View source for Karamay

{{About}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
| name                            = Karamay
| official_name                   = <!-- Official name in English if different from 'name' -->
| native_name                     = {{native name list |tag1=zh-hans |name1=克拉玛依市 |tag2=ug |name2=قاراماي شەھىرى}}
| other_name                      = Karamai
| settlement_type                 = [[Prefecture-level city]]
| etymology                       = From [[Uyghur language|Uyghur]] words {{transliteration|ug|qara may}} ({{lang|ug|قارا ماي}}), meaning "black oil"
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
| image_skyline                   = Karamay river.jpg
| image_caption                   = The Karamay River running through [[Karamay, Karamay|Karamay District]]
| image_seal                      = 
| image_shield                    = 
| nickname                        = 
| motto                           = 
| image_map                       = Location of Karamay Prefecture within Xinjiang (China).png
| map_caption                     = Location of Karamay City jurisdiction in Xinjiang
| pushpin_map                     = China Xinjiang Northern#China Xinjiang#China
| pushpin_label_position          = 
| pushpin_relief                  = yes
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location of the city centre in Xinjiang
<!-- Location ------------------>
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_name                = People's Republic of China
| subdivision_type1               = [[Autonomous regions of China|Region]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Xinjiang]]
| subdivision_type2               = 
| subdivision_name2               = 
| seat_type                       = Municipal seat
| seat                            = [[Karamay District]]
| parts_type                      = Subdivisions
| total_type                      = <!-- to set a non-standard label for total area and population rows -->
| parts_style                     = <!-- =list (for list), coll (for collapsed list), para (for paragraph format) Default is list if up to 5 items, coll if more than 5-->
| parts                           = [[District (PRC)|Districts]]<!-- parts text, or header for parts list -->
| p1                              = [[Karamay District|Karamay]]
| p2                              = [[Baijiantan District|Baijiantan]]
| p3                              = [[Dushanzi District|Dushanzi]]
| p4                              = [[Urho District|Uroho]] <!-- etc. up to p50: for separate parts to be listed-->
<!-- Politics ----------------->
| government_footnotes            = 
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = 
| established_title               = <!-- Settled -->
| leader_name                     = 
| established_date                = 
| founder                         = 
| named_for                       = <!-- Area    --------------------->
| area_footnotes                  = 
| area_total_km2                  = 7,734<!-- ALL fields with measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion-->
| area_land_km2                   = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on unit conversion-->
| area_water_km2                  = <!-- Elevation -------------------------->
| elevation_footnotes             = 
| elevation_m                     = 354
| elevation_max_m                 = 
| elevation_min_m                 = <!-- Population   ----------------------->
| population_as_of                = 2020
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_note                 = 
| population_total                =  490348
| population_density_km2          = auto <!--For automatic calculation, any density field may contain: auto -->
| population_blank1_title         = Major [[Nationalities of China|Nationalities]]
| population_blank1               = [[Han Chinese|Han]] - 74.8%
| demographics_type2   = GDP<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 April 2021|title=克拉玛依市2019年国民经济和社会发展统计公报|url=http://www.tjcn.org/tjgb/31xj/36390.html|access-date=12 March 2021|language=zh}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Total
| demographics2_info1 = [[CN¥]] 97.3 billion<br />[[US$]] 14.1 billion 
| demographics2_title2 = Per capita
| demographics2_info2 = CN¥ 210,426<br />US$ 30,452
<!-- General information  --------------->
| timezone                        = [[China Standard Time|China Standard]]
| utc_offset                      = +8
| coor_pinpoint = Karamay municipal government
| coordinates                     = {{coord|45.5799|N|84.8892|E|type:adm2nd_region:CN-65_source:Gaode|format=dms|display=it}}
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
| postal_code_type                = [[Postal code of China|Postal code]]
| postal_code                     = 834000
| area_code                       = 0990
| iso_code                        = [[ISO 3166-2:CN|CN-XJ-02]]
| blank3_name                     = [[Licence plates of the People's Republic of China|License Plate]] Prefix
| blank3_info                     = {{lang|zh-cn|新J}}
| website                         = {{URL|http://www.klmy.gov.cn/Pages/default.aspx}}
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| s         = 克拉玛依
| t         = 克拉瑪依
| w         = Kʻo⁴-la¹-ma³-i¹
| p         = Kèlāmǎyī
| xej       = کْ‌لَامَاءِ
| zh-dungan = Кәламайы
| uig       = قاراماي
| uly       = Qaramay
| uyy       = Ⱪaramay
| sgs       = K̂aramay
| usy       = Қарамай
| lu        = black oil
| order     = st
}}
'''Karamay''' (also spelled '''Karamai''') is a [[prefecture-level city]] in the north of the [[Xinjiang|Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region]], People's Republic of China. It is [[Enclave and exclave|surrounded on all sides]] by [[Tacheng Prefecture]]. The name of the city comes from the [[Uyghur language]] and means "black oil", referring to the oil fields near the city. 

