The Uyghurs /ˈwiːɡər/ (Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر‎‎, ULY: Uyghur ; [ʔʊjˈʁʊː]; Old Turkic: Old Turkic letter R1.svgOld Turkic letter G1.svgOld Turkic letter Y1.svgOld Turkic letter O.svg; Chinese: 维吾尔族; pinyin: Wéiwer zú) are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, where they are officially recognized as one of the 56 recognised ethnic minorities. An estimated 80% of Xinjiang's Uyghurs live in the southwestern portion of the region, the Tarim Basin. Outside Xinjiang, the largest community of Uyghurs in China is in Taoyuan County, in south-central Hunan. Outside of China, significant diasporic communities of Uyghurs exist in the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Smaller communities are found in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Canada, the United States, and Turkey.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jul/06/china-muslim-uighurs-background