Altay is a county-level city in Altay Prefecture within Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, in far Northern Xinjiang, China. The city centre is located on the banks of Kelan River.
Altay
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Altay Location of the city center in Xinjiang Altay Altay (Xinjiang) Altay Altay (China) | |
Coordinates (Altay City government): 47°49′37″N 88°07′51″E / 47.82694°N 88.13083°E | |
Country | China |
Autonomous region | Xinjiang |
Prefecture | Altay |
Municipal seat | Tuanjie Road Subdistrict |
Area | |
• County-level city | 11,400 km2 (4,400 sq mi) |
Elevation | 887 m (2,910 ft) |
Population (2020)[1] | |
• County-level city | 221,454 |
• Density | 19/km2 (50/sq mi) |
• Urban (2016)[2] | 114,995 |
• Rural (2016)[2] | 83,945 |
Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard[a]) |
Postal code | 836500 |
Area code | 0906 |
GDP (Nominal) | 2016[2] |
- Total | ¥6.483 billion US$1.007 billion |
- per capita | ¥32.574 US$5.060 |
Website | Altay City Government Website |
Altay City | |||||||||||
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Chinese name | |||||||||||
Chinese | 阿勒泰 | ||||||||||
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Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||
Chinese | 承化 | ||||||||||
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Mongolian name | |||||||||||
Mongolian Cyrillic | Алтай хот | ||||||||||
Mongolian script | ᠠᠯᠲᠠᠢ ᠬᠣᠲᠠ | ||||||||||
Uyghur name | |||||||||||
Uyghur | ئالتاي | ||||||||||
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Kazakh name | |||||||||||
Kazakh | التاي قالاسى Altaı Алтай |
Altay City is divided into four subdistricts, five towns, five townships, and one ethnic township.
Name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Uyghur (UEY) | Uyghur Latin (ULY) | Kazakh (Arabic script) | Kazakh (Cyrillic script) | Administrative division code | Notes |
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Subdistricts | ||||||||
Jinshan Road Subdistrict (Altin Taw Road Subdistrict) |
金山路街道 | Jīnshānlù Jiēdào | جىنشەن يولى كوچا باشقارمىسى | jinshen yoli kocha bashqarmisi | التىن تاۋ جولى كوشە باسقارماسى | 654301001 | ||
Jiefang Road Subdistrict (Azad Road Subdistrict) |
解放路街道 | Jiěfànglù Jiēdào | ئازاد يولى كوچا باشقارمىسى | Azad yoli kocha bashqarmisi | ازات جولى كوشە باسقارماسى | 654301002 | ||
Tuanjie Road Subdistrict (Ittipaq Road Subdistrict) (Intimaq Road Subdistrict) |
团结路街道 | Tuánjiélù Jiēdào | ئىتتىپاق يولى كوچا باشقارمىسى | Ittipaq yoli kocha bashqarmisi | ىنتىماق جولى كوشە باسقارماسى | 654301003 | ||
Qiaxiu Road Subdistrict | 恰秀路街道 | Qiàxiùlù Jiēdào | چاشيۇ يولى كوچا باشقارمىسى | chashyu yoli kocha bashqarmisi | شاشۋ جولى كوشە باسقارماسى | 654301004 | ||
Towns | ||||||||
Beitun Town | 北屯镇 | Běitún Zhèn | بېيتۈن بازىرى | bëytün baziri | بەيتۇن قالاشىعى | 654301100 | ||
Aweitan Town | 阿苇滩镇 | Āwěitān Zhèn | ئاۋىيتان بازىرى | Awiytan baziri | ٵبيتان قالاشىعى | 654301101 | ||
Qizil Tash Town (Hongdun Town) |
红墩镇 | Hóngdūn Zhèn | قىزىل تاش بازىرى | qizil tash baziri | قىزىلتاس قالاشىعى | 654301102 | ||
Chëmirchek Town | 切木尔切克镇 | Qièmù'ěrqièkè Zhèn | چېمىرچەك بازىرى (شەمىرشەك بازىرى) |
chëmirchek baziri (shemirshek baziri) |
شەمىرشەك قالاشىعى | 654301103 | ||
Alaqaq Town | 阿拉哈克镇 | Ālāhākè Zhèn | ئالاقاق بازىرى | Alaqaq baziri | الاعاق قالاشىعى | 654301104 | ||
Townships | ||||||||
Lasti Township | 拉斯特乡 | Lāsītè Xiāng | لاستى يېزىسى | lasti yëzisi | لاستى اۋىلى | 654301203 | ||
Qarashilik Township | 喀拉希力克乡 | Kālāxīlìkè Xiāng | قاراشىلىك يېزىسى | qarashilik yëzisi | قاراشىلىك اۋىلى | 654301204 | ||
Sarxolsun Township | 萨尔胡松乡 | Sà'ěrhúsōng Xiāng | سارخولسۇن يېزىسى | sarxolsun yëzisi | سارعۋسىن اۋىلى | 654301205 | ||
Balbaghay Township | 巴里巴盖乡 | Bālǐbāgài Xiāng | بالباغاي يېزىسى | balbaghay yëzisi | بالباعاي اۋىلى | 654301206 | ||
Shirikshiy Township | 切尔克齐乡 | Qiè'ěrkèqí Xiāng | شىرىكشىي يېزىسى | shirikshiy yëzisi | شىرىكشى اۋىلى | 654301207 | ||
Ethnic Township | ||||||||
Xandighati Mongol Ethnic Township | 汗德尕特蒙古族乡 | Hàndégǎtè Ménggǔzú Xiāng | خاندىغاتى موڭغۇل يېزىسى | xandighati mongghul yëzisi | حاندىعاتى موڭعۇل اۋىلى | 654301202 | (Mongolian) ᠬᠠᠨᠳᠠᠭᠠᠢᠲᠤ ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠦᠨᠳᠦᠰᠦᠲᠡᠨ ᠦ ᠰᠤᠮᠤᠨ Хандгайт монгол үндэстэний суман |
