Karakalpakstan

Flag of Karakalpakstan

Coat of Arms of Karakalpakstan

The northwestern third of Uzbekistan constitutes the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. Karakalpakstan (Kara-Kalpakstan) is known as Qaraqalpaqstan in Karakalpak, Qoraqalpoghistan in Uzbek and Karakalpakiya in Russian. It is an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan, situated southeast and southwest of the Aral Sea and extends across roughly 164,900 square kilometers.

It is bordered on the east by the rest of Uzbekistan and to the north and east by Kazakhstan, and to the south by Turkmenistan. The Aral Sea extends from Kazakhstan into the northeastern corner of the republic. 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. 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 75 to 100 mm (3-4 inches).

Karakalpaks are Turkic-speaking people who live mostly within the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. Politically the Republic is part of Uzbekistan, and occupies the arid and sparsely inhabited northwest region of the country. Karakalpakstan’s total population is around 1.5 million, of which just over a third identify themselves as ethnically Karakalpak. Uzbeks and Kazakhs comprise most of the remaining 60% of the population along with small numbers of Turkmens and Russians.  Like many other Turkic peoples, Karkalpaks are of obscure origin. However what is known is that contemporary Karakalpaks are the descendants of Turkic tribes—Kytai, Kongyrat, Kipchak, Keneges, Mangyt, Muyten—that formed a confederacy at the end of the 15th century and settled along the lower part of the Syr Darya River, in what is now Kazakhstan. Later they migrated south toward the Aral Sea, following the delta of the Amu Darya to reach their current territory.The first historical reference to them dates from the end of the 16th century.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.

About one-half of the population is urban. Nukus, the capital, Xojeli, Beruniy, Takhiatosh, Chimbay, Turtkul, and Altykyl are the chief settlements. Total Pop. (2007 est.) 1,678,191.

Photo: Nukus City

Map of Karakalpakstan : District / District capital
1 Amudarya District Man'g'it
2 Beruniy District Beruniy
3 Shimbay District Shimbay
4 Ellikqala District Bostan
5 Kegeyli District Kegeyli
6 Moynaq District Moynaq
7 No'kis District Aqman'g'it
8 Qonliko‘l District Qanliko‘l
9 Qon'irat District Qon'irat
10 Qarao'zek District Qarao'zek
11 Shomanay District Shomanay
12 Taxtako‘pir District Taxtako‘pir
13 To'rtko‘l District To‘rtko‘l
14 Xojeli District Xojeli
Republican Capital : Nukus

Districts in Uzbek, Karakalpak and Russian and Capital in Russian

1 Amudaryo A’muda’rya Амударьинский (Мангит)
2 Beruniy Beruniy Берунийский (Беруни)
3 Chimboy Shimbay Чимбайский (Чимбай)
4 Elliqala Ellikqala лликкалинский (Бустан)
5 Kegeyli Kegeyli Кегейлийский (Кегейли)
6 Mo’ynoq Moynaq Муйнакский (Муйнак)
7 Nukus No’kis Нукусский (Акмангит)
8 Qanliko’l Qanliko’l Канлыкульский (Канлыкуль)
9 Qo’ng’irot Qon’irat Кунградский (Кунград)
10 Qorao’zak Qarao’zek Караузякский (Караузяк)
11 Shumanay Shomanay Шуманайский (Шуманай)
12 Taxtako’pir Taxtako’pir Тахтакупырский (Тахтакупыр)
13 To’rtko’l To’rtko’l Турткульский (Турткуль)
14 Xo’jayli Xojeli Ходжейлийский (Ходжейли)
capital Nukus No’kis г. Нукус

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 abundant 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 in mills located in Chimbay, Kungrad, Beruni, Takhtakupyr, Xojeli, 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) are grown in the delta. Cattle and Karakul sheep are raised in the Kyzylkum Desert.

Agricultural farmlands particularly those lands in the lower Amu Darya and near the Aral Sea have become salinized owing to the effects of over-irrigation. The shrinkage of the Aral Sea has also eliminated most of the republic’s fisheries and resulted in a much harsher climate and a shorter growing season.

