Autonomous Region of China
Xinjiang
新疆维吾尔自治区Xinjiang is an autonomous region of China. It covers about 1,630,000 km² (629,000 mi²), the largest of the 31 provinces and regions in Natural Earth’s file for China, and about the same size as Libya. About 25.9 million people live there (Wikidata, 2020).
Part of this region's boundary is disputed with India. Size Versus draws Natural Earth's de facto outline, the boundary as it is held on the ground, and takes no position on it.
500 km
- Xinjiang
- Libya
Facts
| Area, measured | 1,630,000 km²629,000 mi² |
|---|---|
| Official area | 1,665,000 km²Wikidata · 2.1% above our measure |
| Share of China | 17%of the area of the 31 provinces and regions |
| Rank by area | 1st of 31provinces and regions of China |
| Population | 25.9 millionWikidata, 2020 · the census year of every unit |
| Density | 16 people per km² |
| Capital | Ürümqi |
| Latitude range | 34°N to 49°N |
| Type | Autonomous RegionCN-XJ |
What the numbers say about Xinjiang
- Xinjiang covers 17% of the area of China and ranks 21st of 31 by population, against 1st by area.
- It would take 5.75 regions the size of Xinjiang to cover China.
- Xinjiang holds 1.8% of the 1.41 billion people that Wikidata’s 2020 figures give for the 31 provinces and regions together: about 1 in 55.
- The smallest, Shanghai, is 0.4% of the size of Xinjiang; the next largest, Inner Mongolia, is 70%.
- Closest in size within China: Inner Mongolia (1,144,000 km², 1.42×) and Tibet (1,130,000 km², 1.44×).
- Counted as a country, Xinjiang would be larger than 223 of the 239 countries and territories listed on sizeversus, and would rank 17th by area, between Sudan (1,856,000 km²) and Libya (1,624,000 km²).
- With 25.9 million people it would rank 56th of 238 by population.
- Xinjiang has 16 people per km², about the density of Oman, which has 16 per km².
- That makes Xinjiang the 29th most densely populated of the 31 provinces and regions, 11% of the average for China (150 per km²).
- On a standard web map (Web Mercator), a place at 41°N is drawn about 1.8× too large in area, so Xinjiang looks bigger there than it is.
- Laid out flat, Xinjiang stretches about 1,630 km north to south and 1,900 km east to west.
- Our measured 1,630,000 km² is 2.1% below Wikidata's official figure of 1,665,000 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently.
About the same size as
Beside the regions of other countries
The closest region by area and by people in each of the other countries that have regional pages here, within a factor of 2. All 395 regions side by side.
- United StatesAreaAlaska1.08× · 1,505,000 km²PeopleTexas89% · 29.1 million (2020)
- IndiaAreanone within 2×PeopleHaryana1.02× · 25.4 million (2011)
- GermanyAreanone within 2×PeopleNorth Rhine-Westphalia1.45× · 17.9 million (2022)
- JapanAreanone within 2×PeopleTokyo1.81× · 14.3 million (2022)
- BrazilAreaAmazonas1.04× · 1,565,000 km²PeopleMinas Gerais1.26× · 20.5 million (2022)
- CanadaAreaQuebec1.08× · 1,506,000 km²PeopleOntario1.82× · 14.2 million (2021)
- AustraliaAreaQueensland0.94× · 1,730,000 km²Peoplenone within 2×
- MexicoAreanone within 2×PeopleState of Mexico1.60× · 16.2 million (2015)
Where Xinjiang sits in China
All 31 drawn on one equal-area map, so sizes are comparable. Select another to open it.
Compare Xinjiang
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Sources and method
- Outline
- Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain
- Boundary
- De facto, as drawn by Natural Earth. Part of this boundary is disputed; Size Versus takes no position on it.
- Area
- Measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid from the full-detail outline, shown rounded. The region’s whole area is counted, every island included.
- Official figures
- Area, population and capital from Wikidata (CC0), fetched 2026-11-12
- Population
- Wikidata, 2020. China’s units share the 2020 figures where Wikidata has them; the year is shown wherever the figure is.
- Matching
- Countries come from Natural Earth’s country file. Places whose status is contested and dependencies are never used as automatic matches. A region under 2,500 km² is matched against the small countries and island nations.
- Data built
- 2026-11-12