To meet an Eastern Turkistani is to know instantly that those who live in Sharqi Turkistan are not Chinese. While they suffer under the rule of what can perhaps be seen as the last great empire on Earth, Eastern Turkistanis yearn for the day when they can once again guide the course of their own nation. To the west and southwest lie Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to the south are Tibet and India. To the east lies China. Geographically, it is China's largest province.
Mountains ring most of the land.
To the north and northeast lie the Altai Mountains. The Tarbagatai Mountains are in the northwest, forming part of the border with the former Soviet Republics. To the east are the Qilian Mountains which complete the circle. Only a few natural corridors pierce this wall of moutains. The Gansu corridor links the province to China proper, through the Gobi Desert.