South Kazakhstan Province

South Kazakhstan Province (Kazakh: Оңтүстік Қазақстан облысы, Oñtüstik Qazaqstan oblısı) is the southernmost province of Kazakhstan. Population: 2,469,367 (2009 Census results);^[3] 1,978,339 (1999 Census results).^[3] Its capital is Shymkent, with 603,500 people. Other cities in South Kazakhstan include Turkestan, Sayram, Kentau, Arys, Shardara, Zhetisai, Saryagash, and Lenger. This province and Atyrau Province are Kazakhstan's two smallest provinces; both are about 117,300 square kilometers in area. South Kazakhstan borders the neighboring country of Uzbekistan (and is very near the Uzbekistan capital Tashkent), as well as three other Kazakhstan provinces: Karagandy Province (to the north), Kyzylorda Province (to the west) and Jambyl Province (to the east). The Syr Darya passes through the province, on its way to the Aral Sea. Also, an oil pipeline runs from Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan to Omsk, Russia (where it connects with a larger, Siberian pipeline) through South Kazakhstan. Oil, lead and zinc are refined in Shymkent.

Demographics

The South Kazakhstan Province is the most densely populated of Kazakhstan's many regions. This derives from the oblast's gentler climate, better irrigation infrastructure, and proximity to historical population centers [such as Uzbekistan's Tashkent and the Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara]. SKO is also the fastest growing of Kazakhstan's Province, due to two main factors. One is the birthrate among traditional Kazakh and Uzbek families, where families of five to eight children are commonplace. The other is the exodus of cheap migrant labor from northern Uzbekistan. These migrant workers sometimes become full-fledged immigrants, and if they are ethnic Kazakhs this process is easily green-lighted through local governments for an (unacknowledged and under-the-table) fee.

As such, South Kazakhstan Province is the only province with a demographic breakdown where ethnic Russians are not in the first or second most populous categories. Census results are old and made using Soviet methods that served propaganda over accuracy, but they still point to Kazakhs being the most populous, closely followed by Uzbeks, with Russians bringing in a distant third.

The population of Southern Kazakhstan, despite obvious numerical prevalence of Kazakhs (which has considerably amplified from the beginning 1990 and now the share of Kazakhs in the population makes an order of 72%), differs a considerable ethnolanguage variety. So in the area population it is traditionally wide (about 18% of all population) the Uzbeks making a considerable part of the population of some cities and areas of area are presented (to Sauries, Turkestan, Aksukent, Ikan), live Russian (basically in the city of Shymkent though their share was considerably reduced for last 20 years from more than 23% in 1980 to nearby 6% now), Tadjiks, Koreans, Kurds live also. Main languages are Kazakh, Russian (including as means of international dialogue) and Uzbek.

History

Historically speaking, South Kazakhstan Province is home to Kazakhstan's oldest and greatest marvels. Two thousand years ago it was part of the northern border of the Persian Empire. It owes its long history of habitation to a mixing of Persian culture and science with the native Turkic/Mongol tribal clans. South Kazakhstan Province was part of the Satrap of Sogdiana.

Some places of historical interest include the cities of Turkestan, Otrar and Sayram. Sayram was the birthplace of Ahmed Yasavi (1103–66), a great Sufic scholar and author that lived and worked throughout Central Asia. He is entombed in a mausoleum complex that stands in present-day Turkestan, and which has been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was commissioned by Amir Temur (Tamerlane) to increase his standing among the area. The mausoleum was built by Persian masters, though it was left unfinished with the death of Tamerlane. The original scaffolding that would have been used to apply the colored-tile still protrudes from the front entrance.

Administrative divisions

The province is administratively divided into eleven districts and the cities of Shymkent, Arys, Kentau, and Turkestan.^[4]

Baydibek District, with the administrative center in the selo of Shayan;
Kazygurt District, the selo of Kazygurt;
Maktaaral District, the town of Zhetisai;
Ordabasy District, the selo of Temirlan;
Otyrar District, the selo of Shauldir;
Saryagash District, the town of Saryagash;
Sayram District, the selo of Aksukent;
Shardara District, the town of Shardara;
Sozak District, the selo of Sholakkorgan;
Tole Bi District, the town of Lenger;
Tulkibas District, the selo of Turar Ryskulov.

References

↑ Official site - General Information
↑ Agency of statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Численность населения Республики Казахстан по областям с началa 2013 года до 1 февраля 2013 года (russisch; Excel-Datei; 55 kB).
↑ 3.0 3.1 "Население Республики Казахстан" (in Russian). Департамент социальной и демографической статистики. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
↑ "Akimats of the region’s cities and districts". The official portal of akimat of South Kazakhstan Region. Retrieved 20 March 2013.

National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition.

External links

Media related to South Kazakhstan Province at Wikimedia Commons

Official regional website

Zhambyl Province

South Kazakhstan Province

Jizzax Province,

v t e South Kazakhstan Province

Capital: Shymkent

Districts	Baydibek Kazygurt Maktaaral Ordabasy Otyrar Saryagash Sayram Shardara Sozak Tole Bi Tulkibas

Major cities	Arys Kentau Lenger Turkistan Saryagash Shardara Shymkent Zhetisay

v t e Provinces of Kazakhstan

Provinces	Akmola Aktobe Almaty Atyrau East Kazakhstan Karagandy Kostanay Kyzylorda Jambyl Mangystau North Kazakhstan Pavlodar South Kazakhstan West Kazakhstan

Metropolitan cities	Almaty Astana Baikonur

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