Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is located to the north of Tianshan Mountain range. As its name in Mongolian indicates, Urumqi was once a beautiful pasture but today it is a bustling city filled with skyscrapers and congested highways. Steady economic development has totally changed the city's appearance. Being the furthest city from the sea, Urumqi is also the geographic center of Asia; and the political, economic and cultural center of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. There are 47 ethnic groups in Urumqi, including, Uygur, Hui, Kazakstan, Mongolian, Kirkiz, Tatar, Tajik, Xibe, Uzbek, Manchu, Russian, etc.