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Akto County 阿克陶县 (Chinese) ئاقتو ناھىيىسى (Uyghur) ﺍﻗﺘﻮﻭ وودانى (Kyrgyz)Aqtu, Aktu, Aketao
County
Location of the county (red) in Kizilsu Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang
AktoLocation of the seat in XinjiangShow map of Southern XinjiangAktoAkto (Xinjiang)Show map of XinjiangAktoAkto (China)Show map of China
Coordinates (Akto County government): 39°08′52″N 75°56′51″E / 39.1478°N 75.9474°E / 39.1478; 75.9474
Country	China
Autonomous region	Xinjiang
Autonomous prefecture	Kizilsu
County seat	Akto Town
Area
• Total	24,176 km (9,334 sq mi)
Population
• Total	226,005
• Density	9.3/km (24/sq mi)
Ethnic groups
• Major ethnic groups	Uyghur, Kyrgyz
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard Time)
Area code	653022
Website	www.xjakt.gov.cn

Akto County (also known as Aqtu, Aktu, or Aketao; Chinese: 阿克陶县; pinyin: Ākètáo Xiàn) is a county in Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The county borders Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and has two towns, 11 townships, four state-owned farms and a plant nursery under its jurisdiction. The county seat is Akto Town. The county has an area of 24,555 km (9,481 sq mi). In 2015 its population was 221,526; in 2017 it was 231,756.

Akto is the westernmost county of China; its westernmost point is north of the Markansu River (玛尔坎苏河), on the border with Tajikistan. The county is located in the southwest of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, east of the Pamir Plateau, and is near the western edge of the Tarim Basin. It is between 73°26'5" and 76°43'31" east longitude, and between 37°41'28" and 39°29'55" north latitude. It is bordered by Wuqia County and Shufu County to the north, by Shule County and 41st Regiment of the XPCC across Yopurga River (岳普湖河) to the northeast, by Yengisar County (Yingjisha), Yarkant County (Shache) to the east, and by Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County (Tashkurgan) to the south. The west and south-west share a border with Kyrgyzstan and a border with Tajikistan; the total border line is more than 380 kilometers long.

Name

Akto means 'white mountain' in the Kyrgyz language, referring to snowy mountains.

History

In the early years of the Western Han dynasty, the land of the present Akto County was under the jurisdiction of three Kingdoms of Shule, Puli (蒲犁国) and Yilai (依耐国). In 60 BC, the Han dynasty set up the Protectorate of the Western Regions in Wulei Fortress (乌垒城; near the present Yungou 云沟, Dongye Town 东野镇 in Luntai County), and Akto was under its jurisdiction. During the Three Kingdoms period, Akto was still under the jurisdiction of the Wei State. During the Jin dynasty, Akto County was part of Shule Kingdom of Jin. In 658, with the establishment of Kara-Khanid Khanate, most of Akto was under its jurisdiction. In 1134, Akto was part of West Liao with the East Kara-Khanid Khanate reconciled to West Liao. In 1226, the Southern Tianshan was in the territory of Chagatai Khanate, with Akto under its control. With the establishment of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate in 1347, Akto was one of the dominions of the khanate supervisor Hudaida (忽歹达). Akto was part of Yarkent Khanate in 1514. In 1678, the Dzungar began to rule. After the Qing dynasty calmed the Revolt of the Altishahr Khojas in 1759, the land was ruled by Kashgar and Yarkand officials (喀什噶尔和叶尔羌参赞大臣). Appointed the seat of officials of circuits, prefectures and counties in southern Xinjiang in 1883, Akto was under the jurisdiction of Yengisar Independent Subprefecture (英吉沙尔直隶厅), Shule Independent Department (疏勒直隶州) and Puli Subprefecture of Shache Prefecture (莎车府蒲犁分防厅).

20th century

Akto County was established in August 1954 from parts of Yengisar, Shufu, Taxkorgan (present Tashkurgan, Puli) and Wuqia counties. The present Yumai Township (玉麦乡) was from the 6th district in Yengisar, Piral Township (皮拉勒乡) and Barin Township from the 7th district in Yengisar (Yingjisha), Kizilto Township (克孜勒陶乡) from the 8th district in Yengisar, Qiarlon Township (恰尔隆乡) from 4th district of Qiarlon (恰尔隆第四区) in Puli County, Blunko Township (布伦口乡) from 5th district of Blunko (布伦口五区) in Puli and two townships of Bostanterak District (波斯坦铁热克区) in Wuqia County, Auytak Town (奥依塔克镇) from Auytak Township (奥依塔克乡) in Shufu County, Karekayqik Township (喀热开其克乡) from Qlukbash Township in Shufu.

