Abstract: Endowment of natural and economic resources is not only an important guarantee of regional population growth, but also the basis of sustainable development. Based on the improved model of carrying capacity related to resources, in this study the values of population carrying capacity and economic carrying capacity related to resources in northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains during the period from 2000 to 2010 were calculated. The spatiotemporal evolution and difference of these two carrying capacities in 14 counties and cities were investigated. The results were as follows: ① Compared with the situation in whole Xinjiang, the population growth was high and there was an overload or serious overload of economy related to resources in northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains in recent decade; ② Compared with the situation in whole Xinjiang, water resources were advantageous to sustainable development in northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, but land resources were disadvantageous to restrict population growth and economic development; ③Compared with the situation in northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, the surplus degree of population carrying capacity related to resources was the highest in Karamay City, and the overload was the most serious in Bole City; the overload of economic carrying capacity related to resources was the most serious in Karamay City, and the surplus degree was the highest in Qitai County; ④ According to the overload status or surplus degree of population carrying capacity and economic carrying capacity related to resources in the 14 counties and cities, the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains was classified into four matching modes.

Key words: relative resource, population, carrying capacity, sustainable development, northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang