SIN KIANG, or the "New Territory," is a great region west-north-west of China. Area (approx.), 550,340 sq. miles. Pop. (approx.), 2,688,000. It is bounded on the north-east by the foothills of the Altai mountains, on the east by Outer Mongolia, Kansu and Kuku Nor, on the south by Tibet, on the south-west by the Karakoram mountains and the Pamirs, on the north-west by a portion of the Tien-shan, from which the boundary diverges northward along various heights till it reaches the hills south of the Irtish, and then turns eastward. The Tien Shan range extends through the middle from west to east, and divides the province into two distinct regions. North of it are the districts of Ili (see article ILI) and Dzungaria, the latter of which is also partly in Outer Mongolia. South of the Tien Shan lies the basin of the Tarim river (q.v.), bounded on the south by the Kunlun mountains, beyond which the province stretches to the Kara koram mountains (q.v.). The southern extension of the province between these two ranges is the plateau of inland drainage called Chang-T'ang. Dzungaria is a basin depression, the only part of the Chinese region north of the Tien Shan which is, in places less than i,000ft. above sea-level. The Borotala here drains east ward into Ebi Nor. It has a remarkably heavy summer rainfall, so that the pastures on the hillsides are rich, while the slopes of the Dzungarian Alatau, on the north, are heavily forested. This depression has been famed as a zone through which peoples have moved throughout history. Beyond the hills of its south-west border lies the well forested Ili valley, containing the town of Kuldja and flanked on the south by the Tien Shan. The Tarim basin is an area of internal drainage more than 2,5ooft. above sea level, and to the north-east lies the Turfan depression, the bottom of which is said to be more than 400ft. below sea-level. The slopes from the Kunlun down to the Tarim basin are re markably sharp in many places, and the southern part of the basin is known as the Takla Makan desert (q.v.). The western
end of the Tarim basin leads to a pass between the Tien-shan and the Pamirs from Kashgar (q.v.) to Bukhara. East of the Takla Makan desert is the lake-marsh region of Lop Nor.
The climate is intensely continental, with average July tem peratures in the Tarim basin varying from 69° F at Yangi-Kul, on the Tarim, to nearly 9o° in the Turfan depression. The January average temperatures in the Tarim basin vary from 21° at Yark and to 9.5° at Yangi-Kul. On the higher lands the variation of temperature within a day may be nearly 55° ; in the Turfan de pression it rarely exceeds 3o°. The winds in the Kuen-lun region blow down the mountain slopes in the morning at great velocity, and they die down towards evening. The rainfall in many places in the Tarim basin is less than gin. for the year, but may rise to loin. in localities on heights facing west. Much of the Tarim basin has a temperature below freezing point for at least three months. In Dzungaria the temperatures are lower both in summer and winter, and in the Borotala the rainfall is much higher. On the high mountains the precipitation may be considerable.
A great deal of the region is desert, with salt accumulations in many of its depressions. Tamarisk and reed grow here and there are many groups of poplar trees at the foot of the mountains, while higher up the mountains is a certain amount of summer pasture. In Dzungaria saxaul and tamarisk trees are character istic. There are fine forests in the Borotala and Ili valleys, and often on the mountain slopes, mostly pine and birch. The north ern slopes of the Tien Shan are famed as summer grazing lands. Where irrigation is possible, in certain places near the Tarim, there is some good cultivation of cereals, rice, cotton and fruits. The wild animals include the camel, wild ass, wolf, tiger, yak, gazelle, stag, etc. The nomads keep horses, camels, cattle, sheep, goats and asses.