Xinjiang" or "Ice Jecen" in Manchu, literally means "New Frontier", a name given during the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China. The region is often referred to as Chinese Turkestan or East Turkestan due to the presence of a number of Turkic ethnic groups.
The province produces 1.8% of China’s total yarn production.

It is China’s largest cotton-producing region and is also its largest cotton producing region with the country’s largest geographical area.

The province is heavily dependant on its natural resources and agriculture because of its large distance from East China.

For the last few years there are efforts being made to develop its small textile sector. There is huge cotton local crop which supports the local cotton spinning industry in a big way.

In the year 2005-06 there was a decline in yarn production. The output for 06-07 is set to reach a record 326,000 tons. There is a grwoth of 20.3% over the previous year. The local cotton consumption is approximately 1.558 million 480-pound bales.

Xinjiang consumes more than double the cotton volumes of Italy or Vietnam.

It is a large, sparsely populated area which takes up about one sixth of the country’s territory. It administers most of Aksai Chin, a region claimed by India as part of Jammu and Kashmir.