REPUBLIC OF KARAKALPAKSTAN
Area – 165.5 thousand square meters.
The capital is the city of Nukus (1255 km from Tashkent).
A sovereign state in the Republic of Uzbekistan – the Republic of Karakalpakstan is located in the north-west of Uzbekistan, on the southern coast of the Aral Sea-lake in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River.
In 1878, the territory located on the right bank of the Amu Darya River was included as Amu Darya department in the Syr Darya region of the Turkestan Governor-General’s Office, and in 1920 it was transformed into the Amu Darya region of the Turkestan ASSR. In 1924, the Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast became part of the Kazakh SSR. In 1930 the region was included in the RSFSR. And only in 1932 – receives the status of the Karakalpak Autonomous Republic, and in 1936 AR became a part of the Uzbek SSR.
The republic has 15 borders and 12 cities.
In the south of Karakalpakstan spread the sands of Kyzyl-Kum desert, in the north of the republic is the southern part of the Aral Sea-lake, and in the north-west is the Ustyurt plateau and the delta of the Amu Darya River. There are also small massifs of mountain ranges on the territory of the republic – Sultan-Uvais is the largest. At its foot is the Ba-Tugai reserve.
The Amu Darya is the only river on the territory of the Autonomic Republic of Karakalpakstan, its delta is the opening of channels, small lakes, rich riparian and reed thickets, wetlands. The main area of irrigated lands and irrigation territories extends to the right to use the river delta bank.
Sharp continental climate met snowless and cold winters, hot and dry summers. Minimal precipitation falls mainly in the fall-winter period .
The territory of Karakalpakstan began to be settled at the end of IV and beginning of II millennium BC. Written sources found during excavations of Koy-Krylgan-kala (cult building) dated to the IV century BC. Palaces-fortresses: Toprak-kala, Gyaur-kala and others, dated to the late Antique period of the IV-III centuries BC. By the end of the XVI century written sources of Central Asia already mention Karakalpaks.
Central Asian racial groups with a Mongoloid admixture are Karakalpaks, whose ethnogenesis dates back to numerous places inhabiting the steppe areas of the Aral Sea region and the delta areas of the Syr Darya rivers. In the XVI century and up to the close of the XVIII century the Karakalpaks already had a semi-sedentary way of life. The main activities were farming, cattle breeding, fishing. The beginning of the XIX century was marked by the resettlement of Karakalpaks on the raft of the Amu Darya river delta.
The Karakalpak language is a Kypchak subgroup of the Turkic group of the Altaic family.
The religion is Sunni Muslim.
The Karakalpak dwelling was a yurt (felt tent), where it was warm in winter and cool in summer. Nowadays it is a type of adult summer house.
Agriculture of AR is focused on sowing cotton, rice, production of melon crops and vegetables, on a large scale produces licorice.
The land of Karakalpakstan is favorable for growing rice, which is sown in the northern regions of the republic. Cattle breeding is also developed here. In the south, they specialize in cotton cultivation and silk farming. Water deficit, scorching heat in summer, very cold winters, high concentration of salt in soil, many factors in cultivation of land for crops.
Camel breeding and Karakul sheep breeding are widely developed on vast pastures of Kyzyl-Kum desert. Fish breeding, herd horse breeding, cattle breeding are presented in the seaside strip.
Subsoil is rich in deposits of phosphorites, iron, granite, gas and marble, glauber and table salt, kaolin and bentonite clays.
The leading industries are cotton cleaning and oil mill (processing of cotton seeds). Metalworking, electric power, textile, and food industries are also well developed. The largest enterprises are soda plants in Kungrad and Takhiatash SDPP. Gas pipelines run through the territory of Karakalpakstan.
With the formation of temporary the Karakalpak people developed applied arts: carpet weaving, embroidery, embroidery, leather stamping, wood carving with inlay. These days and in our traditions.
The modern city of Nukus – the capital of Karakalpakstan AR – is located in the southern part of the modern Amu Darya delta, among sandy spaces. It is the center of economic, administrative and cultural life of the republic. A large main canal Kyzketten and automobile roads connecting all districts of the republic pass through the city. Large industrial enterprises, cultural and educational institutions are concentrated here. The branch of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the branch of the Academy of Arts, the Union of Architects, Writers, Composers work here. The State University, Pedagogical Institute and other higher educational institutions are functioning.
Nukus, the capital of the Republic, is world-famous for the I. Savitsky Museum, which has a large collection of Russian avant-garde paintings (early twentieth century).
In 35 km to the north of Nukus there is an ancient necropolis, which occupies an area of about 100 hectares. Its age, according to scientists, is 2000 years. This place is full of mysteries and mysticism. The sacred “Avesta” mentions the city of Mazda, associated with the honor of Ahuramazda – the source of the god of fire worshippers. Thousands of pilgrims visiting the necropolis of Mizdathkan believe that this is where Adam’s tomb is located, the mausoleum above it is the “World Clock” counting down the life span of mankind.
Muynak is a town of Fishermen
“Fishermen’s town” – Muynak – is located 190 km from Mizdahkan. Until 1990 the city was located on the shore of the Aral Sea-lake, but as a result of water level assessment in the basin of the sea-lake by 14.5 m, the shore retreated from Muynak by 150 km, as the whole fickleness of the city was focused on fishery activity (500 thousand quintals of valuable fish species caught per year), Muynak lost its trap in the national economy of the country. Now it is infamous all over the world for its “graveyard” of ships – the result of mismanagement and thoughtless attitude to the ecology of the environment.
Historical architectural objects of Karakalpakstan
- Toprak – kala (“Earthen city”) – 1st century AD. – The beginning of circulation;
- Kyzyl – kala (“Red City”) – a fortress that protected the city in the I-XII centuries.
- Ayaz – kala (“City in the wind”) – fortress – IV-III cc BC.
- Koy – Krylgan – Kala – the center of funeral and astral cults, as well as astronomical objects.