236 ◾ Investment and Employment Opportunities in China
drier areas of southern Dzungarian Basin. Most other rivers in Xinjiang are short streams fed by
the snows of the several ranges of the Tian Shan. Once they enter the populated areas, the waters
are extensively used for irrigation so that the rivers often disappear in the desert. Some of the salt
lakes in Xinjiang, having lost much of their inflows of fresh water, are now extensively used for the
production of mineral salts to be used in the manufacturing of potassium fertilizers.
e climate in Xinjiang is generally semi-arid or desert. e entire area experiences great sea-
sonal differences in temperature. In summer, the air temperature in the Turpan Depression easily
exceeds 40°C (104°F). ...