Transport facilities in the republic include a railway from Kungrad to Turkmenabat in Turkmenistan, motor roads that link several cities of the republic, and air connections with Moscow, Tashkent and other cities.

Source: Encyclopædia Britannica
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The Growth of Fish Farming in Uzbekistan

The Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan reports that some 968 enterprises and farms that are engaged in fishing and fish farming in lakes and reservoirs in Uzbekistan. The total area of which occupy some 600 thousand hectares with more than 5,000 tons of fish production.

All regions of Uzbekistan have established fish farming in artificial lakes and reservoirs. Within five years it is expects that fish production will double in Uzbekistan. In Karakalpakstan, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Khorezm, Bukhara and Syrdarya the industry has been developing at a fast rate and it is expected that fish production will double in the next five years.

Uzbekistan is using worlds best practise and utilising advanced cultivation technologies of the most productive fish species based on utilising local feed with most aquaculture enterprises run as private concerns. Currently some 10 species including carp, catfish, asp, snakehead, and trout are grown in these farms. ( 70% of all fish bred are carp - silver carp, grass carp and european carp).

The industry is working on increasing the production of catfish and trout, as well as developing technology to grow sturgeon to produce black caviar in Uzbekistan. Another promising direction in the development of the aquaculture is the creation of a network of companies engaged in fish processing and its canning and other ready-to-eat formats. Also very important for the growth of the industry is the development of more production facilities for the high-protein feeds necessary for the further development and spread of aquaculture.

Current conditions of most wild fisheries in Uzbekistan do not allow for commercial and recreational fishing without artificial replenishment of fish populations. Thus, almost all fish farms, are not just producing fingerlings for their own use but also replenishing the fish populations in many rivers and lakes.

Source: Uzbekistan Today

Soviet Era Flags of Karakalpakstan

Flag of the XHCP/XCCP

Khorezm People's Soviet Republic (Хорезмская Народная Советская Республика or in latin script the Khorezmskaya Narodnaya Sovetskaya Respublika) was created as the successor to the Khanate of Khiva in February 1920, when the khan abdicated in response to popular pressure, and was officially declared by the first Khorezm Kurultay (Assembly) on the 26th April 1920.

On the 20th October 1923, it was transformed into the Khorezm Socialist Soviet Republic ( Хорезмская Социалистическая Советская Республика, Khorezmskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Sovetskaya Respublika).

The Khorezm SSR only survived for a little under a year. On 10 October 1924, it was divided between Uzbek SSR, Turkmen SSR, and Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast as part of the reorganization of Central Asia according to nationalities. The Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast being formerly declared on February 19th 1925.

Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee
Hoji Pahlavon Niyoz Yusuf (2 February 1920 - March 1920)

Chairman of the Provisional Government
Jumaniyoz Sulton Muradoghli (March 1920 - 30 April 1920)

Chairmen of the Presidium of the Assembly of People's Representatives
Hoji Pahlavon Niyoz Yusuf (30 April 1920 - 6 March 1921)
Qoch Qoroghli (6 March 1921 - 15 May 1921) (Chairmen of Provisional Revolutionary Committee)
Khudoybergan Divanoghli (15 May 1921 - 23 May 1921)

Chairmen of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee
Mulla Nozir (23 May 1921 - June 1921)
Allabergan (June 1921 - September 1921)
Ata Maqsum Madrahimoghli (September 1921 - 27 November 1921)
Jangibay Murodoghli (27 November 1921 - 23 June 1922)
Abdulla Abdurahmon Khojaoghli (23 June 1922 - 20 October 1923)
K. Safaroghli (20 October 1923 - 1924)
Sultonkari Jumaniyoz (1924)
Temurkhoja Yaminoghli (1924 - 17 February 1925)

First Soviet Coinage

20 Rouble coin 1920








25 Rouble coin 1921









500 Rouble Coin 1920-21









The Khorezm SSR issued a 20 Ruble coin in 1919 dated 1338 AH/1920 AD, thus being the first territory to issue Soviet coinage. The year 1922 was the last year that the KSPR minted coins before being incorporated into the Soviet Republics of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the autonomous region of Karakalpakia within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Росси́йская Сове́тская Федерати́вная Социалисти́ческая Респу́блика (РСФСР), in 1925).

