Karakalpakstan

Karakalpakstan

also spelled  Kara-Kalpakstan , or  Qaraqalpaqstan , also called  Karakalpakiya , Uzbek  Qoraqalpoghistan 

      autonomous republic in Uzbekistan, situated southeast and southwest of the Aral Sea.

      On the east Karakalpakstan occupies the western half of the Kyzylkum Desert, a vast plain covered with shifting sands. The central part consists of the valley and delta of the Amu Darya (river), a low-lying area intersected by watercourses and canals. On the west the republic includes the southeastern part of the Ustyurt Plateau, a slightly undulating area characterized by flat summits rising to some 958 feet (292 m) above sea level. The climate is marked by cool winters and hot summers. Average rainfall is only 3 to 4 inches (75 to 100 mm).

      The Karakalpaks are closely allied to the Kazaks. Like many other Turkic peoples, they are of obscure origin. The first historical reference to them dates from the end of the 16th century. During the 18th century they settled in the Amu Darya region, came partly under Russian rule in 1873, and by 1920 were totally incorporated into the Soviet Union. Established as an autonomous oblast (province) of the Kazakh A.S.S.R. in 1925, Karakalpakstan came under the administration of the Russian S.F.S.R. in 1930 and two years later was constituted as an autonomous republic. In 1936, while retaining its status, it was made a part of the Uzbek S.S.R. and became part of Uzbekistan with that country's independence in 1991. The population is composed mainly of Karakalpaks, Uzbeks, and Kazaks, with smaller numbers of Turkmens and Russians. About one-half of the population is urban. Nukus, the capital, Khŭjayli, Beruniy, Takhiatosh, Chimbay, Tŭrtkŭl, and Altykyl are the chief settlements.

      The economy is predominantly agricultural. The industrial sector, while limited, includes light manufacturing, refineries that process oil from nearby petroleum fields, several building-materials plants that utilize the limestone, gypsum, asbestos, marble, and quartzite of the area, and a power station in Takhiatosh. Cotton is cultivated along the Amu Darya and in its delta and is processed at Chimbay, Qŭnghirot, Beruniy, Takhtakupyr, Khŭjayli, and Mangit. A well-developed system of irrigation canals supplies water from the Amu Darya to the crops. Besides cotton, crops include alfalfa, rice, and corn (maize). Cattle and Karakul sheep are raised in the Kyzylkum Desert.

      Lying as it does along both the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya delta, Karakalpakstan by the late 20th century had become one of the areas worst affected by the environmentally unsound agriculture of the Soviet period. Much of the republic's farmland had become heavily salinized owing to the effects of over-irrigation and to salt dust from the exposed bed of the receding Aral Sea. In addition, high concentrations of toxic agrochemicals (fertilizers, defoliants, insecticides) in both soils and river water posed hazards to human health in many localities. The shrinkage of the Aral Sea eliminated the republic's fisheries and resulted in a harsher climate and a shorter growing season.

      Transport facilities in the republic include a railway from Qŭnghirot to Chärjew in Turkmenistan, motor roads that link several cities of the republic, and air connections with Moscow, Tashkent, Ashkhabad, and other cities. Area 63,900 square miles (165,600 square km). Pop. (2007 est.) 1,678,191.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Karakalpakstan — Infobox Country native name = Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikası Qoraqalpog iston Respublikasi conventional long name = Republic of Karakalpakstan common name = Karakalpakstan symbol type = map caption = Political map of Karakalpakstan map caption2 =… …   Wikipedia

  • Karakalpakstan — Republik Karakalpakistan usbek. Qoraqalpog‘iston Respublikasi karakalpak. Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi Flagge von Karakalpakistan Basisdaten Hauptstadt …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Karakalpakstan — Admin ASC 1 Code Orig. name Karakalpakstan Country and Admin Code UZ.09 UZ …   World countries Adminstrative division ASC I-II

  • Karakalpakstan — Karakalpakistan République du Karakalpakistan Qoraqalpog‘iston Respublikasi (uz) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Karakalpakstan — /kəˈrakəlˌpakstan/ (say kuh rahkuhl.pahkstahn), / stæn/ (say stan) noun an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan; formerly the Kara Kalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the Uzbek SSR within the Soviet Union. 165 600 km2. Capital: Nukus.… …  

  • Каракалпакия — (Karakalpakstan)Karakalpakstan, автономная область на З. Узбекистана, в Центральной Азии, в низовьях Амударьи; пл. 164900 кв.км, 1244700 чел. (1990); столица – г.Нукус. Территория К. присоединена к Российской империи в конце 19в.; в 1925г. К …   Страны мира. Словарь

  • Καρακαλπακστάν — (Karakalpakstan). Αυτόνομη δημοκρατία (164.900 τ. χλμ., 1.666.300 κάτ. το 2003) του Ουζμπεκιστάν. Βρίσκεται στο νοτιοανατολικό τμήμα της χώρας και βρέχεται στα βόρεια από τη λίμνη Αράλη. Η έκτασή της καλύπτει επιφάνεια που υπερβαίνει το ένα τρίτο …   Dictionary of Greek

  • Charjou Abdirov — (also Charjou or Chardjou Abdirovich Abdirov) (Russian: Чаржау Абдирович Абдиров)(December 20, 1933 July 3, 1997) was a noted Uzbek scientist and microbiologist and specialist in leprosy[1] as well as a researcher into the environmental problems… …   Wikipedia

  • Nukus — Uzbek: Nukus / Нукус Karakalpak: No‘kis / Нөкис The Savitsky Karakalpakstan Art Museum at Nukus …   Wikipedia

  • Karakalpaks — ethnic group group=Karakalpaks poptime= 550,000 (est.) popplace= Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan rels=Sunni Islam, Atheism langs=Karakalpak related=Other Turkic people (Kipchaks, Kazakhs, Turkmens, etc)The Karakalpaks (also Qaraqalpaqs ) are …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”