Chimkent region was formed on March 10, 1932. Initially, it was called South Kazakhstan. In 1962, it was renamed Chimkentskaya. However, in 1992 the region again became South Kazakhstan. This area is quite large. The area of its territory is 117,249 km2. The region has existed within its current borders since 1973.
Where is the area and its general description
Kazakhstan is known to be a big country. And the Chimkent region is one of the 14 that are part of this state. This region is located in the south of the country and is densely populated. In percentage terms, the territory of the region is only 4.3% of the area of Kazakhstan. The population in this region is 15% of the total population of the country. This is actually a lot. The population density is 23 people per 1 km2.
In total, the Chimkent (South Kazakhstan) region includes 11 districts. There are 8 cities and 7 urban settlements in the region. The administrative center of the region is the city of Chimkent (Shymkent). Manages the region (for 2017) ZhanseitTuimebaev.
National composition of the population and its size
Of course, the majority of Kazakhs live in the Shymkent region. The proportion of the population of this nationality is just over 70%. Also, quite a lot of Uzbeks live in this region - about 17%. In third place in terms of numbers are Russians. About 4.7% of them live in the region. And the last place is occupied by Tajiks - about 1.2%. People of other nationalities also live in the region - Koreans, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, etc., but in rather small numbers. The total population of the region in 2015 was 2,788,404 people. Since 1970, it has more than doubled. Russian is considered the official language in the country along with the Kazakh language in all organizations.
Landscape Features
So, where is the Chimkent region, we found out - in the south of Kazakhstan. Most of its territory is occupied by the Turan lowland. However, part of its area falls on the western spurs of the Tien Shan. Most of the territory of the region, therefore, is a slightly hilly plain. Deserts are found in the southwest and north of the region. In the far south lies the Hungry Steppe. The Karatau ridge runs through the very center of the region. The Ugamsky and Karzhantau ranges are located in the southeast of the region. Also, the outskirts of the Talas Alatau stretched in this area.
From the south to the northwest, the region is crossed by the large river Syrdarya. Its tributaries are Arys, Kurukkeles, Keles. All these three rivers are mountainous. Their waters are actively used for irrigation of fields. The Chu River also flows in the north of the region. In summer, it breaks up into stretches. There are many fresh and s alt lakes on the territory of the Chimkent region.
Climate of the region
This area is located in the southern latitudes, far from the seas. Therefore, the climate here is sharply continental and very arid. In the summer in the Chimkent region, the weather is usually hot. The average annual temperature in July can reach up to 29 °C. The amount of precipitation is no more than 100-400 mm per year. Quite a lot of rain and snow falls only in the foothills (up to 800 mm) and highlands (up to 1000 mm).
Winters in the Chimkent region are quite cold and with little snow. The average annual temperature in January is -11 °С in the north, -2 °С in the south.
Flora and fauna of the region
Shymkent region is also a huge area of deserts. Sands occupy a fairly large part of the region. Flora in the area is represented mostly by drought-resistant vegetation. In the desert there are saxaul, black and white, tamarisk and other similar shrubs. In the floodplains of the Syrdarya and Chu rivers, the flora is more diverse. There are also many fertile soils in the region. All kinds of herbs grow in the meadows here. Of course, there are also reed beds near the water. Also along the rivers you can observe areas of tugai forests with turanga and willow.
Altitude belts in the mountains of the Chimkent region are pronounced. At the foot of the ridges are deserts with sparse vegetation. A little higher are feather grass steppes and alpinemeadows.
Representatives of the fauna in the region live mainly desert and steppe. For the most part, these are all kinds of rodents - ground squirrels, jerboas, gerbils and reptiles. Argali, mountain goats, bears live in the mountains of the region. Bars are also found here. In the wooded areas next to the rivers is the territory of wolves, stoats, ferrets, foxes and wild boars. Of the birds, vultures live in the mountains, and geese and ducks live on the lakes. The class of reptiles in the Shymkent region is represented not only by snakes and lizards, but also by turtles.
Aksu-Dzhabagly Nature Reserve
The fauna and flora of the region, unfortunately, is not particularly diverse. Human activity makes it even more scarce. And of course, the unique nature of this mountain-flat region needs protection. In this regard, in 1926, the Aksu-Dzhabagly nature reserve was organized on the territory of the western and northwestern spurs of the Talas Alatau, which later became part of the South Kazakhstan region. The total area of this reserve is more than 70 thousand hectares.
The reserve is home to such rare animals as, for example, porcupine, snow leopard, maral, Siberian goat, etc. There are also all kinds of birds in the reserve. The most rare and interesting in this case are the bustard and the pink starling.
