Most of the estimated 11 million Uyghur in China live in the far western region of Xinjiang. Another 1.5 million Uyghur live outside of China. They are a Turkic people who trace their Muslim heritage back to the 10th century. They speak Uyghur, a Turkic language that is written using a modified Arabic script.
Though Uyghurs consider themselves Sunni Muslims, their religious observance varies widely. Prior to government pressure against the practice, women in the more conservative southern region (in and around Kashgar, a Silk Road trade center) were more likely to wear head coverings. This was less common elsewhere. The Uyghur have distinctive cuisine, clothing, and handcrafts and are well known for the muqam, a unique style of folk music employing oral epics. Education used to be available in both Uyghur and Mandarin, but education in the Uyghur language has now been stopped.
After Chairman Mao set up the People’s Republic in 1949, the area became the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Uyghur are mostly concentrated in the southwest Tarim Basin region. The millions of Han people who have settled in the region now outnumber the Uyghur.