Tianshan, the hinterland of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; the edge of Taklamakan Desert; the northeast edge of the largest basin in China, Tarim Basin

Neighboring areas: Gansu and Qinghai Provinces, Tibet Autonomous Region

Physical Features: higher north and lower south terrain, forming sloping oasis like a fan; Kongquehe River flows its way through its whole area; the branch of Tarim River flows through the south of the urban

Population: 330,000
Urban Population: 20,0000
Area: 7116.9 sq km

Nationalities: Mongolian, Uygur, Han, Hazake, Hui, Kerkezi, Xibo, Tajike, Wuzibieke, Tataer, Dawoer, Manchu and Russian

History: with thousands years history, Korla is a throat in the middle of the Silk Road in history; it was set up as a county early in 1940, a prefecture in 1954, merged into the Bayin'guoleng Mongolia Autonomous prefecture in 1960, being approved to be as a city on October 1979

Climatic Features: dominated by continental climate, the area is dry with light rainfall, a high evaporation rate, lots of sun and a huge temperature disparity between day and night

Average Temperature: 7-14C annually with great daily temperature difference
Rainfall: annual precipitation 25-100 mm

Mountains: the Tianshan Mountain Chain; Mt. Aerjinshan

Rivers: the Bosten Lake, Kongquehe River, Tarim River, Kuerchu Brook, the Yinyanghu Lake, and the Lianhuahu Lake