Xinjiang Province

Subject :IR

Section: Places in news

Context: A prominent Uyghur scholar specializing in the study of her people’s folklore and traditions has been sentenced to to life in prison

Who are Uyghur:

The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim minority Turkic ethnic group, whose origins can be traced to Central and East Asia.
Their native region is considered to be the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China.
The Uyghurs are considered to be one of the 55 officially recognized ethnic minority communities in China.
However, China recognises the community only as a regional minority and rejects that they are an indigenous group.

Where is Xinjiang:

Xinjiang is technically an autonomous region within China.
It is officially known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
It shares borders with eight countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan to the northwest, Pakistan and India to the southwest, Mongolia to the northeast, Russia to the north, and Afghanistan to the west.
It is the largest region and is rich in minerals, oil and natural gas.