Baishikante, China

The population here is a mere 860,800, hardly the cosmopolitan hub you may have envisioned. Baishikante is a Uyghur-majority settlement in the Xinjiang desert, with a climate that can be brutally hot and dry. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the region has long been a source of tension between local powers and the central Chinese government. This dusty oasis is best suited for those drawn to its historic Silk Road ties, not those seeking modern comforts.