Karamay or Karamai (both: kärämī'), city (1994 est. pop. 212,600), N Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, in the Dzungarian basin. Since the discovery (1955) there of one of the largest oil fields in China, it has grown into an oil-producing and refining center.
Karamay
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| Karamay قاراماي شەھرى 克拉玛依 |
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| — Prefecture-level city — | |
| Chinese transcription(s) | |
| - Traditional | 克拉瑪依 |
| - Simplified | 克拉玛依 |
| - Pinyin | Kèlāmǎyī |
| Uyghur transcription(s) | |
| - Uyghur | قاراماي شەھرى |
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  Karamay
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| Coordinates: 45°30′N 85°55′E / 45.5°N 85.917°E | |
| Country | China |
| Region | Xinjiang |
| City seat | Karamay District |
| Subdivisions | |
| Area | |
| - Total | 9,252 km2 (3,572.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2002) | |
| - Total | 290,000 |
| - Density | 31.3/km2 (81.2/sq mi) |
| - Major Nationalities | Han - 75% |
| Time zone | China Standard (UTC+8) |
| Postal code | 834000 |
| Area code(s) | 0990 |
| GDP per capita (2008) | ¥242,391 |
| License Plate Prefix | 新J |
| Website | http://www.klmy.gov.cn |
Karamay or Kelamayi (also: Karamai) (Uyghur: قاراماي, Qaramay, K̡aramay; Chinese: 克拉瑪依; pinyin: Kèlāmǎyī, Wade-Giles: K'o-la-ma-i) is a prefecture-level city in the north of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in northwestern China. Karamay comes from the Uyghur language, and means "black oil". Karamay was the site of one of the worst disasters in modern Chinese history, the 12/8/94 incident, when 324 people, 288 of them school children, lost their lives in a cinema fire on 8 December 1994.[1] Population (2002): 290,000.
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Geography
Karamay is located in the Dzungarian basin.
Climate
Karamay has a dry and hot summer climate. The annual range can be from -25 to 40 °C.
Subdivisions
Karamay has 4 districts.
- Karamay District (克拉玛依区: Kèlāmǎyī Qū)
- Jeren-bulaq District (白碱滩区 : Báijiǎntān Qū)
- Maytagh District (独山子区: Dúshānzǐ Qū)
- Urho District (乌尔禾区: Wūěrhé Qū)
The territory of the "Prefecture-level City of Karamay" is not contiguous: Maytagh District, located south of the Lanxin Railway, forms an exclave, as it is separated by Kuytun City from the other three districts in the north. City of Karamay taken together with the City of Kuytun would form an enclave surrounded on all sides by Tacheng Prefecture.
Demographics
75% of Karamay's population are Han with minorities such as Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Mongols and Hui making up the rest.
Transport
Economy
In 1955, one of the largest oil fields in China was discovered there. Since then, the city has grown into an oil-producing and refining center.
In 2008 the GDP reached ¥66.1 billion, and GDP per capita reached ¥242,391 (US$34,901). The GDP per capita ranks first among 659 cities in Mainland China.
Theatre fire in 1994
Main article: 1994 Karamay fire
On December 8, 1994, a serious fire broke out in Friendship Theatre (友谊馆), Karamay, which caused the death of 325 people including 288 school children, according to official figures. Many teachers were killed while trying to protect and evacuate their students from the poorly safety-designed building. A show was being organized at that moment for a number of local government officials, who managed to escape ahead of the others on spotting the fire, and were afterwards charged with neglecting their duty and were each sentenced to years in jail.[2]
References
- ^ China aghast at ‘sacrifice’ of 288 pupils, The Sunday Times, May 6, 2007.
- ^ Xinhuanet. "Xinhuanet.com." South China club fire kills at least 43, injures 88. Retrieved on 2008-09-27.
External links
- Government website of Karamay (in Simplified Chinese)
- Map of the City of Karamay
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