Yopurga County

Yopurga County^[7][8][9] (Uyghur: يوپۇرغا ناھىيىسى) is a county in northern Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. More than 96% of the residents of the county are Uyghurs and live around oases at the western edge of the desolate Taklamakan Desert. The county is bordered to the north by Jiashi County, to the east by Maralbexi County, to the west by Shule County, to the southwest by Yengisar County and to the south by Yarkant County.^[2]

Yopurga County يوپۇرغا ناھىيىسى (Uyghur) 岳普湖县 (Chinese) Yopurgha, Yuepuhu, Yupogha, Yüeh-p'u-hu
County
Location of the county in Kashgar Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang
Yopurga Location of the county in Xinjiang Show map of Southern Xinjiang Yopurga Yopurga (Xinjiang) Show map of Xinjiang Yopurga Yopurga (China) Show map of China
Coordinates: 39°13′51″N 76°44′25″E
Country	China
Autonomous region	Xinjiang
Prefecture	Kashgar
County seat	Yopurga[1]
Township-level divisions	4 towns, 5 townships
Area [1][2][3][4]
• Total	3,128.09 km2 (1,207.76 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[5]
• Total	162,675
• Density	52/km2 (130/sq mi)
Ethnic groups
• Major ethnic groups	Uyghur[3][6]
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard[a])
Postal code	844400
Website	yph.gov.cn (in Chinese)

Yopurga County
Uyghur name
Uyghur	يوپۇرغا ناھىيىسى‎
Transcriptions Latin Yëziqi Yopurgha Nahiyisi Yengi Yeziⱪ Yopurƣa naⱨiyisi SASM/GNC Yopurga Siril Yëziqi Йопурға наһийиси
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	岳普湖县
Traditional Chinese	岳普湖縣
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yuèpǔhú Xiàn Wade–Giles Yüeh4-p'u3-hu2 Hsien4

Name

Yopurga County is named for the Yopurga River.^[4]

History

In the Qing Dynasty, the area was part of Shule as Yopurga Zhuang (岳普尔湖庄).^[1]

In 1940, Yopurga Shezhiju (岳普湖設治局) was created from portions of Shule County, Yengisar County, and Jiashi County. In 1943, Yopurga was made a county.^[1][4]

On October 20, 2014, Terim (Tieremu) Township became Terim Town.^[1]

On July 24, 2015, Yekshenbebazar (Yekexian Baibazha) was changed from a township to a town.^[10]

Geography

Dawakol (Dawakun) National Desert Park (达瓦昆沙漠旅游风景区) is located in Yopurga County.^[11]

Climate

Climate data for Yopurga, elevation 1,206 m (3,957 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)	21.0 (69.8)	19.9 (67.8)	30.8 (87.4)	35.5 (95.9)	37.3 (99.1)	39.1 (102.4)	41.0 (105.8)	41.5 (106.7)	35.7 (96.3)	30.6 (87.1)	26.3 (79.3)	19.5 (67.1)	41.5 (106.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	0.8 (33.4)	7.1 (44.8)	16.5 (61.7)	24.5 (76.1)	28.6 (83.5)	32.2 (90.0)	33.7 (92.7)	32.4 (90.3)	28.2 (82.8)	21.6 (70.9)	12.2 (54.0)	2.9 (37.2)	20.1 (68.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−5.7 (21.7)	0.3 (32.5)	9.2 (48.6)	16.6 (61.9)	20.7 (69.3)	24.2 (75.6)	25.6 (78.1)	24.2 (75.6)	19.7 (67.5)	12.4 (54.3)	3.8 (38.8)	−3.6 (25.5)	12.3 (54.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−11.3 (11.7)	−5.8 (21.6)	2.3 (36.1)	9.1 (48.4)	13.4 (56.1)	16.8 (62.2)	18.4 (65.1)	17.3 (63.1)	12.7 (54.9)	5.2 (41.4)	−2.6 (27.3)	−8.7 (16.3)	5.6 (42.0)
Record low °C (°F)	−25.3 (−13.5)	−25.9 (−14.6)	−9.2 (15.4)	−2.1 (28.2)	2.5 (36.5)	6.4 (43.5)	10.2 (50.4)	9.3 (48.7)	2.7 (36.9)	−4.8 (23.4)	−15.0 (5.0)	−23.2 (−9.8)	−25.9 (−14.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	2.1 (0.08)	3.2 (0.13)	4.3 (0.17)	4.2 (0.17)	12.6 (0.50)	11.0 (0.43)	14.9 (0.59)	12.2 (0.48)	7.5 (0.30)	3.6 (0.14)	2.0 (0.08)	1.6 (0.06)	79.2 (3.13)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	2.1	1.7	1.3	1.5	3.5	4.2	5.3	4.4	2.9	1.0	0.5	1.5	29.9
Average snowy days	5.8	3.0	0.6	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.6	4.6	14.7
Average relative humidity (%)	66	56	43	35	40	41	47	52	54	56	59	69	52
Mean monthly sunshine hours	150.3	158.3	191.0	222.8	278.5	320.8	324.2	295.7	264.6	255.4	200.6	151.7	2,813.9
Percentage possible sunshine	49	51	51	55	62	72	72	71	72	75	68	52	63
Source: China Meteorological Administration[12][13]