Karamay was the site of one of the worst disasters in modern Chinese history, the [[1994 Karamay fire]], when 324 people, including 288 school children, lost their lives in a cinema fire on 8 December 1994.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070512170334/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article1752202.ece China aghast at ‘sacrifice’ of 288 pupils], ''[[The Sunday Times]]'', May 6, 2007.</ref>

==Subdivisions==
Karamay City has jurisdiction over four [[District (China)|districts]] ({{lang-zh|s=区|p=qū|labels=no}}). They are not contiguous as [[Dushanzi District]] is located south of the Lanxin Railway and forms an exclave, separated from the rest of Karamay City by [[Kuytun|Kuytun City]]. Together with Kuytun City, Karamay City forms an enclave surrounded on all sides by [[Tacheng Prefecture]].

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" align=center
! colspan=8 | Map
|-
| colspan=8 | <div style="position: relative" class="center">
{{Image label begin|image=Administrative Division Karamay.png|width=220|link=}}
{{Image label|x=130|y=700|scale=220/750|text=[[Karamay District|'''Karamay''']]}}
{{Image label|x=100|y=1400|scale=220/750|text=[[Dushanzi District|'''Dushanzi''']]}}
{{Image label|x=270|y=440|scale=220/750|text=[[Baijiantan District|'''Baijiantan''']]}}
{{Image label|x=460|y=190|scale=220/750|text=[[Orku District|'''Orku''']]}}
{{Image label end}}
</div>
|-
! District
! [[Chinese characters|Hanzi]]
! [[Pinyin|Hanyu Pinyin]]
! [[Uyghur language|Uyghur]] ([[Uyghur Arabic alphabet|UEY]])
! Uyghur Latin ([[Uyghur Latin alphabet|ULY]])
! Population<br/>{{small|(2020 Census)}}
! Area<br/>(km<sup>2</sup>)
! Density<br/>(/km<sup>2</sup>)
|----------
|[[Karamay District|Karamay]]
|{{lang|zh-hans|克拉玛依区}}
|Kèlāmǎyī Qū
|{{lang|ug|قاراماي رايونى}}
|Qaramay Rayoni
|337,188
|3,834
|87.95
|----------
|[[Dushanzi District|Dushanzi]]
|{{lang|zh-hans|独山子区}}
|Dúshānzǐ Qū
|{{lang|ug|مايتاغ رايونى}}
|Maytagh Rayoni
|84,395
|400
|210.99
|----------
|[[Baijiantan District|Baijiantan]]
|{{lang|zh-hans|白碱滩区}}
|Báijiǎntān Qū
|{{lang|ug|جەرەنبۇلاق رايونى}}
|Jerenbulaq Rayoni
|50,825
|1,272
|39.96
|----------
|[[Orku District|Orku]]
|{{lang|zh-hans|乌尔禾区}}
|Wū'ěrhé Qū
|{{lang|ug|ئورقۇ رايونى}}
|Orqu Rayoni
|17,940
|2,228
|8.05
|}

