Hotan

Hotan خوتەن شەھىرى (Uyghur) 和田市 (Chinese) Khotan, Hetian, Gosthana
County-level city
Tuanjie Square
Hotan Location in Xinjiang Show map of Xinjiang Hotan Hotan (China) Show map of China Hotan Hotan (Continental Asia) Show map of Continental Asia
Coordinates: 37°07′N 79°55′E / 37.117°N 79.917°E / 37.117; 79.917
Country	China
Autonomous region	Xinjiang
Prefecture	Hotan
Municipal seat	Nurbagh Subdistrict
Area [1]
• Total	465.84 km2 (179.86 sq mi)
Elevation	1,382 m (4,534 ft)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	501,028
• Density	1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
Demographics
• Ethnic groups	90.3% Uyghur 9.4% Han Chinese <0.3% other
• Spoken languages	Uyghur, Mandarin Chinese
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard[a])
Postal code	839000
Area code	0903
GDP (Nominal)[3]	2018
– Total	¥8.274 billion $1.247 billion
– Per Capita	¥20,399 $3,076
– Growth	7.1%
License plate prefix	新R
Website	Hotan Government Website (in Chinese)

Hotan or Khotan (see also § Etymology) is a major oasis town in southwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Northwestern China. The city proper of Hotan broke off from the larger Hotan County to become an administrative area in its own right in August 1984. It is the seat of Hotan Prefecture.

With a population of 408,900 (2018 census),^[4] Hotan is situated in the Tarim Basin some 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) southwest of the regional capital, Ürümqi. It lies just north of the Kunlun Mountains, which are crossed by the Sanju, Hindutash and Ilchi passes. The town, located southeast of Yarkant County and populated almost exclusively by Uyghurs, is a minor agricultural center. An important station on the southern branch of the historic Silk Road, Hotan has always depended on two strong rivers, the Karakash River and the White Jade River, to provide the water needed to survive on the southwestern edge of the vast Taklamakan Desert. The White Jade River still provides water and irrigation for the town and oasis.^[5][6]

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