The Junghar Basin is lower and less arid but considerably colder. This region is bounded on the north by the Altay Taghliri (Altay Mountains) and on the south by the Tängri Taghlari ranges. The Tängri Taghlari ranges include varied terrains.
In the east, the Turfan (Turpan) and Qumul Depression (Turfan is 60m below sea level) is the driest and hottest place in East Turkistan. In the west, the Ili Valley is the most area of East Turkistan most favorable for agriculture.
Ürümchi (Urumchi), the regional capital, is located in a large, relatively flat valley near the middle range.
As its traditional name implies, East Turkistan is a Turkic country populated primarily by Muslims who can trace their history back to at least the 7th century. Culturally, linguistically, even economically, East Turkistan is tied far more closely to nations which lie to its north and west than to its current overlord, China.