Jitiqara (, ''Jıtıqara''; ) is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and the administrative center of Zhitikara District in

Kostanay Region Kostanay Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. Its administrative center is the city of Kostanay. The population of the region is 835,686. The population living in Kostanay is 207,000 which is equivalent to 23% of the region. Geography Kosta ...

of northwestern

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 ...

, close to the

Kazakhstan–Russia border The Kazakhstan–Russia border is the international border between the Kazakhstan, Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russia, Russian Federation. It is the longest continuous international border in the world and the second longest by total length, ...

Geography

The city of Jitiqara is located in the southwestern part of the Kostanay region, 217 kilometers from the regional center of the city of

Kostanay Kostanay or Qostanai (, , rus, Костанай, p=kəstɐˈnaj) is a city located on the Tobol River in northern Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of the Kostanay Region. As of 24 March 2022, the city's governor is Marat Zhundubay ...

on the

Turgay Plateau The Turgay Plateau (, ''Torğai Üstırtı''; ) is a plateau in north-west Kazakhstan, central Asia. It lies 200–300 m above sea level. It extends some 630 km north–south and 300 km east–west. It is bisected by the Turgay Depress ...

, west of the

Tobol River The Tobol (, ) is a river in Western Siberia (in Kazakhstan and Russia) and the main (left) tributary of the Irtysh. Its length is , and the area of its drainage basin is . History The Tobol River was one of the four important rivers of the ...

. Population: The territory of the city occupies an area of 6080 hectares, the height above sea level is 271

History

Jitiqara was founded in 1880 as the

aul An aul; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (; ) is a type of fortified village or town found throughout the Caucasus and Central Asia. They are generally built out of stone, on faces of ridges or against cliffs in order to provide protection against su ...

of Konildi. At the time, it was a part of Nikolayevsky Uyezd (later renamed Kustanaysky Uyezd) of Turgay Oblast. In 1915, it was renamed Zhitikara (Dzhetygara), and subsequently granted urban-type settlement status. In 1920, Turgay Oblast was transformed into Turgay Governorate, and on November 9, 1920, it was abolished and merged into Orenburg-Turgay Governorate. On April 1, 1921 the area was transferred into newly established Kustanay Governorate. Dzhetyhara was a part of Adamovsky District and the administrative center of Dzhetygarinskaya Volost. On August 15, 1922 the district was abolished and merged into Denisov District. On September 21, 1925 Kustanay Governorate was abolished and transformed into Kustanaysky Uytezd. On January 17, 1928 Kustanay Okrug of

Aktobe Region Aktobe Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. The name ''Aktobe'' comes from Kazakh ''aq'' 'white' and ''töbe'' 'hill' or 'top (of something)'; supposedly, Aktobe's initial settlers were able to see white mountains far to the north. The Aktobe ...

was established, which included also Zhetigara District. In February 1932, okrugs were abolished, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. Until 1936, the district administrative center of Zhitikara District was the settlement of Denisovka, and subsequently Dzhetygara was made the district center. On July 29, 1936, Kostanay Region was established as a part of

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Kazakhstan, the Kazakh SSR, KSSR, or simply Kazakhstan, was one of the transcontinental country, transcontinental Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Un ...

, and Zhitikara District became a part of Kostanay Region. In 1939, Dzetygara was granted the town status. In 1962, it was made a town of oblast significance. In 1997, the official spelling was changed to Jitiqara, and Jitiqara was made a town of district significance, the center of Zhitikara District.

Economy

Industry

The main industrial enterprise in Jitiqara is the Kostanay Minerals, mainly producing

asbestos Asbestos ( ) is a group of naturally occurring, Toxicity, toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous Crystal habit, crystals, each fibre (particulate with length su ...

Transportation

Jitiqara is a terminal of the railway side line leading to the station of

Tobol The Tobol (, ) is a river in Western Siberia (in Kazakhstan and Russia) and the main (left) tributary of the Irtysh. Its length is , and the area of its drainage basin is . History The Tobol River was one of the four important rivers of the S ...

which is located on the railway between

Kartaly Kartaly () is a town and the administrative center of Kartalinsky District in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located in the valley of the Kartaly-Ayat River (left tributary of the Tobol), southwest of Chelyabinsk, the administrative center of th ...

and

Astana Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. With a population of 1,423,726 within the city limits, it is the second-largest in the country after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim ...

. The town is connected by roads with

via Rudny and with Kartaly.

Climate

Jitiqara has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dfb''), characterized by frigid winters and warm summers.

References

{{Kostanay Region Populated places in Kostanay Region