Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture[3] is an autonomous prefecture in the southeastern Xinjiang, China. It borders Gansu to the east, Qinghai to the southeast and the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south. It is the largest prefecture-level division nationally, with an area of 471,480 km2 (182,040 sq mi), which is even larger than its neighboring province of Gansu. The prefectural capital is Korla. Despite being designated an autonomous area for Mongols in China, only about four percent of Bayingolin's population is Mongol.
History
In a 2017 announcement from officials in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, it was proclaimed that "there is a severe threat from international terrorism, and cars have been used as a key means of transport for terrorists as well as constantly serving as weapons. It is therefore necessary to monitor and track all vehicles in the prefecture."[4]
Demographics
According to the 2020 census, Bayingolin has 1,056,970 inhabitants (population density: 2.28 per km2).
As of 2020, 53.3% of the 1,509,233 residents of the county were Han Chinese, 36.4% were Uyghur, 5.3% were Hui and 4.0% were Mongol.[5]
Ethnic groups in Bayingolin
When Bayingolin was established in 1954, Mongols comprised 35 per cent of the prefecture's population.[6] Due to development needs and migration, the Han population increased from 1,682 in the region of Bayingolin in 1947 to over 660,000 in 2004.[7][8]
^巴音郭楞蒙古自治州历史沿革 [Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture Historical Development] (in Simplified Chinese). XZQH.org. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2019. 2003年,巴州总面积472472.1平方千米,{...}2010年第六次人口普查,常住总人口1278486人,
^3-7 各地、州、市、县(市)分民族人口数 [3-7 Population by Nationality by Prefecture, State, City and County (City)]. tjj.xinjiang.gov.cn (in Chinese). Statistical Bureau of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. 2020-06-10. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
^Atwood, Christopher (2004). Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire. Facts on File. p. 39.
^Gardner Bovingdon (2010). "Chapter 2 - Heteronomy and Its Discontents". The Uyghurs - strangers in their own land. Columbia University Press. ISBN978-0-231-14758-3.
^Bovingdon, Gardner (2010). "Note 9 (Chapter 2)". The Uyghurs - strangers in their own land. Columbia University Press. ISBN978-0-231-14758-3.
^3-7 各地、州、市、县(市)分民族人口数 (in Chinese (China)). Xinjiang Bureau of Statistics. 15 March 2017. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.