Altay Prefecture

Altay Prefecture is a prefecture in northern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 118,015 km (45,566 sq mi) and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. As of the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture with an ethnic Kazakh majority (about 51%). In 2007, it had a GDP of RMB 9.9 billion with a 12% growth rate. It also shares an international border with the neighboring Altai Republic, located within Russia.

Altay is considered the birthplace of skiing, based on 10,000 to 30,000 year old cave paintings depicting skiers.