Aral

Aral, is a sub-prefecture-level city surrounded by Aksu Prefecture in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in China. Aral in Uighur means "island". Official spelling is 'Aral' but it is often written as 'Alar'. The city was created by the Xinjiang production and Construction Corp as a means of emigration of Han Chinese to the region. It is bordered by mountainous regions to the north and northwest and the Taklamakhan desert to the east and south.