Xinjiang was on the Silk Road, an old trade route that connected the Middle East and Europe with China. Many Middle Eastern people settled in Xinjiang, and Middle Eastern influences became strong. The language and clothing of the people, and the region's architecture and music, also show Middle Eastern influences. Herding and farming are important economic activities in Xinjiang. The region's herders raise cattle, sheep, goats, and other animals.
Farmers grow corn, cotton, fruits, rice, and wheat.
Xinjiang's vast mineral resources include coal, iron ore, oil, and uranium. Factories in Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital, make farm machinery and cement. In 1884, China made it a province. Several border disputes with the Soviet Union caused tension in Xinjiang. Russia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are the former Soviet republics that border Xinjiang.