Navoiy Region is one of the

regions of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan is divided into 12 regions (''viloyatlar'', singularwilayah, viloyat, ''viloyati'' in compound, e.g. Toshkent ''viloyati''), 1 autonomous republic (''respublika'', ''respublikasi'' in compound, e.g. Qaraqalpaqstan Avtonom ''Respubl ...

. It is located in the central north/northwest of the country. It covers an area of (a large part of which is taken up by the Kyzyl-Kum desert), which makes it the largest of the regions of Uzbekistan (the autonomous

Karakalpakstan Karakalpakstan, officially the Republic of Karakalpakstan, is an autonomous republic and part of Uzbekistan. It spans the northwestern portion of Uzbekistan. Its capital is Nukus (' / ). Karakalpakstan has an area of , and has a population of a ...

Republic is still larger at 166,590 km²). The Navoiy region borders with

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

Samarqand Region Samarkand Region is the most populous region of Uzbekistan. It is located in the center of the country in the basin of the Zarafshan River. It borders Tajikistan, Navoiy Region, Jizzakh Region and Qashqadaryo Region. It covers an area of 16,773 ...

Buxoro Region Bukhara Region is a region of Uzbekistan located in the southwest of the country. The Kyzyl Kum desert takes up a large portion of its territory. It borders Turkmenistan, Navoiy Region, Qashqadaryo Region, a small part of the Xorazm Region, and ...

Jizzakh Region Jizzakh Region is one of the regions of Uzbekistan. It is located in the center/east of the country. It borders Tajikistan to the south and south-east, Samarqand Region to the west, Navoiy Region to the north-west, Kazakhstan to the north, and ...

, and the

Republic. The population is estimated to be 1,033,857 in 2022, with 51% living in rural areas. The capital is

Navoiy Navoiy ( ; ) is a city and the capital of Navoiy Region in the central part of Uzbekistan. Administratively, it is a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlement Tinchlik, Navoiy, Tinchlik. The city is named after Alisher Navoiy. ...

(pop. ~146,900). The region and its capital are named after the poet

Ali-Shir Nava'i 'Ali-Shir Nava'i (9 February 1441 – 3 January 1501), also known as Nizām-al-Din ʿAli-Shir Herawī ( Chagatai: نظام الدین علی شیر نوایی, ) was a Timurid poet, writer, statesman, linguist, Hanafi Maturidi mystic and ...

. The climate is a typically semi-desert

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...

. Navoiy region has significant

natural resources Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

, especially

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

, and

precious metals Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value. Precious metals, particularly the noble metals, are more corrosion resistant and less chemically reactive than most elements. They are usual ...

, plus raw materials for construction. The region's economy is heavily dependent on large

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

metallurgical Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

and chemical production complexes. The Navoi and Zarafshan mines produce some of the world's purest

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

. Leading agricultural products are

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

and

Karakul sheep Karakul or Qaraqul (named after Qorakoʻl, a city in Bukhara Region in Uzbekistan) is a breed of domestic fat-tailed sheep which originated in Central Asia. Some archaeological evidence points to Karakul sheep being raised there continuously sinc ...

. Some 90% of the entire area is considered potentially rich agricultural land, if a source of water for

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

can be located.

Administrative divisions

The Navoiy Region consists of 8

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

s (listed below) and 3 district-level cities:

Zarafshon Zarafshon (, ) is a city in the center of Uzbekistan's Navoiy Region. Administratively, it is a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlement Muruntau. It has an area of and 85,100 inhabitants (2021). Located in the Kyzylkum Deser ...

and

Gʻozgʻon Gʻozgʻon (, ) is a district-level city in Navoiy Region, Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , nation ...

. There are 7 cities (

, Qiziltepa,

Nurota Nurota (sometimes spelled as Nurata, ; ; ) is a city and seat of Nurota District in Navoiy Region in Uzbekistan. Its population is 32,300 (2016). History Nurota was founded as the ancient town Nur, in 327 BC by Alexander the Great. The remains of ...

Uchquduq Uchquduq (sometimes spelled as Uchkuduk, ; ) is a city in the north of Navoiy Region, Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbe ...

, Yangirabod) and 46

urban-type settlement Urban-type settlement, abbreviated: ; , abbreviated: ; ; ; ; . is an official designation for lesser urbanized settlements, used in several Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern European countries. The term was primarily used in the So ...

s in Navoiy Region.

Economy

Navoiy Region is located in the central part of Uzbekistan, being one of the largest industrial centres of the country. The region possesses rich minerals and raw materials resources – Muruntau gold-bearing field, silica sand fields (of more than 1.5 billion tons), deposits of granite (1.9 billion cubic meters), marble (420 million cubic meters), phosphorites (1.5 billion tons) and many others. Navoiy Mining and Metallurgy Combinat – the biggest enterprise of the region, is included in top ten largest world producers of uranium and gold (9999 standard). Gold bars produced by the Combinat are awarded with the status of “optimal gold delivery” by London Precious Metals Market and Tokyo Commodities Exchange. Along with mining, the region’s economy is based on production of building materials, chemical, textile and food industries. 40 foreign investment enterprises operate in Navoiy Region. Most of them are established with participation of investors from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The Uzbek–British Joint Venture "Amantaytau-Goldfields" does work in the region. In 2019 the entire region was made a "free economic zone" by presidential decree.

Main sights

The Mausoleum of Sheikh Khoja Khisrav is a pilgrimage site located in the

Karmana District Karmana District (, before 2003: ''Navoiy District'') is a Districts of Uzbekistan, district of Navoiy Region in Uzbekistan. The capital lies at the town Karmana. It has an area of and its population is 128,200 (2021 est.). The district consists o ...

of Navoiy Region. Khoja Khisrav was a saint who lived during the 14th century, alongside Mawlana Orif Deggaroni and Khwaja Bakhouddin. Information about the life, activities, and miracles of Khoja Khisrav can be found in the book "Bahouddin Balogardon" by Abul Musin Muhammad Boqir Ibn Muhammad Ali.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Regions of Uzbekistan