Cities of the region
The administrative center of the Chimkent region, as already mentioned, is the city of Shymkent. Most of the cities in the region were founded during the Soviet era for the purpose of mining or at railway stations. The regional center of the region - the city of Chimkent - is one of the three largest settlements in Kazakhstan. Its name is translated from Turkic as "green city" or "garden city".
Unlike most other large settlements of the region, Chimkent was founded a very long time ago. The first mention of him dates back to 1425 (description of Timur's military campaigns). However, many historians believe that the settlement on the site of modern Chimkent existed already in the 12th century.
For a long time the city was part of the Kazakh Khanate. In 1864, Russian troops took it. In 1914 the city was renamed Chernyaev. However, later the Soviet government returned it to its former name.
The largest cities in the Chimkent region after Shymkent are Turkestan and Saryagash. The first one was founded even earlier than Chimkent. A settlement on the site of the city of Turkestan presumably arose as early as 500 AD. Initially, it was called Shavgar, and later - Yasy. Turkestan is located about 160 km from Chimkent, not far from the Syr Darya.
The city of Saryagash is located near the Kazakh-Uzbek border. The distance from it to Tashkent is only 15 km. This settlement was founded in Soviet times. It was originally a village. It later received city status.
One of the largest industrial cities in the Chimkent region - Lenger. Its population is mainly engaged in coal mining. This city is located in the Tolebiysky district, within the Ugamsky ridge.
Besides Chimkent, Saryagash, Lenger andTurkestan, in the region there are cities such as:
- Kentau.
- Arys.
- Chardara.
- Zhetysay.
Some part of the population lives in the villages of the Chimkent region. The largest settlements and villages at the same time are Shayan, Temirlanovka, Kyzyrgut, Aksukent, Shaulder, named after Turar Ryskulov, Sholokkorgan. Kentau, Turkestan and Arys are cities of regional subordination.
Regions of Chimkent region
The size of the region is quite large. It includes 11 districts. The largest in terms of area is Suzak - 41,049 km2. The administrative center of this region is in the village of Sholokkorgan. The most densely populated region of the region is Sairam. About 311 thousand people live here. At the same time, the area of the district is only 1665 km22.
Economy of the region: industry
Residents of the region are mainly employed in enterprises specializing in mining. Also, many plants for processing agricultural raw materials have been built in the region. Part of the population is engaged in agriculture on irrigated fields and animal husbandry.
Industries in the Chimkent (South Kazakhstan) region are developed as follows:
- mining;
- non-ferrous metallurgy;
- mechanical engineering;
- pharmaceutical;
- chemical;
- food.
Coal, polymetallic and iron ores, gas, limestone, quartz, gypsum, clay are mined in the region. There are deposits on its territoryall kinds of ornamental stones. Cement, brick, expanded clay, etc. plants were also built on the territory of the region.
Agriculture and animal husbandry
The fields grow mainly cotton, wheat, barley, rice, corn, oilseeds and gourds. Viticulture and horticulture (pear, quince, peach, apple) are well developed in the Chimkent region.
Sheep breeding prevails in the animal husbandry of the region. There are also quite a lot of farms specializing in the cultivation of dairy cattle in the region. Private owners keep pigs, horses, poultry, camels, donkeys.
Transportation of the region
The total length of railways in the Chimkent region is approximately 700 km. Orenburg - Tashkent, Arys - Alma-Ata highways pass through its territory. The length of motor roads is more than 5 thousand km.
Gas pipeline
The "blue fuel" region is able to provide itself. In December 2010, the construction of the Beineu-Bazoy-Shymkent gas pipeline began in the region. In addition to Kazakhstan itself, "blue fuel" is exported to China through this line. The total length of the gas pipeline is 1.5 thousand km. Its estimated service life is 30 years.
Attractions
Besides the Aksu-Dzhabagly nature reserve in the Chimkent region, there are many other interesting places for tourists. For example, in the region there are attractions such as:
- Mausoleum of Haji Ahmed Yasawi. This ancient building is located in the city of Turkestan. The mausoleum was erected by order of Tamerlane in 1395. Beforeon the site of the structure, which has survived to this day, there was simply the burial of the famous Sufi poet Yasawi.
- Mausoleum of Arystanbaba. This ancient building is located near the village of Shaulder. The mausoleum was erected over the burial of Akhmet Yasawi's teacher, the preacher Arystanbab. Historians do not have reliable information about the time of construction of this structure. It is believed that the mausoleum was erected in the XII century. After some time, it was destroyed by the Jochi warriors. Restored the mausoleum of Tamerlane.
Also on the territory of the region there are such interesting sights as the Karatau Reserve, the Shymkent Zoological Garden, Abay Park, etc. In the city of Lenger, Chimkent Region, you can see a monument to a public figure of the 17th century. Tole-biyu.
