Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture (Chinese: 伊犁哈薩克自治州 Yīlí Hāsàkè zìzhìzhōu, Uyghur: Ili Ķazaķ aptonom oblasti), in northernmost Xinjiang, is the only Kazakh autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China.

Geography and coordinates

• Area: 273,200 km²
• Population: 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, south of Russia and east of Kazakhstan. Its foreign boundary is 2,000 km. Its 8 functioning ports are:

• Huorguosi (霍爾果斯): directly controlled by Ili; a national port of the first class (國家一類口岸)
• Duolata (都拉塔): directly controlled by Ili
• Muzharte (木紮爾特): directly controlled by Ili; a national port of the first class
• Baketu (巴克圖) of Tacheng; a national port of the first class
• Takesheken (塔克什肯) of Altay
• Hongshanzui (紅山嘴) of Altay
• Aheimubieke (阿黑木別克) of Altay
• Jeminay (吉木乃) of Altay

History

Before the Qin Dynasty, Illi was was occupied by the Ussun, a tributary of the Xiongnu. The Ussun was who were driven away in the 6th century of our era by the northern Xiongnu, who established Western Tujue Khanate in 552. Later the Kulja territory became a dependency of Dzungaria. During the Tang Dynasty, the khnate was Anxi Daduhufu (安西大都護府) 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 Oirads conquered it at the end of the 16th or the beginning of the i7th century; they kept it until 1755 as Jagatai Khanate, when the Manchus annexed it. During the insurrection of 1864 the Dungans and the Taranchis formed here the Taranchi Sultanate. The insurgent Dungans massacred most of Manchu Kuljia's (New Kuljia) inhabitants. It had previously been the seat of the Chinese government for the province, with a large penal establishment and strong garrison. The sultanate led to the occupation of Kulja 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 St Petersburg of 1881.

On January 7, 1912, Yang Cuanxu (楊纘緒) of Illi occupied the Huiyuan (惠遠城) and shot the last Qing general of Illi, Zhirui (志銳).

In July 1945, Jinhe, Bole and Quanxi (精河、博樂、溫泉) of Illi were made into a new autonomous prefecture now not part of Illi: Bortala . In 1949, Illi was made a special area (專區) of Xinjiang, with one city and 9 counties, and was upgraded to a city in 1952. On November 27, 1954, the Illi Autonomous Prefecture was established to include the prefectures of Illi, Altay, and Tacheng. The Illi Prefecture was abolished in 1955. Its 1 city and 9 counties are now under the direct control of the autonomous prefecture.

Subdivisions

Ili's primary subdivisions include Tacheng (塔城地區) and Altay (阿勒泰地區) Prefectures, Ili also directly controls 2 county-level cities, 7 counties, and 1 autonomous county. (see Political divisions of China#Levels).

Some official placenames below are not in Chinese.

Demographics

• The Kazakh: 25.4%
• The Han: 45.2%
• The Uyghurs: 15.9%
• The Hui: 8.3%
• The Mongols: 1.69%
• The Xibe: 0.83%

See also: Xabib Yunic

External links

• Official site (in Simplified Chinese)
• Subdivision info (in Simplified Chinese)