Altay Prefecture

Altay Prefecture
  • 阿勒泰地区 (Chinese)
  • ئالتاي ۋىلايىتى (Uyghur)
  • التاي ايماعى (Kazakh)
The Black Irtysh river in Burqin County
Altay Prefecture (red) in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture (light red) and Xinjiang (orange)
Coordinates (Altay City): 47°50′N 88°08′E / 47.83°N 88.13°E / 47.83; 88.13
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceXinjiang
Sub-provincialIli Prefecture
SeatAltay City
Area
 • Prefecture
117,710 km2 (45,450 sq mi)
 • Metro
10,826 km2 (4,180 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 census)
 • Prefecture
648,173
 • Density5.5065/km2 (14.262/sq mi)
 • Metro
221,454
 • Metro density20.456/km2 (52.980/sq mi)
GDP
 • PrefectureCN¥ 33.9 billion
US$ 4.9 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 51,524
US$ 7,469
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
ISO 3166 codeCN-XJ-43
Websitewww.xjalt.gov.cn
Altay Prefecture
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese阿勒泰地区
Traditional Chinese阿勒泰地區
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinĀlètài Dìqū
Wade–GilesA1-lê4-tʻai4 Ti4-chʻü1
other Mandarin
Xiao'erjingاَلَ‌تَیْ دِکِیُوِ
Uyghur name
Uyghurئالتاي ۋىلايىتى
Transcriptions
Latin YëziqiAltay Wilayiti
Yengi YeziⱪAltay Vilayiti
SASM/GNCAltay Vilayiti
Siril YëziqiАлтай Вилайити
Kazakh name
Kazakhالتاي ايماعى
Алтай аймағы
Altaı aımaǵy

Altay Prefecture is a prefecture in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km2 (45,566 sq mi) and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. As of the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture with an ethnic Kazakh majority (about 51%). In 2007, it had a GDP of RMB 9.9 billion with a 12% growth rate. It also shares an international border with the neighboring Altai Republic, located within Russia.

Altay is considered the birthplace of skiing, based on 10,000 to 30,000 year old cave paintings depicting skiers.