Major Economic Indicators (2010)
Urumqi is Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’s capital. It is located at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and on the southern edge of the Junggar Basin.
The city experiences a semi-arid continental climate and is located in a mid-temperate zone with short springs and autumns, as well as longer winters and summers.
Urumqi is rich in natural resources such as oil, coal, rare mines, glaciers, forests, grasslands and wind energy, etc.
Additionally, it is the transportation center of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Urumqi Diwopu International Airport, located 16 km from Urumqi’s downtown area, offers flights to China and Middle Asia, West Asia, Europe and Africa. Approximately 115 airlines fly to sixty domestic and international cities. Urumqi is also linked by railways to six major domestic cities including Xi'an, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Zhengzhou and Lanzhou. Lastly, long-distance buses provide transportation to most cities in Xinjiang every day including special tourist lines to Heavenly Lake, Southern Pastures, Turpan and Shihezi, etc.
Urumqi is also the science and technology center of Xinjiang. There are 112 high-tech enterprises, 106 research and develop centers, and 18 post-doctoral research centers located in the city.
Urumqi means "a beautiful pasture land" – a name coined by the Junggar tribe in ancient Mongolian. 2000 years ago, it was an important town on the northern route of the Silk Road, significantly facilitating Sino-foreign economic and cultural exchanges. It has been a multi-ethnic city throughout its history.
As an important strategic locale along the ancient Silk Road connecting Central Asia even Europe with China, Urumqi is home to numerous cultural relics and historical treasures such as the Tartar Mosque, Qinghai Mosque, Southern Mosque and Shaanxi Mosque.
In addition, famous scenic attractions near Urumqi include Heavenly Lake (also known as Tianchi Lake), Southern Pasture and the Kanas Nature Reserve, which boasts a beautiful natural ecosystem with lakes, rivers, glaciers, forests and grasslands.
By the end of 2010, Urumqi had three state-level development zones, namely Urumqi Economic and Technological Development Zone, Urumqi High-tech Industrial Development Zone and Urumqi Export Processing Zone.
National Excellent Tourism City (2001)- National Tourism Administration, P. R. China
