Northwestern China

Northwestern China (西北, Xīběi) includes the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Ningxia and the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Qinghai.

Administrative divisions

GB^[1]	ISO №^[2]	Province	Chinese Name	Capital	Population	Density	Area	Abbreviation/Symbol
Shǎn (Qín)	61	Shaanxi Province	陕西省 Shǎnxī Shěng	Xi'an	37,327,378	181.55	205,600	SN	陕(秦)
Gān (Lǒng)	62	Gansu Province	甘肃省 Gānsù Shěng	Lanzhou	25,575,254	56.29	454,300	GS	甘(陇)
Qīng	63	Qinghai Province	青海省 Qīnghǎi Shěng	Xining	5,626,722	7.80	721,200	QH	青
Níng	64	Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region	宁夏回族自治区 Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū	Yinchuan	6,301,350	94.89	66,400	NX	宁
Xīn	65	Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region	新疆维吾尔自治区 Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū	Ürümqi	21,813,334	13.13	1,660,400	XJ	新

Outer Northwest China highlighted next to a map of China.

Outer Northwest China (Chinese: 外西北; pinyin: Wài Xīběi) is the territories that were ceded from Qing China to the Russian Empire in the Convention of Peking, Sino-Russian North West Frontier Treaty, Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881) and other Unequal Treaties. The territories are former parts of far western Xinjiang and northern Outer Mongolia. Historically, Outer Northwest China was part of Dzungaria but was obtained by the Manchus after their defeat of the Dzungars in the 18th century.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the territories were separated and are now governed by four successors of the Soviet Union: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia.