Kara-Balta
Encyclopedia
Kara-Balta is a city and municipality on the Chu River
, in Chuy Province
, Kyrgyzstan
, the capital of Jaiyl District
. It was founded in 1825 under the Kokand Khanate
, and received city status in 1975 under the Soviets. Its city population was officially 43,531 in a 2001 census. The municipality had a population of 54,200 according to the Soviet 1989 census, and is now estimated at over 70,000.
Kara-Balta is located on the northern slopes of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too
, in the western part of Chuy Province, 62 km west of the capital of Bishkek
. The road continues west through Kaindy
toward Taraz
, Kazakhstan. Another road goes south through the Too-Ashoo Tunnel and then splits, one branch going west to Talas Province
and the other south and then east through the Suusamyr valley to Balykchy
on Lake Issyk Kul. It has a temperate climate. The terrain is flat, with a slight slope downwards from the south to the north.
The Chuy Valley has been settled since the Fifth Century, but after the invasion by Genghis Khan
the area was inhabited mostly by nomads and pastoralists. However, the settlement became a town and flourished under the Khanate of Kokand
.
. After independence, the mines in Kyrgyzstan closed quickly; however KBMP continued to process uranium concentrate from Kazakhstan until 2005 when this activity wad stopped due to the lack of raw material. The massive uranium tailings
remain a problem. KBMP still processes gold and molybdenum
ores.
In February 2007 the Russian Renova Group won a tender to purchase the Kyrgyz government's 72.28 percent stake
in the Kara-Balta uranium-production facility.
Chu River
"Chui River" redirects here. For the South American Chuí or Chuy River, on the Brazil-Uruguay border and Brazil's southernmost point, see Chuí River. For the Nam Sam River or Chu River, on the Lao-Vietnam border, see Nam Sam River....
, in Chuy Province
Chuy Province
Chuy Province or Chui Province is the northernmost province of the Kyrgyz Republic. It is bounded on the north by Kazakhstan, and clockwise, Issyk Kul Province, Naryn Province, Jalal-Abad Province and Talas Province...
, Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
, the capital of Jaiyl District
Jaiyl District
Jaiyl is a raion of Chuy Province in northern Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Kara-Balta. It also administers an exclave in the southwestern heel of Chuy Province .:-Towns, rural communities, and villages:...
. It was founded in 1825 under the Kokand Khanate
Khanate of Kokand
The Khanate of Kokand was a state in Central Asia that existed from 1709–1883 within the territory of modern eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan...
, and received city status in 1975 under the Soviets. Its city population was officially 43,531 in a 2001 census. The municipality had a population of 54,200 according to the Soviet 1989 census, and is now estimated at over 70,000.
Kara-Balta is located on the northern slopes of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too
Kyrgyz Ala-Too
The Kyrgyz Ala-Too is a large range in the North Tien-Shan. It stretches for a total length of 454 km from the west-end of Issyk-Kul to the town Taraz in Kazakhstan. It runs in the east-west direction, separating Chuy Valley from Kochkor Valley, Suusamyr Valley, and Talas Valley. Talas Ala-Too...
, in the western part of Chuy Province, 62 km west of the capital of Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
. The road continues west through Kaindy
Kaindy
Kaindy is a urban-type settlement in the Chuy Province of Kyrgyzstan. It is the capital of Panfilov District, Kyrgyzstan.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
toward Taraz
Taraz
Taraz , is a city and a center of the Jambyl Province in Kazakhstan. It is located in the south of Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, on the Talas River...
, Kazakhstan. Another road goes south through the Too-Ashoo Tunnel and then splits, one branch going west to Talas Province
Talas Province
Talas Province is a province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Talas. It is bordered on the west and north by Jambyl Province of Kazakhstan, on the east by Chui Province, on the south by Jalal-Abad Province and on the southwest by a finger of Uzbekistan. It is basically a U-shaped valley open to the...
and the other south and then east through the Suusamyr valley to Balykchy
Balykchy
Balykchy is a town with a population about 40,000 people located at the western end of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, at and an elevation of about 1,900 metres...
on Lake Issyk Kul. It has a temperate climate. The terrain is flat, with a slight slope downwards from the south to the north.
The Chuy Valley has been settled since the Fifth Century, but after the invasion by Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
the area was inhabited mostly by nomads and pastoralists. However, the settlement became a town and flourished under the Khanate of Kokand
Khanate of Kokand
The Khanate of Kokand was a state in Central Asia that existed from 1709–1883 within the territory of modern eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan...
.
Economy
The major industry in Kara-Balta was the processing plant of the mining combine, Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine (KBMP), the largest in Central Asia. During Soviet times, it processed uranium ore from deposits in Kyrgyzstan and KazakhstanKazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. After independence, the mines in Kyrgyzstan closed quickly; however KBMP continued to process uranium concentrate from Kazakhstan until 2005 when this activity wad stopped due to the lack of raw material. The massive uranium tailings
Tailings
Tailings, also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or slickens, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore...
remain a problem. KBMP still processes gold and molybdenum
Molybdenum
Molybdenum , is a Group 6 chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42. The name is from Neo-Latin Molybdaenum, from Ancient Greek , meaning lead, itself proposed as a loanword from Anatolian Luvian and Lydian languages, since its ores were confused with lead ores...
ores.
In February 2007 the Russian Renova Group won a tender to purchase the Kyrgyz government's 72.28 percent stake
in the Kara-Balta uranium-production facility.