Tatars are the smallest of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the Chinese government. They are a Turkic people who mostly live in northern Xinjiang, around the Dzungarian Basin (Dzungaria). As of 2020, there are 3,544 Tatars in China, concentrated in the cities of Yining (Ghulja), Tacheng (Qoqek), Altay, and Ürümqi, as well as the herding areas of Burqin County and Qitai County. The Daquan Tatar Ethnic Township in Qitai County, which sits on the edge of the Gurbantünggüt Desert, is the only subdivision designated for Tatars.