Banknotes



25,000 Rouble 1340 AH/1921 AD




100 Rouble 1341 AH/1923 AD





3 Rouble=30,000 Rouble 1340 AH/1922 AD







The first Khwarezm Soviet Republic banknote a 500 rub 1920 was printed on silk, other issues on paper include 25.000 rub 1920,10.000 rub 1921, 3=30.000 1922, 5=50.000 1922, 1=10.000 1922, 10=100.000 1922, 20 rub 1922, 25 rub 1922,100 rub 1922,50 rub 1923, 100 rub 1923,500 rub 1923 and 1.000 rub 1923.

Flag of the Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast 1934-1937

Established as the Kara-Kalpakstan Autonomous oblast within the Kazakh ASSR (Russian SFSR) on the 16th of February 1925. Transferred to the Russian SFSR on the 20th of July 1930 and transformed into the Kara-Kalpakian ASSR on the 20th of March 1932 being transferred to the Uzbek SSR on the 5th of December 1936.


Flag of Karakalpak ASSR, from 1937 until 1941

Republic was ceded to the Uzbek SSR in late 1936 and adopted the new flag in 1937.



Flag of Karakalpakstan (1941-1952)

In 1940 the Karakalpak language, that was previously written in Turkic Latin characters adopted the Cyrillic, and in 1941 the Republic adopted a new flag.

Flag of Karakalpakstan (1952-1992)

In 1952 adapted her flag to the flag of the mother Republic Uzbekistan.

Karakalpakstan Republic, Uzbekistan

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

The Republic of Karakalpakstan is located in the northwest of Uzbekistan in the lower bench of the river Amudarya, along the southwestern shore of the Aral Sea. The central part consists of the valley and delta of the Amu Darya (river), a low-lying area intersected by watercourses and canals.
These plains transforming into the plateau Ustyurt a slightly undulating area characterised byflat summits rising to 300m above sea leve. In the southwest it transforms into the Karakum desert, and in the east – into the Kyzylkums Desert. The Sultan-Uvays mountsind rise in the southeast.   It borders with the Republic of Kazakhstan in the north, northeast and west; with the Republic of Turkmenistan in the south and southeast; and with Navoi and Khorezm Provinces of Uzbekistan in the east and southeast.

The climate in Karakalpakstan is sharply continental with hot and dry summer and cold winter with some negligent precipitation. Average rainfall is only 75 to 100 mm. Average temperature in January varies from –5 to –8ºС. Minimum temperature during winter fall down to –38 С. Average temperature in June varies from +26 to +28ºС, and in July and August - +50ºС. 

The Republic of Karakalpakstan is a sovereign republic in the structure of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and has its own Constitution, emblem, flag and anthem. Karakalpak and Uzbek languages are official languages of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Russian language is also widespread.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.

Karakalpakstan was established as an autonomous oblast (province) of the Kazakh ASSR in 1924/25.  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.

Laying 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 drying up of the Aral Sea. 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. The shrinkage of the Aral Sea almost 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 and other cities. Area 63,900 square miles (165,600square km). Pop. (2007 est.) 1,678,191.Population density 9.6 persons per 1 thousand sq. km.

Administrative and territorial division of the republic is represented by 14 rayons (districts): Amudarya, Beruniy, Kanlykul, Karauzyak, Kegeili, Kungrad, Muynak, Nukus, Takhtakupir, Turtkul, Khodjeili, Chimbay, Shumanay and Ellikkal’a Rayons. Nukus, modern industrial center with well-developed infrastructure, is the capital city of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and its population is 264,400 people (2007) followed by Khodjeili, Takhiatash, Beruniy, Turtkul and Kungrad.

Source: Encyclopædia Britannica.