
- Khiziltaw (红山嘴) of Altay Prefecture
Sources
- Henry Lansdell, "Russian Central Asia: Including Kuldja, Bokhara, Khiva and Merv". Full text available at Google Books; there is also a 2001 facsimile reprint of the 1885 edition, ISBN 1402177623. (Chapters XIV-XVI describe Lansdell visit to the area in the early 1880s, soon after the Russian withdrawal).
External links
- Official site (in Simplified Chinese)
- Subdivision info (in Simplified Chinese)
- A TALE OF TWO CITIES: NEW MUSEUMS FOR YINING AND URUMQI "CHINA HERITAGE NEWSLETTER", China Heritage Project, The Australian National University. ISSN 1833-8461. No. 3, September 2005. (Talks about Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture Museum in Yining).