Turan, Tuva Republic

Turan (Russian Туран ) is a small town in the autonomous republic of Tuva ( southern Siberia, Russia) with 4981 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ).

Geography

The city is located in the Turan - Ujuk Valley on the southern flank of Westsajan, about 70 km north-west of the Republic capital Kyzyl, the river Turan, a left tributary of the turn into the Great Yenisei (Bi- Chem) which opens Ujuk. In the immediate vicinity is because the Scythian Kurgangräbern historically significant high level of Arschan. The climate is highly continental.

The city is the administrative center of the Turan Koschuun ( Rajons ) Pi -Chem.

It lies on the M54 highway Krasnoyarsk - Abakan - Kyzyl - Ersin / Mongolian border, the former Us tract, and has a small airport.

History

Turan was created in 1885 as one of the first foundations of Russian settlers in this time not yet belonging to the Russian Empire territory. The place name is from a Turkic word for salt flats, which are distributed locally in the area, is derived.

In 1945, after connection Tuva to the Soviet Union, the city received city rights.

Demographics

Note: Census data

Culture and sights

Since 1981, Turan has a mainly Russian colonization of the region dedicated small museum.

In county / Rajon Turan at the village Arschan a complex Scythian grave mounds from the 7th century BC, is worth mentioning the so-called Tuvan Valley of the Kings.

Since 1914, there were in Turan the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Innokenty of Irkutsk, which was destroyed during the Soviet era and restored in the 1990s.

Economy

The economy is dominated by small businesses in the food and wood processing industry. In the environment prevails agriculture with cereal crops and sheep.