The Uyghur people are a central Asian ethnic group with a

population of 8.4 million in 2005. They are located mainly in the

 Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China and are one of

 China's largest ethnic minorities.
There are also Uyghurs in neighboring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,

 Mongolia and Uzbekistan. Many Uyghurs also live in Turkey.
The Uyghur (also spelled Uighur or Uigur) language is a Turkic

language very similar to Turkish. The term Uyghur means "united" or "allied" and is synonymous with the Turkish name "Tokuz-Oguz", which means "nine tribes".