Tashkent Province

The Tashkent Province ( Uzbek: Toshkent Viloyati, Тошкент вилояти; Russian Ташкентская область, Taschkentskaja oblast ) in Uzbekistan has an area of ​​15,600 square kilometers and a population of 4,976,651 (as of 2008). The population density is 319 inhabitants per square kilometer. Capital is Tashkent with 2,140,486 (as of 2008) residents. But Tashkent is not part of the province, but is administered separately as an independent city with special status.

Geography and administration

The province is located in the northeastern part of Uzbekistan, between the Syr Darya River and the Tien Shan Mountains. It borders the states of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as the provinces Sirdaryo and Namangan. The province is divided into 15 counties and the cities of Angren, Bekobod, Chirchiq, Ohangaron, Olmaliq, Yangiobod and Yangiyol.

The largest cities are (as of 1 January 2008): Chirchiq ( 133 610 inhabitants), Angren ( 125 758 inhabitants), Olmaliq ( 110,953 inhabitants), Bekobod ( 100 142 inhabitants) and Yangiyol ( 55 499 inhabitants).

The climate is continental, with mild wet winters and hot dry summers.

The Chatkal National Park, with mountains and forests, located in the province.

Economy and infrastructure

Important mineral resources include copper, brown coal, molybdenum, zinc, gold, silver, rare earth metals, natural gas, petroleum, sulfur, limestone and granite.

The province is the economically most developed in the country. Significant industries include energy production, mining, and metallurgy. Are produced fertilizers, chemicals, electronics, textiles, food and shoes.

Agriculture is highly developed and is mainly based on irrigation. There are harvested cotton, hemp, corn, melons, pumpkins, fruits, vegetables and citrus fruits. The livestock sector is important.

The province has a well-developed infrastructure, with a rail network of 360 kilometers and 3771 kilometers of paved roads. In Tashkent there is an international airport.