==Geography==
Karamay is located in the northwest of the [[Dzungaria]]n basin, with an average elevation of {{convert|400|m|sp=us}}. Its administrative area ranges in latitude from 44° 07' to 46° 08' N and in longitude from 80° 44' to 86° 01' E and has a maximal {{convert|240|km|abbr=on}} north–south extent and reaches {{convert|110|km|abbr=on}} in east–west width. It borders [[Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County]] to the northeast, [[Shawan County]] to the southeast, [[Toli County]] and [[Wusu]] to the west and [[Kuytun]] to the south.

The naturally available water supply in the Karamay area is limited: it mostly consists of two small rivers (the [[Baiyang River]] and the Da'erbute River ({{lang|zh-hans|达尔不特河}}) flowing into the [[Dzungarian Basin]] from the mountains of its northwestern rim. In addition, the city receives water from the [[Irtysh River]], over the [[Irtysh–Karamay Canal]], which was officially opened in 2008.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/xinjiang/karamay/2013-05/21/content_16795403.htm Karamay River Scenic Area]</ref>

A number of natural ([[Ailik Lake]]) and artificial ([[Fengcheng Reservoir|Fengcheng]], Huangyangquan) reservoirs are located in Karamay's northeastern [[Urho District]]; they all are replenished, directly or indirectly, by water from the Irtysh–Karamay Canal.

=== Climate ===
Karamay has an extremely continental [[desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWk'', [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]] ''BWac''), typified by great seasonal extremes in temperature, varying by {{convert|43.0|C-change}}; with long, very hot summers (for its latitude) and long, severely cold winters with brief spring and autumn in between. The monthly 24-hour average temperature is {{convert|−15.2|°C|1}} in January and soars to {{convert|27.8|°C|1}} in July and the annual mean is {{convert|8.91|°C|1}}, warmer than most places at the corresponding latitude, due to the long summers. Annual precipitation is {{convert|119|mm|in|2|sp=us}} and the summer months record the most rainfall, despite relative humidity levels averaging around 30%. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 37% in December to 71% in September, sunshine is generous, only occurring less than 50% of the time in November and December and the annual average total is 2,694 hours.

