Southern Xinjiang

Northern Xinjiang – Dzungaria (yellow)
Eastern Xinjiang – Turpan and Hami (red)
Southern Xinjiang – Tarim Basin (blue)

Northern Xinjiang – Dzungaria, Turpan, and Hami (red)
Southern Xinjiang – Tarim Basin (blue)

Southern Xinjiang or Nanjiang (Chinese: 南疆; pinyin: Nánjiāng) is the southern half of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Its historical name was Altishahr (Chinese: 回部; pinyin: Huíbù), which also includes some territories in modern-day Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The name "Chinese Turkestan" was commonly used by Europeans to refer to Southern Xinjiang or Xinjiang as a whole^[1] especially during the Qing dynasty.

Southern Xinjiang includes the Tarim Basin and the adjacent mountainous area which includes Aksai Chin. Most of the inhabitants in Southern Xinjiang are Uyghurs.

See also

• Altishahr
• Chinese Turkestan
• Dzungaria
  • Junggar Basin
• Southern Xinjiang railway
• Tarim Basin
• Tunganistan

References

1. Share, Michael B. (2015). "The Great Game Revisited: Three Empires Collide in Chinese Turkestan (Xinjiang)". Europe-Asia Studies. 67 (7): 1102–1129. doi:10.1080/09668136.2015.1067075. JSTOR 24537108. Retrieved September 19, 2023.