China has 56 "officially recognized" ethnic groups. Of these, the Han Chinese make up 92 percent of the total population. The remaining 55 groups are mostly scattered across Western China and the border regions. The 5 largest ethnic minorities have their own autonomous region, which is essentially a like a province but with the namesake ethnic group having a certain degree of control in their own affairs. Currently, there are 5 of them, including Xinjiang. Although in Urumqi itself, the Han Chinese are the majority, (minority peoples typicall live in more rural areas) you can still see quite a few Uighurs (pronounced 'Wee-gers') as well as several members of other ethnic minorities walking the streets.