Subdivisions
As a Sub-provincial Autonomous Prefecture, Ili's primary subdivisions include Tacheng (Qoqek, 塔城地区) and Altay (阿勒泰地区) Prefectures, both to the Northeast of the capital. Ili also directly controls 2 county-level cities, 7 counties, and 1 autonomous county. (see Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China#Levels).
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Uyghur (UEY) | Uyghur Latin (ULY) | Kazakh (Arabic script) | Population (2003 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | Altay Prefecture | 阿勒泰地区 | Ālètài Dìqū | تارباغاتاي ۋىلايىتى | Altay Wilayiti | ئالتاي ۋىلايىتى | 561,667 | 117,800 | 5 |
| Tacheng Prefecture | 塔城地区 | Tǎchéng Dìqū | تارباغاتاي ۋىلايىتى | Tarbaghatay Wilayiti | تارباعاتاي ايماعى | 892,397 | 104,546 | 16 | |
| 1 | Yining | 伊宁市 | Yīníng Shì | غۇلجا شەھىرى | Ghulja Shehiri | قۇلجا قالاسى | 430,000 | 629 | 684 |
| 2 | Kuytun | 奎屯市 | Kuítún Shì | كۈيتۇن شەھىرى | Küytun Shehiri | كۇيتۇن قالاسى | 300,000 | 1,171 | 256 |
| 3 | Yining County | 伊宁县 | Yīníng Xiàn | غۇلجا ناھىيىسى | Ghulja Nahiyisi | قۇلجا اۋدانى | 360,000 | 4,486 | 80 |
| 4 | Huocheng County | 霍城县 | Huòchéng Xiàn | قورغاس ناھىيىسى | Qorghas Nahiyisi | قورعاس اۋدانى | 360,000 | 5,466 | 66 |
| 5 | Gongliu County | 巩留县 | Gǒngliú Xiàn | توققۇزتارا ناھىيىسى | Toqquztara Nahiyisi | توعىزتاراۋ اۋدانى | 160,000 | 4,124 | 39 |
| 6 | Xinyuan County | 新源县 | Xīnyuán Xiàn | كۈنەس ناھىيىسى | Künes Nahiyisi | كۇنەس اۋدانى | 300,000 | 7,583 | 40 |
| 7 | Zhaosu County | 昭苏县 | Zhāosū Xiàn | موڭغۇلكۈرە ناھىيىسى | Mongghulküre Nahiyisi | موڭعۇلكۇرە اۋدانى | 160,000 | 10,465 | 15 |
| 8 | Tekes County | 特克斯县 | Tèkèsī Xiàn | تېكەس ناھىيىسى | Tëkes Nahiyisi | تەكەس اۋدانى | 160,000 | 8,080 | 20 |
| 9 | Nilka County | 尼勒克县 | Nílèkè Xiàn | نىلقا ناھىيسى | Nilqa Nahiyisi | نىلقى اۋدانى | 160,000 | 10,130 | 16 |
| 10 | Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County | 察布查尔锡伯自治县 | Chábùchá'ěr Xībó Zìzhìxiàn | ئاپتونوم يېزىسى چاپچال شىبە | Chapchal Shibe Aptonom Nahiyisi | شاپشال سىبە اۆتونوميالى اۋدانى | 170,000 | 4,489 | 38 |
Geographically, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture can be divided into two parts. Altay Prefecture and Tacheng Prefectures, together with the city of Kuitun, occupy most of the Dzungarian Basin in northern Xinjiang, north of the Borohoro Range. The rest of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is located entirely within the Ili River Basin, between Borohoro and the main range of Tian Shan. This latter region is exactly coterminous with the historical area that in the past was often called by Russians and Westerners as Kulja or Kuldja (see, e.g. 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article on Kulja) or Ili.
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