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|collapsed = Y
| location     = Karamay, elevation {{convert|450|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals)
|Jan record high C =  5.8
|Feb record high C = 12.9
|Mar record high C = 24.9
|Apr record high C = 35.6
|May record high C = 39.5
|Jun record high C = 40.7
|Jul record high C = 44.0
|Aug record high C = 42.7
|Sep record high C = 39.1
|Oct record high C = 29.9
|Nov record high C = 20.2
|Dec record high C =  9.5
|Jan record low C = −35.9
|Feb record low C = −34.3
|Mar record low C = −26.7
|Apr record low C = −10.4
|May record low C =   2.1
|Jun record low C =   9.0
|Jul record low C =  12.3
|Aug record low C =   8.2
|Sep record low C =   0.3
|Oct record low C =  −7.7
|Nov record low C = −27.2
|Dec record low C = −34.3
|Jan high C = 	-11.9
|Feb high C = 	-6.6
|Mar high C = 	6.4
|Apr high C = 	19.7
|May high C = 	26.4
|Jun high C = 	31.7
|Jul high C = 	33.4
|Aug high C = 	31.8
|Sep high C = 	25.0
|Oct high C = 	15.3
|Nov high C = 	3.5
|Dec high C = 	-8.0
|Jan mean C = 	-15.9
|Feb mean C = 	-10.8
|Mar mean C = 	1.7
|Apr mean C = 	14.0
|May mean C = 	20.5
|Jun mean C = 	26.0
|Jul mean C = 	27.7
|Aug mean C = 	26.0
|Sep mean C = 	19.5
|Oct mean C = 	10.5
|Nov mean C = 	-0.2
|Dec mean C = 	-11.4
|Jan low C = 	-18.9
|Feb low C = 	-14.3
|Mar low C = 	-2.4
|Apr low C = 	9.2
|May low C = 	15.2
|Jun low C = 	20.7
|Jul low C = 	22.5
|Aug low C = 	20.8
|Sep low C = 	14.7
|Oct low C = 	6.5
|Nov low C = 	-3.2
|Dec low C = 	-14.0
|precipitation colour = green	
|Jan precipitation mm = 	4.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 	3.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 	3.4
|Apr precipitation mm = 	9.5
|May precipitation mm = 	14.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 	17.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 	27.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 	17.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 	9.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 	7.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 	5.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 	6.1
|Jan humidity = 	78
|Feb humidity = 	75
|Mar humidity = 	56
|Apr humidity = 	35
|May humidity = 	31
|Jun humidity = 	32
|Jul humidity = 	35
|Aug humidity = 	34
|Sep humidity = 	35
|Oct humidity = 	46
|Nov humidity = 	63
|Dec humidity = 	77
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm	
|Jan precipitation days = 	7.5
|Feb precipitation days = 	5.6
|Mar precipitation days = 	2.9
|Apr precipitation days = 	4.5
|May precipitation days = 	5.3
|Jun precipitation days = 	7.5
|Jul precipitation days = 	9.5
|Aug precipitation days = 	7.1
|Sep precipitation days = 	4.6
|Oct precipitation days = 	3.6
|Nov precipitation days = 	4.2
|Dec precipitation days = 	8.5
|year precipitation days = 	
|Jan sun = 	127.2
|Feb sun = 	150.7
|Mar sun = 	218.9
|Apr sun = 	259.9
|May sun = 	306.7
|Jun sun = 	299.3
|Jul sun = 	301.2
|Aug sun = 	301.6
|Sep sun = 	264.2
|Oct sun = 	222.3
|Nov sun = 	135.9
|Dec sun = 	97.9
|year sun = 	
| Jan percentsun = 	44
| Feb percentsun = 	50
| Mar percentsun = 	58
| Apr percentsun = 	63
| May percentsun = 	66
| Jun percentsun = 	64
| Jul percentsun = 	64
| Aug percentsun = 	71
| Sep percentsun = 	72
| Oct percentsun = 	67
| Nov percentsun = 	49
| Dec percentsun = 	36
| year percentsun =	
|Jan snow days = 	12.7
|Feb snow days = 	10.2
|Mar snow days = 	3.8
|Apr snow days = 	0.6
|May snow days = 	0
|Jun snow days = 	0
|Jul snow days = 	0
|Aug snow days = 	0
|Sep snow days = 	0
|Oct snow days = 	0.5
|Nov snow days = 	5.4
|Dec snow days = 	13.7
|year snow days = 	
|source 1 = [[China Meteorological Administration]]<ref name="cma graphical">{{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=[[China Meteorological Administration]] |language = zh-hans |access-date=10 October 2023}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=[[China Meteorological Administration]] |language = zh-hans | access-date =10 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="CMA old">{{cite web|url=http://old-cdc.cma.gov.cn/shuju/search1.jsp?dsid=SURF_CLI_CHN_MUL_MMON_19712000_CES&tpcat=SURF&type=table&pageid=3 |script-title=zh:中国地面国际交换站气候标准值月值数据集（1971－2000年）|publisher=[[China Meteorological Administration]] |access-date=2010-05-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055035/http://old-cdc.cma.gov.cn/shuju/search1.jsp?dsid=SURF_CLI_CHN_MUL_MMON_19712000_CES&tpcat=SURF&type=table&pageid=3 |archive-date=2013-09-21}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
According to the 2010 census, over 80% of Karamay's population are [[Han Chinese]], with minorities such as [[Uyghurs|Uighur]], [[Kazakhs]], [[Mongols]] and [[Hui people|Hui]] making up the rest. The population of 2010 is 391,008, a rise from the 270,232 of 2000 census. The population density is 50.6 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/php/china-admin.php?adm2id=6502 |title=KÈLĀMĂYĪ SHÌ (Prefecture-level City, Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ĕr Zìzhìqū) Population |work=City Population }}</ref> The 2015 population estimate is 401,468.<ref name="2015 Population Estimate">{{cite web |title= Karamay: Bulletin for the economical and social development in 2015 |url= http://www.tjcn.org/tjgb/201604/32814_2.html |access-date= April 18, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170206185131/http://www.tjcn.org/tjgb/201604/32814_2.html |archive-date= February 6, 2017 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

