East Turkestan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

East Turkestan (also transliterated: East Turkistan; Uyghur: Sherqiy Türkistan), also known as Uyghurstan, is the part of greater Turkistan in Xinjiang, China and far eastern Central Asia. The area is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples. Famed merchant and explorer Marco Polo crossed Turkistan in the year 1272.

Greater Turkistan is subdivided into West (former Soviet Union countries) and East Turkestan (administered as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region by the People's Republic of China). The Tian Shan (Tengri Tagh) and Pamir mountain ranges form the rough division between the two Turkistans. East Turkistan (modern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) contains some of the great cities of Turkic culture, notably Kashgar, Hotan, Turfan, Yarkand, Ili (Ghulja), Kumul, Aqsu, Kucha and Altay.

According to the Chinese government, East Turkestan also refers to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which has been linked with Al-Qaeda and classified as terrorist by both the U.S and Chinese governments.

[edit] See also

• First East Turkestan Republic
• East Turkestan independence movement
• History of Xinjiang

[edit] External links

• MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
• East Turkestan Islamic Movement (China, separatists), Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) background information, Updated November 2005
• East Turkestan - Arabic