Because rainfall is scarce, many parts of Xinjiang are barren. The main source of irrigation water is the snow and ice at the higher reaches of the Tianshan range. To harness this supply, rivers have been re-channeled and irrigation canals dug. Xinjiang now has over 400 reservoirs and 30,000 km. Now Xinjiang produced steel, oil, chemicals, sugar, tractors and various other kinds of farm machinery.
Trucks are the main means of transportation and thousands of miles of roads have now been paved.
Islam is the dominant religion in Xinjiang. In major cities such as Urumqi and Kashi, huge mosques are still in use. Religious festival days are still observed and it is even possible to encounter older women wearing veil. Economy Located in China's northwest frontier, Urumqi City has a population of 1.5 million of 43 ethnic groups. It is becoming an important door for western China to open to the outside world thanks to the opening of the new Eurasia Land Bridge and the formation of a foreign economic corridor.