;Population by ethnicity (2010)<ref name="2010 census">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OkAVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65|pages=65–66 |title=Eurasian Corridors of Interconnection: From the South China to the Caspian Sea |editor=Susan M. Walcott |editor2=Corey Johnson|date=August 2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1135078751|author=Stanley W. Toops}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#eee;"
! [[List of ethnic groups in China|Ethnicity]]
! Population
! style="width:4em;"|%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Han Chinese]]
| 319,265
| 81.65%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Uyghurs|Uyghur]]
| 44,866
| 11.47%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Kazakhs]]
| 11,620
| 2.97%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Hui people|Hui]]
| 8,238
| 2.11%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Mongols in China|Mongol]]
| 2,348
| 0.60%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Manchu people|Manchu]]
| 754
| 0.19%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Sibe people|Xibe]]
| 681
| 0.17%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Tujia people|Tujia]]
| 678
|0.17%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Russians|Russian]]
| 471
| 0.12%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Uzbeks|Uzbek]]
| 177
| 0.05%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Dongxiangs|Dongxiang]]
| 133
| 0.03% 
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]]
| 117
| 0.03% 
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Tajiks in China|Tajik]]
| 35
| <0.01% 
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Others
| 1,625
| 0.42%
|-style="background:#DEF"
|style="text-align:left;" |Total
|391,008
|100%
|}

==Economy==
[[File:Karamay Large-Oil-Bubble.jpg|thumb|The Karamay Large Oil Bubble art piece. It has been accused of being a copy of Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago, Illinois.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33886678 |title=Anish Kapoor accuses China of copying 'bean' sculpture |date=2015-08-12 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>]]

In 1955, one of the largest [[oil field]]s in China was discovered there. Since then, the city has grown into an oil-producing and refining center.

In 2008, the GDP reached [[Renminbi|¥]]66.1 billion and GDP per capita reached [[Renminbi|¥]]242,391 (US$34,901), ranking first among 659 cities in mainland China.

=== Cloud computing industry ===
Karamay has established a Cloud Computing Industry Park as part of its economic diversification strategy away from traditional oil extraction. The park leverages the city's abundant power supply and cool, dry climate to host data centers and attract IT companies, positioning itself as a key node for data services in Western China.<ref>{{cite web |title=克拉玛依云计算产业园区官方介绍 |url=http://www.kelamayi.gov.cn/ |website=克拉玛依市人民政府 |access-date=2025-10-26}}</ref>

== Transport ==
*[[Kuytun–Beitun Railway]]. There are passenger stations in Karamay itself and in Wuwu New Town ({{lang|zh-hans|[[:zh:五五新镇街道|五五新镇街道]]}}), south of central Karamay.
*[[Karamay–Tacheng Railway]] (under construction as of 2017)
*[[Kelamayi Guhai Airport]]
*[[China National Highway 217]]

==Notable persons==
* [[Adil Mijit]], comedian
* [[Gulimina Mahamuti]], pianist

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Karamay}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051025000217/http://www.klmy.gov.cn/ Government website of Karamay] (in Simplified Chinese)
*[http://www.9654.com/m/kelamayi.htm Map of the City of Karamay] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429211944/http://www.9654.com/m/kelamayi.htm |date=2007-04-29 }}

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