Makit County

Makit County^{[5][7][8][9][10][11]} is a county in Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. It contains an area of 10,927 km² (4,219 sq mi). The Yarkand River passes through the county.^[12] The county is bordered to the north by Maralbexi County, to the east by Guma County (Pishan) in Hotan Prefecture, to the west by Yarkant County, and to the south by Kargilik County.

Makit County مەكىت ناھىيىسى (Uyghur) 麦盖提县 (Chinese) Mekit, Markit, Merket Bazar, Maigaiti, Mai-kai-t'i
County
Location of Makit County (red) within Kashgar Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang
Makit Location of the seat in Xinjiang Show map of Southern Xinjiang Makit Makit (Xinjiang) Show map of Xinjiang Makit Makit (China) Show map of China
Coordinates: 38°54′12″N 77°40′08″E
Country	China
Autonomous region	Xinjiang
Prefecture	Kashgar
County seat	Makit
Area [1]
• Total	11,022.53 km2 (4,255.82 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	224,154
• Density	20/km2 (53/sq mi)
Ethnic groups
• Major ethnic groups	Uyghur, Han Chinese[3][4][5]
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard[a])
Postal code	844600
Website	www.mgt.gov.cn

Mekit County
Uyghur name
Uyghur	مەكىت ناھىيىسى[6]‎
Transcriptions Yengi Yeziⱪ Məkit naⱨiyisi SASM/GNC Makit Siril Yëziqi Мәкит наһийиси
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	麥蓋提縣
Simplified Chinese	麦盖提县
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Màigàití Xiàn Wade–Giles Mai4-kai4-t'i2 Hsien4

Name

The name of the county is also transliterated from Uyghur as Markit,^[13][14][15] Mekit^[16][17] and Merket, and from Mandarin Chinese as Maigaiti (Mai-kai-t'i, Maikaiti).

History

In 1928, Makit County was created as part of Kashgar Circuit (喀什噶爾道).^[18]

In 2002, 240 Tajik (China) households displaced from Taxkorgan reclaimed a desert village in the county.^[19]

In early 2011, a Uyghur butcher in Makit County and six friends were arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a Han Chinese prostitute.^[20]

As part of the policies of Chen Quanguo, 61 convenience police stations were being built in the county in 2016.^[5]

In August 2018, a 10-year-old boy whose parents were detained in the Xinjiang internment camps drowned in the Zerepshan River.^[9]

According to an anonymous Uyghur local government employee quoted in a Radio Free Asia article, during Ramadan 2020 (April 23 to May 23), residents of the county were told they could face punishment for fasting including being sent to an internment camp.^[21]

Climate

The number of days of dusty/sandy weather per annum in Makit County has dropped from 106 in 2010 to 40 in 2018. Over the same period, annual rainfall increased from 53.6 mm (2.11 in) to 109.6 mm (4.31 in) per year.^[8]

Climate data for Makit, elevation 1,178 m (3,865 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	19.0 (66.2)	18.7 (65.7)	30.9 (87.6)	35.4 (95.7)	36.7 (98.1)	39.6 (103.3)	39.3 (102.7)	40.4 (104.7)	35.4 (95.7)	30.3 (86.5)	25.9 (78.6)	19.3 (66.7)	40.4 (104.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	0.9 (33.6)	7.3 (45.1)	16.6 (61.9)	24.5 (76.1)	28.6 (83.5)	32.0 (89.6)	33.1 (91.6)	31.5 (88.7)	27.7 (81.9)	21.5 (70.7)	12.2 (54.0)	3.1 (37.6)	19.9 (67.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−5.4 (22.3)	0.4 (32.7)	9.3 (48.7)	16.7 (62.1)	20.8 (69.4)	24.0 (75.2)	25.3 (77.5)	23.8 (74.8)	19.3 (66.7)	12.0 (53.6)	3.7 (38.7)	−3.2 (26.2)	12.2 (54.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−10.9 (12.4)	−5.7 (21.7)	2.4 (36.3)	9.2 (48.6)	13.3 (55.9)	16.6 (61.9)	18.4 (65.1)	17.2 (63.0)	12.0 (53.6)	4.2 (39.6)	−3.0 (26.6)	−8.1 (17.4)	5.5 (41.8)
Record low °C (°F)	−25.5 (−13.9)	−27.0 (−16.6)	−6.2 (20.8)	−1.0 (30.2)	3.6 (38.5)	7.4 (45.3)	11.0 (51.8)	9.3 (48.7)	3.0 (37.4)	−4.6 (23.7)	−11.9 (10.6)	−21.1 (−6.0)	−27.0 (−16.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	1.6 (0.06)	1.8 (0.07)	2.8 (0.11)	4.2 (0.17)	10.2 (0.40)	8.2 (0.32)	15.0 (0.59)	10.1 (0.40)	6.7 (0.26)	1.0 (0.04)	1.4 (0.06)	1.2 (0.05)	64.2 (2.53)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	1.4	1.1	0.9	1.5	3.0	3.8	4.7	3.9	2.4	0.7	0.4	1.4	25.2
Average snowy days	5.0	2.2	0.3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.3	3.6	11.4
Average relative humidity (%)	63	55	43	37	41	45	52	58	60	59	59	66	53
Mean monthly sunshine hours	161.6	168.3	193.7	218.2	270.6	306.2	306.6	276.3	255.6	253.3	207.1	163.7	2,781.2
Percentage possible sunshine	53	55	52	54	61	69	69	67	70	75	70	56	63
Source: China Meteorological Administration[22][23]

