Where is the Xinjiang (Silk Road) Region of China?
The Xinjiang Uygar Autonomous Region is located in the northwestern part of China bordering Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Its capital city is Urumqi, site of a brand new international airport, as well as ethnic rioting which left over 200 dead in July of this year. Xinjiang has the lowest percentage of Han Chinese compared to other regions of China, with the Uyghurs (thought to have originated from the nomadic Turkic populations and primarily Moslem) being in the majority. The climate is high desert with very hot summers (35C/95F) and extremely cold winters (-25C/-13F), and yet it has been growing both wine and table grapes since 300 B.C. It is home of ancient buried cities and historical sites, as well as very successful oil and mining industries, in addition to large agriculture crops of melons, tomatoes, chili peppers, and other fresh organically grown vegetables. It is part of the Silk Road, because this region kept the secret of silk-weaving for thous
