Issyk Kul Province | |
Ысык-Көл областы Иссык-Кульская область |
|
Province | |
Country | Kyrgyzstan |
---|---|
Capital | Karakol |
Highest point | Pobeda peak |
- elevation | 7,439 m (24,406 ft) |
Area | 43,100 km2 (16,641 sq mi) |
Population | 437,200 (2009) |
Density | 10.1 / km2 (26 / sq mi) |
Governor | Mirbek Asanakunov |
ISO 3166-2 | KG-Y |
|
Issyk Kul Province (Kyrgyz: Ысык-Көл областы) is a province (oblast) of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Karakol. It is surrounded by Almaty Province, Kazakhstan (north), Chui Province (west), Naryn Province (southwest) and Xinjiang, China (southeast).
Contents |
The north is dominated by the eye-shaped Issyk Kul Lake, surrounded by the ridges of the Tian Shan mountain system: the Kyungey Ala-Too mountains to the north and the Terskey Alatau to the south (the 'sunny' and 'shady' Alatau, respectively). To the south is mountains and 'jailoos' (mountain meadows used for summer grazing). The highest peaks of the Tian Shan mountains, including Khan Tengri, are located in the easternmost part of the province.
Most of the population of the province lives around the lake, in particular in the cities of Balykchy near the lake's western end, and Karakol near its eastern end.
As of 2009, Issyk Kul Province included 3 towns, 5 urban-type settlements, and 175 villages. Its de-facto and permanent population, according to the Population and Housing Census of 2009, was 425,116 and 438,389 correspondingly.
Historical populations in Issyk Kul Province | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Pop. | ±% |
1970 | 311,992 | — |
1979 | 352,017 | +12.8% |
1989 | 409,618 | +16.4% |
1999 | 415,513 | +1.4% |
2009 | 425,116 | +2.3% |
Note: de facto population; Source: [7] |
According to the 2009 Census, the ethnic composition (de jure population) of Issyk Kul Province was:[7]
Ethnic group | Population | Proportion of Issyk Kul Province population |
---|---|---|
Kyrgyzs | 377,994 | 86.2% |
Russians | 35,275 | 8.0% |
Kazakhs | 6,464 | 1.5% |
Uygurs | 3,897 | 0.9% |
Kalmyks | 3,801 | 0.9% |
Dungans | 3,124 | 0.7% |
Uzbeks | 2,982 | 0.7% |
Tatars | 2,098 | 0.5% |
Ukrainians | 1,170 | 0.3% |
other groups | 1,584 | 0.3% |
The railroad coming from the northwest (from Bishkek) ends at Balykchy. The main highway (A365) from Bishkek passes through Balykchy and into Naryn Province on its way to the Torugart Pass into China. Highway A363 circles the lake and A362 runs east from the lake into Kazakhstan.
The province, which resembles the Alps or Colorado, would be a major tourist destination were it not for its remoteness, underdeveloped infrastructure, and growing conflict between Kyrgyz nationalists and independence factions, which in December 2008 flared up again, killing 39 civilians. Currently, it is visited mostly by locals who use the Soviet-era establishments around the lake and the more adventurous sort of international tourist.
There is a village by the name of Kyzyldzhildyz in this province. Its name is hard enough to pronounce for foreigners to the language that the village's mayor has offered a reward for any American that can pronounce "Kyzyldzhildyz".
Issyk Kul is divided administratively into 5 districts: [8]:
District | Capital |
---|---|
Ak-Suu District | Karakol |
Jeti-Oguz District | Kyzyl-Suu |
Tong District | Bokonbaev |
Tup District | Tyup |
Issyk Kul District | Cholpon-Ata |
Chuy Province | Almaty Province, Kazakhstan | |||
Issyk Kul Province | ||||
Naryn Province | Xinjiang, China |
|