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Karakalpakstan
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Karakalpakstan (Karakalpak: Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi or ?????????????? ????????????; or ) is an autonomous republic of Uzbekistan. It occupies the whole western end of Uzbekistan. The capital is Nukus (Karakalpak: No'kis or ?????). The Republic of Karakalpakstan has an area of . Its territory covers the classical land of Khwarezm, though in classical Persian literature the area was known as "Kath".
population of Karakalpakstan is estimated at 1,200,000, of whom 400,000 are of the Karakalpak ethnic group, 400,000 are Uzbek and 300,000 are Kazakh.
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Encyclopedia
Karakalpakstan (Karakalpak: Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi or ?????????????? ????????????; or ) is an autonomous republic of Uzbekistan. It occupies the whole western end of Uzbekistan. The capital is Nukus (Karakalpak: No'kis or ?????). The Republic of Karakalpakstan has an area of . Its territory covers the classical land of Khwarezm, though in classical Persian literature the area was known as "Kath".
Demographics
The population of Karakalpakstan is estimated at 1,200,000, of whom 400,000 are of the Karakalpak ethnic group, 400,000 are Uzbek and 300,000 are Kazakh. The Karakalpak were formerly nomadic herders and fishers, and were first mentioned in the 16th century. Their name means "Black Hat", but Karakalpak culture was so lost through Sovietization that the original meaning of the black hat is now unknown. The Karakalpak language is considered closer to Kazakh than to Uzbek. Indeed there are accusations that the ethnic group was an invention of the Soviet government to divide the Kazakh population. The language was written in a modified Cyrillic in Soviet times and in the Latin alphabet since 1996.
Other than the capital Nukus, large cities include Hojeli (Uzbek: Ho'jayli; Russian: ????????), Shimbai, Konirat (???????) and Moynaq (Uzbek: Mo'ynoq; Russian: ??????), a former Aral Sea port now several miles inland.
Economy
The economy of the region, formerly heavily dependent on fisheries, is now supported by cotton, rice and melons. Hydroelectric power from a large Soviet-built station on the Amu Darya is also important.
The Amu Darya delta was once heavily populated, and supported extensive irrigation based agriculture for thousands of years. Under the Khorezm, the area attained considerable power and prosperity. However, the gradual climate change over the centuries, accelerated by the Aral Sea ecological disaster of the late 20th century has created a science-fiction-like nightmare for Karakalpakstan. The ancient oasis of rivers, lakes, reed marshes, forests and farms are drying up, and being poisoned by wind-borne salt and chemicals from the dried bed of the Aral Sea. Allegedly summer temperatures have risen 10 degrees Celsius and winter temperatures have decreased by 10 degrees Celsius, and the number of health and respiratory problems has risen dramatically.
Separatist movement
Recently the website of Radio Free Europe broadcast a report on the beginnings of a separatist movement in Karakalpakstan due to the bad environmental and social conditions of the republic, though other residents and politicians from the region strongly deny the existence or relevance of any genuine independence movement.
See also
External links
- Karakalpakstan – http://karakalpak.homestead.com
- Karakalpak music – http://berdakb.narod.ru
- Official site of the Republic of Karakalpakstan – http://sovminrk.gov.uz/rus/respublika_karakalpakstan/
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