In 1951, General Wang Zhen decided to build a new base for the People's Liberation Army and selected the location of current Shihezi. Zhao Xiguang took charge in the development of the city, and established the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in 1954. Quasimilitary-structured farm surrounding Shihezi fueled the development of the city by producing materials for the factories that have been the economic drivers of the city. In 1974, Shihezi became a city.
Demographics
Over 90% of Shihezi's population are Han Chinese, with smaller number of Hui, Uighurs, Kazakhs and various other minorities.
Nowadays textile and food industries are the most important in Shihezi. The railway to Wusu and Ürümqi skirts the city, while a United Nationseconomic development project provided a high-quality highway system for the city. The textile industry is the primary employer, although the international trade environment on textiles has brought in fluctuations in employment. As a hub to surrounding farms, the city's destiny is currently tied with theirs. Sugar beets are cultivated near Shihezi. Cultivation of cotton in the farms was accelerated in the 1990s and now dominates the economy.
Geography and climate
Shihezi is located at the northern foothills of the middle part of the Tian Shan range approximately from the regional capital of Ürümqi. Although Shihezi is almost surrounded on the east, west and north by the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, it is not a part of it. Located in an area further from the nearest seacoast than any other region on earth, Shihezi has a continental semi-arid climate, with a large temperature differences between summer and winter. Monthly average temperatures range from in January to, and the annual mean temperature is. Precipitation is very low year-round, with an annual total of only, compared to the annual evaporation rate, which is usually more than. The Manas River forms the administrative border between Shihezi City and its eastern neighbor, Manas County. An extensive system of reservoirs and irrigation canals has been constructed in the area, supporting irrigated agriculture.
Education
is located in Shihezi. It is the second-largest university in Xinjiang, with approximately 40,000 students.
