Karamay
Encyclopedia
Karamay, Qaramay or Kelamayi (also: Karamai) is a prefecture-level city
in the north of the Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region, in northwestern China
. Qaramay comes from the Uyghur language
, and means "black oil".
Karamay was the site of one of the worst disasters in modern Chinese history, the 12/8/94 incident
, when 324 people, 288 of them school children, lost their lives in a cinema fire on 8 December 1994.
is located south of the Lanxin Railway and forms an exclave, separated from the rest of Qaramay City by Kuytun City. Together with Kuytun City, Qaramay City forms an enclave surrounded on all sides by Tacheng Prefecture
.
n basin. The city is 110 km wide (from east to west) at its widest point, and at most 240 km long from north to south.
(Koppen
BWk), with long, very cold, but dry winters, short and rapid spring and autumn, and very hot yet dry summers. The high only reaches -11.2 C in January, but soars to 33.9 °C (93 °F) in July. The annual mean averages to 8.94°C (16.09°F) warmer than most places at corresponding latitude, due to the long summers. Annual precipitation is 106 millimetres (4.17 in), and usually light throughout the year, though it tends to be greatest in summer.
with minorities such as Uyghurs
, Kazakhs
, Mongols
and Hui
making up the rest.
s in China was discovered there. Since then, the city has grown into an oil-producing and refining center.
In 2008 the GDP reached ¥
66.1 billion, and GDP per capita reached ¥
242,391 (US$34,901). The GDP per capita ranks first among 659 cities in Mainland China.
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
in the north of the 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...
Uygur Autonomous Region, in northwestern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Qaramay comes from the Uyghur language
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...
, and means "black oil".
Karamay was the site of one of the worst disasters in modern Chinese history, the 12/8/94 incident
1994 Karamay fire
The 1994 Karamay fire is considered one of the worst civilian fires in the history of the People's Republic of China that occurred on December 8, 1994. A fire broke out in a theatre hosting 1,000 children and teachers in Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region...
, when 324 people, 288 of them school children, lost their lives in a cinema fire on 8 December 1994.
Theatre fire in 1994
On December 8, 1994, a serious fire broke out in Friendship Theatre (友谊馆), Karamay, which caused the death of 325 people including 288 school children, according to official figures. Many teachers were killed while trying to protect and evacuate their students from the building, which lacked adequate safety features. A show was being organized at that moment for a number of local government officials, who managed to escape ahead of the others on spotting the fire, and were afterwards charged with neglecting their duty and received prison sentences of up to 5 years.Subdivisions
Karamay City has jurisdiction over 4 districts (区 qu). They are not contiguous as Dushanzi DistrictDushanzi District
Dushanzi District is a district within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China and is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Karamay City. It contains an area of 400 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 60,000....
is located south of the Lanxin Railway and forms an exclave, separated from the rest of Qaramay City by Kuytun City. Together with Kuytun City, Qaramay City forms an enclave surrounded on all sides by 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...
.
| # | 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) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karamay District Karamay District Karamay District is a district within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administrative jurisdiction of Karamay city. It contains an area of 5,351 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 150,000.... |
克拉玛依区 | Kèlāmǎyī Qū | قاراماي رايونى | Qaramay Rayoni | 150,000 | 3,833 | 39 |
| 2 | Dushanzi District Dushanzi District Dushanzi District is a district within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China and is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Karamay City. It contains an area of 400 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 60,000.... |
独山子区 | Dúshānzǐ Qū | مايتاغ رايونى | Maytagh Rayoni | 50,000 | 400 | 125 |
| 3 | Baijiantan District Baijiantan District The Baijiantan District is a district within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Karamay City. It contains an area of 1,272 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 60,000.- Transport :*China National Highway 217... |
白碱滩区 | Báijiǎntān Qū | جەرەنبۇلاق رايونى | Jerenbulaq Rayoni | 50,000 | 1,272 | 39 |
| 4 | Urho District Urho District Urho District is a district within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Karamay City. It contains an area of 2,229 km2. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 10,000.- Transport :... |
乌尔禾区 | Wū'ěrhé Qū | ئورقۇ رايونى | Orqu Rayoni | 10,000 | 2,229 | 4 |
Geography
Karamay is located in the DzungariaDzungaria
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...
n basin. The city is 110 km wide (from east to west) at its widest point, and at most 240 km long from north to south.
Climate
Karamay has a cold desert climateDesert climate
A desert climate , also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.An area that features this climate usually experiences less than...
(Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BWk), with long, very cold, but dry winters, short and rapid spring and autumn, and very hot yet dry summers. The high only reaches -11.2 C in January, but soars to 33.9 °C (93 °F) in July. The annual mean averages to 8.94°C (16.09°F) warmer than most places at corresponding latitude, due to the long summers. Annual precipitation is 106 millimetres (4.17 in), and usually light throughout the year, though it tends to be greatest in summer.
Demographics
75% of Karamay's population are HanHan Chinese
Han 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...
with minorities such as 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...
, Kazakhs
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
, Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) 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...
and Hui
Hui people
The 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...
making up the rest.
Economy
In 1955, one of the largest oil fieldOil field
An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area...
s in China was discovered there. Since then, the city has grown into an oil-producing and refining center.
In 2008 the GDP reached ¥
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
66.1 billion, and GDP per capita reached ¥
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
242,391 (US$34,901). The GDP per capita ranks first among 659 cities in Mainland China.
External links
- Government website of Karamay (in Simplified Chinese)
- Map of the City of Karamay