Fukang

Fukang 阜康市 · فۇكاڭ شەھىرى‎
County-level city
Central square in Fukang City
Location of Fukang (red) in Changji Prefecture (yellow) and Xinjiang
Fukang Location in Xinjiang
Coordinates: 44°09′53″N 87°57′13″E / 44.1646°N 87.9536°E / 44.1646; 87.9536Coordinates: 44°09′53″N 87°57′13″E / 44.1646°N 87.9536°E / 44.1646; 87.9536
Country	People's Republic of China
Autonomous region	Xinjiang
Autonomous prefecture	Changji
Township-level divisions	3 Subdistricts 4 towns 1 township 2 ethnic townships
Area
• Total	11,726 km2 (4,527 sq mi)
Population
• Total	1,500,000
• Density	130/km2 (330/sq mi)

Fukang^[1] is a county-level city in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Its area is 11,726 km² (4,527 sq mi) and its population in 2007 was reported as approximately 1.5 million.^[2] Fukang is located in Northern Xinjiang in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, north of Ürümqi.

History[]

As early as the Han and Tang dynasties, Fukang was an important stopover on the ancient Silk Road. The Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty established it as a county in 1776. Its status was changed to a city in November 1992.^{[citation needed]}

Economy[]

In 2007, Fukang City's GDP was 4.822 billion yuan, 2.3 times that of 2002, an average annual increase of 17.6%. Per capita GDP reached 30,000 yuan, 2.1 times that of 2002, an average annual increase of 16.5%.^{[citation needed]}

Fukang's economy relies primarily on heavy industry, agriculture and tourism.^[2]

Among the tourist attractions in the area are Bogeda peak and the Heavenly Lake of Tianshan.

Bogeda Biosphere Reserve, in the east part of the Tianshan Mountains, was designated a member of UNESCO's Man and Biosphere reserve in 1990.^[3]

Irrigated agriculture in the Fukang is enabled by streams flowing from the Tian Shan mountains, as well as by the eastern branch of the Irtysh–Karamay–Ürümqi Canal, which crosses the Gurbantünggüt Desert, bringing to Fukang water from the Irtysh River.

Transport[]

• China National Highway 216

Special facts[]

In 2000 a 925 "gemstone meteorite", a pallasite meteorite known as Fukang meteorite, was found near Fukang. It is considered a large and a rare of meteorite. In 2008 the main mass was offered for sale at Bonhams for a value of US $2 million. However the lot remained unsold.^[4]

References[]