Administrative divisions

Yopurga County included 4 towns and 5 townships:^[1][14][15]

Name	Simplified Chinese	Hanyu Pinyin	Uyghur (UEY)	Uyghur Latin (ULY)	Administrative division code	Notes
Towns
Yopurga Town	岳普湖镇	Yuèpǔhú Zhèn	يوپۇرغا بازىرى	yopurgha baziri	653128100
Eshme Town[16]	艾西曼镇 (艾西买镇)	Àixīmàn Zhèn (Àixīmǎi Zhèn)	ئەشمە بازىرى	Eshme baziri	653128101
Terim Town	铁热木镇	Tiěrèmù Zhèn	تېرىم بازىرى	tërim baziri	653128102	Formerly Terim Township (تېرىم بازىرى / 铁热木乡)
Yekshenbebazar Town	也克先拜巴扎镇	Yěkèxiānbàibāzhā Zhèn	يەكشەنبەبازار بازىرى	yekshenbebazar baziri	653128103	formerly Yekshenbebazar Township (يەكشەنبەبازار بازىرى / 也克先拜巴扎乡)
Townships
Yopurga Township	岳普湖乡	Yuèpǔhú Xiāng	يوپۇرغا يېزىسى	yopurgha yëzisi	653128200
Aqqik Township[17]	阿其克乡	Āqíkè Xiāng	ئاچچىق يېزىسى[18]	Achchiq yëzisi	653128203
Siyek Township[19]	色也克乡	Sèyěkè Xiāng	سىيەك يېزىسى	siyek yëzisi	653128204
Bayawat Township	巴依阿瓦提乡	Bāyī'āwǎtí Xiāng	بايئاۋات يېزىسى	bay'awat yëzisi	653128206
Axunluqum Township	阿洪鲁库木乡	Āhónglǔkùmù Xiāng	ئاخۇنلۇقۇم يېزىسى	Axunluqum yëzisi	653128207

Economy

Agricultural products include wheat, cotton, corn, muskmelon, and oilseed products. Beekeeping is relatively developed. Herding is important, primarily sheep herding. Industries include cotton and hemp processing, food and oil processing, and concrete.^[4]

Farmers in the county raise donkeys for meat, milk and donkey-hide gelatin.^[20]

In July 1953, Yopurga County was reported to have 87,000 mou of winter and spring wheat.^[21]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2000	129,441	—
2010	147,688	+1.33%
[1]

In 1997, Uyghurs made up 94.6% of the county's population.^[6]

According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 130,000.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2015^[update], the population of Yopurga County was 96.1% Uyghur and 3.9% Han Chinese.^[3] As of 2015, 167,860 of the 177,955 residents of the county were Uyghur, 9,801 were Han Chinese and 294 were from other ethnic groups.^{[22][contradictory]}

As of 1999, 94.68% of the population of Yopurga (Yuepuhu) County was Uyghur and 5.28% of the population was Han Chinese.^[23]

Historical maps

Historical English-language maps including modern-day Yopurga County area:

• 
  Map including Yopurga (labeled as YÜEH-P'U-HU (YUPOGHA)) and surrounding region from the International Map of the World (AMS, 1966)
• 
  Map including Yopurga (labeled as YÜEH-P'U-HU) (DMA, 1974)
• 
  From the Operational Navigation Chart; map including Yopurga (Yüeh-p'u-hu) (DMA, 1980)^[b]
• 
  Map including Yopurga (Yüeh-p'u-hu) (DMA, 1984)^[c]

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"