In April 1990, the Baren Township riot occurred in Barin Township.

In June 1996, Aisha Awazi, Uyghur imam of a mosque in the county, was arrested in connection with reportedly appointing himself imam in 1992, being strongly critical of communists as pagans and organizing 120 like-minded persons; he is listed as a political prisoner.

21 st century

The 2007 Xinjiang raid occurred in the county.

In 2015, Chinese state media reported about a huge body of the Kongur Tiube glacier (7,530 metres) collapsing causing a 20 km long and one kilometre wide ice rock avalanche.

Geography

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Akto County is located in the central hinterland of Asia, the westernmost part of China, the southwest of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the eastern Pamir Plateau, and the western edge of the Tarim Basin. It is located between east longitudes 73°26'5" and 76°43'31", and between north latitude 37°41'28" and 39°29'55". Its maximum length from north to south is 283.2 kilometers long from the middle section of Maltabar Mountain (玛里他巴尔山) in the northwest to The Kokluk Farm (科克鲁克农场) in Kuslap Township (库斯拉甫乡) in the southeast; its maximum length from west to east is 216 kilometers long from Subash Village (苏巴什村) in Bulungkol Township (布伦口乡) in the southwest to the Jamaterak Township (加马铁热克乡) in the northeast. The terrain is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, with a total area of 24,555 square kilometers.

Akto County includes parts of three major geographic regions: the Pamirs, the northern slopes of the Kunlun Mountains, and the oasis on the western edge of the Tarim Basin. Mountainous areas (generally at an altitude of 4,000 to 5,000 meters) make up 96.39% of the county's total area. The Kungay Mountain (昆盖山) in the northwest is at the boundary with Wuqia County, at an elevation of 5,753.7 meters. The Sarikol Range (萨雷阔勒岭) in the southwest is more than 4,500 meters above sea level; the highest peak of Kongur Tagh (公格尔山) in the central part is 7,719 meters above sea level, Kongur Tiube (公格尔九别峰) is 7,530 meters, and Muztagh Ata (慕士塔格峰) is 7,541 meters. There are 66 snow-capped peaks in the territory, including 36 large ice peaks. The mountaintops have snow year round, and there are glaciers of different sizes around the peaks. Large parts of the county are subject to severe drought and erosion due to the bare mountains and sparse vegetation. Bare mountains in the area are formed from different types of rock, and may therefore be gray, black, yellow, red or white. The midwestern part of the county is on the Pamir Plateau. Several giant mountains on the Asian continent - the Himalayas, the Karakoram Range, the Kunlun Mountains, the Tian Shan Mountains and the Hindu Kush Mountains are all gathered here. The Kongur–Muztagh Mountains (公格尔-慕士塔格山), the main range of the Pamirs, are mainly in Akto County. The range extends southward to Tashkurgan County, and to the northeast into Yengisar and Kargilik counties. Muztagh is the boundary mountain between Akto County and Tashkurgan County; the top of the mountain is accumulating ice and snow, and the thickness of snow is more than 100 meters. There are more than 40 modern glaciers distributed below the snow line, with ice sheets about 100 meters deep. Glacial meltwater is the main source of agricultural irrigation in the county, and it is also the main source of supply for the Gez River (盖孜河) and the Kushan River (库山河).

The southern part of Akto County is the northern slope of Kunlun Mountains, which is the main mountain of the Kunlun. In addition to the Jogori Peak, the other three famous peaks of Muztagh Ata, Kongur Tagh and Kongur Tiube are almost all in Akto. Kunlun is famous for its jade production. It is located in the mountains of Akto in the upper reaches of the Yarkand River. There are many jade mines. These jade stones, exposed in the rock formations by the river, are washed into the riverbed in the lower reaches, and stepping on jade in the Yarkand River has become a production activity and industry that the local people have been engaged in for thousands of years.

