The most western and largest province in China. The historical development of the region was determined by its links to East Turkestan - a short-lived self-proclaimed republic populated by Uyghurs. After the end of the Chinese Civil War, the territory was occupied by the Communists who gave it an autonomous status in 1955. XUAR has the largest in China deposits of natural gas, coal, and oil. It is also strategically important regarding the transportation of resources and products. At the same time, its GRP per capita is inferior to China's average and some other autonomous regions, in particular, Inner Mongolia.
The titular ethnic group, the Uyghurs, comprises almost half of the regional population. Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group, Sunni Muslims by confession, - characteristics that greatly distinguish them from the dominant nationally Han people. The latter makes up about 40% of the population of the autonomy; other significant groups are Kazakhs, Hui, Kyrgyz, Mongols, etc. The peculiarity of XUAR in comparison to the rest of Chinese autonomies is its complex structure, due to the presence of a special district reserved for Kazakhs.
For many decades, although with varying degrees of intensity, the conflict continues between the Uyghur national movement and the central government. At the heart of the fight are several factors, among which the distinct identity of the Uyghurs, their discontent with the assimilation policy of the center, as well as the low level of regional economic development. The largest Uyghur organizations are the Islamic Movement of East Turkestan and the World Congress of Uighurs. The advancement of separatist/autonomist demands is seen by the central government as a threat to the state's integrity and national security; hence, Beijing frequently resorts to the use of force in suppressing protest actions.