Administrative divisions

The county includes 2 towns and 8 townships.^[1][24]

Name	Simplified Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Uyghur (UEY)	Uyghur Latin (ULY)	Administrative division code	Notes
Towns
Makit Town	麦盖提镇	Màigàití Zhèn	مەكىت بازىرى[25]	mekit baziri	653127100
Bazarjemi Town	巴扎结米镇	Bāzhājiémǐ Zhèn	بازارجەمى بازىرى	bazarjemi baziri	653127101	formerly Bazarjemi Township (بازارجەمى يېزىسى / 巴扎结米乡)
Townships
Shehitdong Township	希依提墩乡	Xīyītídūn Xiāng	شېھىتدۆڭ يېزىسى[26]	shëhitdöng yëzisi	653127201
Yantak Township[27]	央塔克乡	Yāngtǎkè Xiāng	يانتاق يېزىسى	yantaq yëzisi	653127202
Tümantal Township[28]	吐曼塔勒乡	Tǔmàntǎlè Xiāng	تۈمەنتال يېزىسى[29]	tümental yëzisi	653127203
Ghazkol Township	尕孜库勒乡	Gǎzīkùlè Xiāng	غازكۆل يېزىسى	ghazköl yëzisi	653127204
Qizilawat Township	克孜勒阿瓦提乡	Kèzīlè'āwǎtí Xiāng	قىزىلئاۋات يېزىسى	qizil'awat yëzisi	653127205
Qumqisar Township	库木库萨尔乡	Kùmùkùsà'ěr Xiāng	قۇمقىسار يېزىسى	qumqisar yëzisi	653127206
Hangghitliq Township	昂格特勒克乡	Ánggétèlèkè Xiāng	ھاڭغىتلىق يېزىسى	hangghitliq yëzisi	653127207
Qurma Township	库尔玛乡	Kù'ěrmǎ Xiāng	قۇرما يېزىسى	qurma yëzisi	653127208

Economy

The county has a highly developed irrigation system. Agricultural products of the county include cotton, corn, wheat, flax, melons, and sugar beet. The livestock industry is strong. Local specialities include dried apricot and raisins. Industries include coal mining, tractor manufacture, construction, textiles, etc.^[12]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2000	201,810	—
2010	258,978	+2.53%
[1]

As of 2015, 225,608 of the 272,010 residents of the county were Uyghur, 45,241 were Han Chinese and 1,161 were from other ethnic groups.^[30]

According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 220,000.^{[citation needed]}

As of 1999, 78.36% of the population of Makit (Markit, Maigaiti) County was Uyghur and 21.43% of the population was Han Chinese.^[31]

Transportation

• Sanchakou–Yarkant Expressway^[12]

Historical maps

Historical English-language maps including Makit:

• 
  Map including Makit (labeled as MAI-KAI-T'I (MERKET)) and surrounding region from the International Map of the World (AMS, 1966)
• 
  Map including Makit (labeled as MARKIT (MAI-KAI-T'I)) (DMA, 1980)
• 
  From the Operational Navigation Chart; map including Makit (labeled as Markit (Mai-kai-t'i))(DMA, 1980)^[b]
• 
  Map including Makit (labeled as Markit (Mai-kai-t'i)) (DMA, 1984)^[c]

See also

• Yarkand River

Notes

1. Locals in Xinjiang frequently observe UTC+6 (Xinjiang Time), 2 hours behind Beijing.
2. From map: "The representation of international boundaries is not necessarily authoritative."
3. From map: "The representation of international boundaries is not necessarily authoritative"