Ili (also as Yili; Chinese: 伊犁哈萨克自治州; pinyin: Yīlí Hǎsàkè Zìzhìzhōu) is an autonomous prefecture for Kazak people in the northwest of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, one of 5 autonomous prefectures in Xinjiang. Yining City is its capital. The autonomous prefecture, which is bordered on the east by Mongolia, by Aksu Prefecture, Bayingolin Autonomous Prefecture, Changji Autonomous Prefecture and the provincial direct-administered county-level city of Shihezi to the south, by Bortala Autonomous Prefecture to the west, by theRepublic of Kazakstan to the northwest, by the Russian Federation to the north, the prefecture-level city of Karamay in the middle south, is located in the north west corner of China, the northwest of Xinjiang.
Ili (also as Yili; Chinese: 伊犁哈萨克自治州; pinyin: Yīlí Hǎsàkè Zìzhìzhōu) is an autonomous prefecture for Kazak people in the northwest of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, one of 5 autonomous prefectures in Xinjiang. Yining City is its capital. The autonomous prefecture, which is bordered on the east by Mongolia, by Aksu Prefecture, Bayingolin Autonomous Prefecture, Changji Autonomous Prefecture and the provincial direct-administered county-level city of Shihezi to the south, by Bortala Autonomous Prefecture to the west, by theRepublic of Kazakstan to the northwest, by the Russian Federation to the north, the prefecture-level city of Karamay in the middle south, is located in the north west corner of China, the northwest of Xinjiang. The autonomous prefecture covers an area of 268,591 square kilometers, accounting for 16.79% of Xinjiang's. As of 2010 Census, its population is 2,482,627, accounting for 11.38% of Xinjiang. In the territory of its direct-administered county-level divisions, the area is 56,622 square kilometers, accounting for 21.08% of the autonomous prefecture; the population is 659,940, accounting for 26.58% (as of 2010 census). The Kazakh autonomous prefecture of Ili (伊犁哈萨克自治州) is the only sub-provincial autonomous prefecture in China that has both directly administered county-level divisions and prefectures under its jurisdiction. When the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, the 3 prefectures of Altay, Ili and Tacheng were directly under the leadership of Xinjiang provincial government. The Mongol autonomous prefecture of Bortala was found from 3 counties of Bole, Jinghe and Wenquan in Ili Prefecture (伊犁专区) in July 1954. The Kazakh autonomous prefecture of Ili had 3 prefectures of Altay, Ili and Tacheng under its administration when it was established in November 1954. The Ili Prefecture (伊犁专区) firstly cesed to be as a separate prefectue in December 1955, its county-level administrative units were directly administered by the autonomous prefecture of Ili. Since then, the Kazakh autonomous prefecture of Ili has existed as a separate administrative division. Its administrative divisions have either been reduced to the geographical scope of the former Ili Prefecture or expanded back to the territory of the former 3 prefectures. As a separate administrative unit, Ili Prefecture (伊犁地区) existed until its final dissolution in 2001.