The northeastern part of the county is an oasis, located on the southwestern edge of the Tarim Basin and part of the Tarim Oasis. The plain agricultural areas in the county are mainly divided into two parts: one is the front flood fan of the Pamir Mountains, and the other is the Gez-Kushan River Delta (盖孜-库山河三角洲). These two plains, in terms of large landform types, belong to the Kashgar Delta (喀什噶尔三角洲) and form an oasis on the southwest edge of the Tarim Basin. The Gez-Kushan River Delta, located in the southern part of the Kashgar Plain (喀什噶尔平原), the northern part of the northern slope of the Pamir-West Kunlun Mountain Range, the triangle between the Gez and the Kushan rivers, covers an area of about 800 square kilometers, and has a distribution population of more than 100,000, accounting for about 68% of the total population of the county. It is composed of the flood of the Gez river and the Kushan River - alluvial fan and Gez River - the dympastain plain saticity of the Yuepuhu River, mainly including Akto Town, Yumai, Barin, Pilal, Jamaterak and other agricultural areas. The area is flat, at an altitude of about 1,200 to 1,500 meters, with abundant water and fertile land.

Climate

Administrative divisions

The county has 12 township-level administrative divisions under its jurisdiction, with five state-owned farms.

• state-owned farms:
  • Turtay Farm (托尔塔依农场, Uyghur: تۇرتاي دېھقانچىلىق مەيدانى, Kyrgyz: تۇرتاي دىيقانچىلىق مايدانى)
  • Aktala Pasture (阿克达拉牧场, Uyghur: ئاقدالا چارۋىچىلىق مەيدانى, Kyrgyz: اقدالا چارباچىلىق مايدانى)
  • Akto Seed Stock Station (阿克陶县原种场, Uyghur: ئاقتو ناھىيەسىنىڭ ئەسلى ئۇرۇمچىلىق مەيدانى‎, Kyrgyz: ﺍﻗﺘﻮﻭ وودانىنىن تۇپقۇ اسىل تۇقۇم مايدانى)
  • Kizilsu Prefectural Tree Farm (克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州林场, Uyghur: قىزىلسۇ ۋىلايەتلىك ئورمانچىلىق مەيدانى, Kyrgyz: قىزىلسۇۇ ايماقتىق توقوي چارباسى مايدانى)
  • Kizilsu Prefectural Plant Nursery (克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州苗甫, Uyghur: قىزىلسۇ ۋىلايەتلىك كۆچەت تىكىش باغچىسى, Kyrgyz: قىزىلسۇۇ ايماقتىق كۅچۅت وتۇرعۇزۇۇ باقچاسى)

Demographics

Akto County has a large Uyghur majority, numbering 172,408 in 2018, or 73.64% of the county's population. The largest minority in Akto County are the Kyrgyz (including the Akto Turkmens), who number 47,394 in 2018, comprising 20.24% of the county's population. Other sizable minorities in the county include the Han Chinese and Mountain Tajiks, with populations of 7,864 and 6,018, respectively, comprising 3.36% and 2.57% of the county's population in 2018.

Transportation

Akto is served by the Kashgar-Hotan Railway.

Gallery

• Baisha Lake in Bulungkol Wetland
• Kongurtah
• Kongurtah
• Glaciers in Oytak
• Volcanoes in Muji
• Map including Akto A-k'o-t'ao (DMA, 1983)
• From the Operational Navigation Chart; map including Akto (A-k'o-t'ao) (DMA, 1980)
• Map including (A-k'o-t'ao) Akto (DMA, 1984)

See also

• China–Tajikistan border
• List of extreme points of China

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"

References

1. Historical Annals Office 史志办 (4 June 2018). 行政区划 [Administrative Divisions] (in Simplified Chinese). Akto County People's Government. Retrieved 29 January 2020. 总面积24176平方千米。
2. Xinjiang: Prefectures, Cities, Districts and Counties
3. ZX, ed. (2 July 2019). "Scenery of Baisha Lake in Akto County, China's Xinjiang". Xinhua News Agency. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2020. Tourists visit the Baisha Lake in Akto County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 2, 2019.
4. Mamatjan Juma, Joshua Lipes (22 March 2013). "Supporting a Loved One in Jail". Radio Free Asia. Translated by Mamatjan Juma. Retrieved 6 September 2020. The rebellion, in Xinjiang's far western Aqtu county, was quickly put down by Chinese troops employing lethal force.
5. Eset Sulaiman, Paul Eckert (11 September 2017). "China Runs Region-wide Re-education Camps in Xinjiang for Uyghurs And Other Muslims". Radio Free Asia. Translated by Eset Sulaiman. Retrieved 21 September 2020. The officer from Ujme Township in Aktu (Aketao in Chinese) County, Kizilsu (Kezilesu) prefecture,
6. Sajjan M. Gohel. "The "Seventh Stage" Of Terrorism in China". CTC Sentinel. 7 (11). These issues came to a head in April 1990 when a violent and bloody uprising started in Baren, a township in Aktu County in close proximity to Kashgar.
7. 新疆 阿克陶. GOVERNMENT OF AKETAO. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2020 – via Internet Archive.
8. 2015 population of Akto, Based on the Xinjiang Statistical Yearbook 2016 edited by Xinjiang Bureau of Statistics; published by China Statistics Press; ISBN 978-7-5037-7902-2
9. 阿克陶县2017年国民经济和社会发展统计公报 (in Simplified Chinese). xjakt.gov.cn. 2018-07-20. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
10. ^ 阿克陶县地理概况 (in Simplified Chinese). xjakt.gov.cn. 2018-12-24. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
11. 阿克陶简介. 阿克陶县人民政府 (in Simplified Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. "阿克陶"系柯尔克孜语，意为"白山"，即雪山。
12. Xie Yuzhong 解玉忠 (2003). 地名中的新疆 (in Simplified Chinese). Ürümqi: 新疆人民出版社. p. 192. ISBN 7-228-08004-1.
13. 阿克陶县历史变迁（一） (in Simplified Chinese). xjakt.gov.cn. 2018-06-04. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
14. James D. Seymour; Richard Anderson (1998). New Ghosts Old Ghosts Prisons and Labor Reform Camps in China. pp. 123-124, 281 – via Internet Archive. 219. AFP, July 10, 1996, FBIS, July 18, 1996, p. 65.
15. "PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE XINJIANG UIGHUR AUTONOMOUS REGION" (PDF). Amnesty International. 21 April 1999. p. 84 (88/98). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
16. Clarke, Michael E. (2011). Xinjiang and China's Rise in Central Asia – A History. Abingdon-on-Thames: Taylor & Francis. p. 164. ISBN 9781136827068.
17. Petley, Dave (2015-05-17). "Reports of a massive ice - rock avalanche in Akto County, Xinjiang, China?". Retrieved 2024-11-23.
18. 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
19. "Experience Template" 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
20. 2018年阿克陶县行政区划代码. National Bureau of Statistics of China. 2018-10-31. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
21. 阿克陶县历史沿革 [Akto County Historical Development] (in Simplified Chinese). XZQH.org. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2020. 2000年第五次人口普查，阿克陶县常住总人口163024人，{...}2003年，全县总面积24555.06平方千米，{...}2010年第六次人口普查，阿克陶县常住总人口199065人，其中：阿克陶镇36270人，奥依塔克镇4520人，玉麦乡25832人，皮拉力乡43228人，巴仁乡32909人，喀热克其克乡5299人，加马铁力克乡10311人，木吉乡3892人，布伦口乡6922人，克孜勒陶乡9259人，恰尔隆乡4823人，库斯拉甫乡3542人，塔尔乡5059人，托尔塔依农场3827人，阿克达拉牧场2527人，原种场602人，克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州林场36人，苗圃207人。
22. huaxia, ed. (17 September 2020). "Full Text: Employment and Labor Rights in Xinjiang". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 20 September 2020. A villager called Reyhangul Imir from a poor household in Ojma Township, Akto County, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture
23. ^ 3-7 各地、州、市、县(市)分民族人口数. www.xjtj.gov.cn (in Simplified Chinese). شىنجاڭ ئۇيغۇر ئاپتونوم رايونى 新疆维吾尔自治区统计局 Statistic Bureau of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. 2017-03-15. Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
24. ^ 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.

• County-level divisions of Xinjiang
• Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture