Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, abbreviated as “Xin,” is a provincial-level administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. Its capital is Urumqi City, and it is located in northwestern China. With an area of 1.6649 million square kilometers, it is the largest provincial-level administrative region in China by land area, accounting for approximately one-sixth of the country’s total territory. By the end of 2024, the resident population of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was 26.228 million. As of September 2024, Xinjiang comprises 14 prefectural-level divisions, including 5 autonomous prefectures, 5 prefectures, and 4 prefecture-level cities. The region primarily uses Mandarin Chinese as well as five ethnic minority languages: Uygur, Kazakh, Mongolian, Kirgiz, and Xibe.

Xinjiang’s topography is characterized by the "three mountains flanking two basins," and it experiences a typical temperate continental arid climate. The region has significant annual and daily temperature variations, with precipitation concentrated in mountainous areas and scarce in the plains. Xinjiang is home to China’s largest inland river, the Tarim River, and the lowest point on land in China, Ayding Lake.

Historically known as the "Western Regions," Xinjiang was officially incorporated into Chinese territory during the Western Han Dynasty. In 138 BC, Emperor Wu dispatched Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions. In 60 BC, the Protectorate of the Western Regions was established, marking the formal integration of the Xinjiang region into China’s territory. In 1884, the Qing government officially established Xinjiang as a province, renaming the Western Regions as "Xinjiang." On September 25, 1949, Xinjiang was peacefully liberated, and on October 1, 1955, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was established.