The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in northwest China occupying an area of about . Located in China's Xinjiang region, it is sometimes used synonymously to refer the southern half of the province, or Nanjiang . Its northern boundary is the Tian Shan mountain range and its southern boundary is the Kunlun Mountains on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Taklamakan Desert dominates much of the basin. The historical Uyghur name for the Tarim Basin is Altishahr (六域), which means "six cities" in Uyghur.