Others
Altay has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), with an annual precipitation total of only 213 mm (8.4 in). Winters are long, bitterly cold and dry, with a January 24-hour average of −15.3 °C (4.5 °F); however, the presence of the Altay Mountains to the north helps moderate the severity of winter cold as compared to locations further to the east. Spring and autumn are short but mild. Summers are very warm, but dry, with a July 24-hour average of 21.7 °C (71.1 °F). The annual mean is 4.75 °C (40.5 °F). With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 50% in December to 74% in August and September, sunshine is abundant and the city receives 2,993 hours of bright sunshine annually.
Climate data for Altay City (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1938-present) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 5.3 (41.5) |
6.5 (43.7) |
23.1 (73.6) |
31.4 (88.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
37.0 (98.6) |
37.5 (99.5) |
37.5 (99.5) |
35.0 (95.0) |
27.8 (82.0) |
17.6 (63.7) |
6.6 (43.9) |
37.5 (99.5) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −9.3 (15.3) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
2.5 (36.5) |
15.3 (59.5) |
22.1 (71.8) |
27.2 (81.0) |
28.5 (83.3) |
27.2 (81.0) |
21.1 (70.0) |
12.6 (54.7) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
11.3 (52.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −15.8 (3.6) |
−12.4 (9.7) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
9.0 (48.2) |
15.7 (60.3) |
20.7 (69.3) |
21.9 (71.4) |
20.1 (68.2) |
14.0 (57.2) |
6.4 (43.5) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
4.9 (40.9) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −20.9 (−5.6) |
−17.8 (0.0) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
3.2 (37.8) |
9.1 (48.4) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.1 (59.2) |
13.3 (55.9) |
7.6 (45.7) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
−17.7 (0.1) |
−0.8 (30.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | −40.0 (−40.0) |
−36.9 (−34.4) |
−32.2 (−26.0) |
−17.3 (0.9) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
2.2 (36.0) |
7.4 (45.3) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−41.2 (−42.2) |
−41.7 (−43.1) |
−41.7 (−43.1) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 18.0 (0.71) |
10.4 (0.41) |
10.9 (0.43) |
15.3 (0.60) |
17.2 (0.68) |
19.0 (0.75) |
27.8 (1.09) |
21.5 (0.85) |
17.3 (0.68) |
15.9 (0.63) |
25.4 (1.00) |
23.8 (0.94) |
222.5 (8.77) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 8.1 | 6.9 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 8.6 | 10.1 | 88 |
Average snowy days | 10.2 | 9.6 | 6.3 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 9.4 | 12.4 | 51.5 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 72 | 72 | 68 | 48 | 42 | 48 | 56 | 53 | 51 | 56 | 69 | 74 | 59 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 164.9 | 184.1 | 247.5 | 282.0 | 328.1 | 334.6 | 335.8 | 323.1 | 277.3 | 219.9 | 150.8 | 137.2 | 2,985.3 |
Percent possible sunshine | 59 | 62 | 66 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 75 | 75 | 67 | 56 | 53 | 66 |
Source: China Meteorological Administration[3][4][5][6] |
From Ürümqi (capital of Xinjiang Province) to Altay, it takes about one hour by plane, nine hours by day bus, 12 hours by night bus and about 9.5 hours by train.
Like other cities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, there are many minorities in Altay, in particular Uyghurs and Kazakhs.
The Dundbulag rock carvings (敦德布拉克岩画) in the Xandighati Mongol Ethnic Township (A.K.A. Handagaitu, Handgait; tyv. Handagaity; uyg. Handigati; cmn. Handegate) under this city is a very early evidence of skiing. The term Mongol here partially refers to ethnic Tuvans of the Mongol nation under Chinese designation.
In schools, students are taught mainly in Chinese (Mandarin) and there are courses for Uyghur and Kazakh languages.
The most important tourist site is Kanas Lake where there is a legend of a large creature.