The Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group primarily living in northwestern China, mainly in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Smaller communities also exist in Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

The Uyghur language belongs to the Turkic branch of the Altaic language family and has historically been written in several scripts, including Arabic, Latin and Cyrillic. Today, a modified Arabic script is the official writing system used in China.

The origins of the Uyghurs are linked to the 8th-century Uyghur Khaganate in present-day Mongolia, which later collapsed and led to migrations toward the Xinjiang region. Over time, Uyghur communities developed in the oasis regions of Central Asia, forming a distinct cultural and historical identity.

Traditionally, the Uyghurs are a settled, agriculture-based people living in oasis settlements at the edge of desert and mountain regions. Their economy has long relied on irrigated farming, producing crops such as wheat, corn, sorghum and cotton. Major urban centres include Ürümqi and Kashgar, both historically important along the Silk Road.