Uighur

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Uyghur ئۇيغۇر
Total population
8.68 million (according to 2004 Chinese census; 15 million given in 'official' Xinjiang geography books)
Regions with significant populations
China (Xinjiang), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Turkey, Russia
Languages
Uyghur
Religions
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Other Turkic peoples, ancient Tocharians

The Uyghur (also spelled Uighur; Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر; Simplified Chinese: 维吾尔; Traditional Chinese: 維吾爾; pinyin: Wéiwú'ěr) are an ethnic group of Central Asia. They are one of China's 56 officially recognized ethnicities, consisting of 8.68 million people according to the 2004 Chinese census, but this may be an under-estimation. Throughout the history of Central Asia, they left a lasting imprint on both the culture and tradition. Today in China, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (also known by its controversial term Eastern Turkistan). There are also existing Uygur communities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Turkey and a smaller one in Taoyuan County of Hunan province in South-central China. Uygur neighbourhoods can also be found in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

Uygur was originally written with the Orkhon alphabet.