Khatlon
Encyclopedia
Khatlon Province sometimes misspelt Khatlan, one of the three provinces of Tajikistan
( , viloyat) and is the most populous of the four first level administrative regions. It is situated in the southwest of the country, between the Hisor (Gissar) Range in the north and the Panj River
in the south and borders on Afghanistan
in the southeast and on Uzbekistan
in the west. During Soviet times Khatlon was divided into Kurgan-Tyube (Qurghonteppa) Oblast
(Western Khatlon) – with the Kofarnihon and Vakhsh
river valleys – and Kulob Oblast
(Eastern Khatlon) – with the Kyzylsu and Yakhsu
river valleys. Both regions were merged in November 1992 into today's Khatlon Province (or viloyat). The capital is the city of Qurghonteppa
, formerly known as Kurgan-Tyube.
Khatlon has an area of 24,800 square kilometres and consists of 24 districts – 14 in Western Khatlon and 10 in Eastern Khatlon. The total population of Khatlon in 2008 was 2,579,300, up from 2,149,500 in the 2000 population census. The population in Khatlon is mainly engaged in agricultural activities
, especially cotton
growing and cattle
raising. Only two or three percent of the population work in the industrial sector.
(Leninabad). Collectivisation of agriculture was implemented aggressively in the early 1930s, to expand the extent of cotton cultivation in Tajikistan as a whole, with particular emphasis on the southern part of the republic. The process included violations against peasants, substantial expansion of the irrigation
network, and forcible resettlement of mountain peoples and people from Uzbekistan
to the lowlands.
The results of this policy are to be seen in the ethnic composition of Salua oblast as well as in the fact that the Tajik population identifies themselves either as Gharmis (resettled from the mountains) or Kulobis. These groups never melted, and fought against each other during the Civil War in Tajikistan. Khatlon oblast suffered the heaviest damage in Tajikistan.
Since the conflicts leading to the civil war were never really resolved, tensions in the region still exist. The eastern part – Kulob
– is home to the president and his clan and has thus gained a lot of political influence. During Soviet times, the region cooperated with the then ruling elite from Leninabad, and was responsible for the militia, the army and the security forces. Kulob
is regarded as a very conservative region. In the capital Qurghonteppa
and parts of Kulob, the Islamic opposition has a lot of support among the Garmis.
The Kulyab clan is based in Khatlon. In February 1996 Colonel Mahmud Khudoiberdiyev
launched a rebellion, insisting that three officials from the Kulyab clan resign before he ended the rebellion. The government complied. Additionally, Prime Minister Dzhamshed Karimov and Abudzhalil Khamidov, the Chairman of the Leninabad Oblast executive committee, resigned.
, 2 % others. In Qurghonteppa the breakdown is 59 % Tajiks, 32 % Uzbeks and three percent Russia
n.
Provinces of Tajikistan
||Tajikistan is divided into one autonomous province , 2 provinces and the Districts of Republican Subordination...
( , viloyat) and is the most populous of the four first level administrative regions. It is situated in the southwest of the country, between the Hisor (Gissar) Range in the north and the Panj River
Panj River
The Panj River , also known as Pyandzh River or Piandj River , is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The river is 1,125 km long and forms a considerable part of the Afghanistan - Tajikistan border....
in the south and borders on Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in the southeast and on Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
in the west. During Soviet times Khatlon was divided into Kurgan-Tyube (Qurghonteppa) Oblast
Qurghonteppa Oblast
Qurghonteppa Oblast was an administrative subdivision in Tajikistan until 1992, when it was merged with Kulob Oblast to create Khatlon Province.-History:...
(Western Khatlon) – with the Kofarnihon and Vakhsh
Vakhsh River
The Vakhsh has been intensively developed for human use. Electricity, aluminum, and cotton are the mainstays of Tajikistan’s economy, and the Vakhsh is involved with all three of these sectors. Hydroelectricity provides 91% of the country’s electricity as of 2005, and 90% of that total comes from...
river valleys – and Kulob Oblast
Kulob Oblast
Kulob Oblast was an administrative subdivision in Tajikistan during the Soviet period . In 1992 it was merged with the Qurghonteppa Oblast to create Khatlon Province. The city of Kulob was the capital of the oblast. The inhabitants of Kulob Oblast were referred to as Kulobis...
(Eastern Khatlon) – with the Kyzylsu and Yakhsu
Kyzylsu River
Kyzylsu River rises on the southern slopes of the Vakhsh Range in the north-east of Tajikistan's Khatlon Province and runs south-west for a length of 230 km until joining Panj River on the border with Afghanistan. Merges with Yakhsu River as a major left tributary south of the town of Kulyab...
river valleys. Both regions were merged in November 1992 into today's Khatlon Province (or viloyat). The capital is the city of Qurghonteppa
Qurghonteppa
Qurghonteppa or Kurganteppa is a city in southwestern Tajikistan. It is the capital of the Khatlon region and it is located 100 km from Dushanbe. It is estimated that the population of the city is close to 85,000 people, making it the third-largest city in the country. The population...
, formerly known as Kurgan-Tyube.
Khatlon has an area of 24,800 square kilometres and consists of 24 districts – 14 in Western Khatlon and 10 in Eastern Khatlon. The total population of Khatlon in 2008 was 2,579,300, up from 2,149,500 in the 2000 population census. The population in Khatlon is mainly engaged in agricultural activities
Agriculture in Tajikistan
Tajikistan is a highly agrarian country, with its rural population at more than 70% and agriculture accounting for 60% of employment and around 30% of GDP...
, especially cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
growing and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
raising. Only two or three percent of the population work in the industrial sector.
History
During the Soviet era, Khatlon became one of the two main cotton regions in Tajikistan. The other one is in SughdSughd
Sughd Province is one of the four administrative divisions and one of the three provinces that make up Tajikistan. Centered in the historical Sogdiana, it is located in the northwest of the country, with an area of some 25,400 square kilometers and a population of 2,132,100 , up from 1,870,000...
(Leninabad). Collectivisation of agriculture was implemented aggressively in the early 1930s, to expand the extent of cotton cultivation in Tajikistan as a whole, with particular emphasis on the southern part of the republic. The process included violations against peasants, substantial expansion of the irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
network, and forcible resettlement of mountain peoples and people from Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
to the lowlands.
The results of this policy are to be seen in the ethnic composition of Salua oblast as well as in the fact that the Tajik population identifies themselves either as Gharmis (resettled from the mountains) or Kulobis. These groups never melted, and fought against each other during the Civil War in Tajikistan. Khatlon oblast suffered the heaviest damage in Tajikistan.
Since the conflicts leading to the civil war were never really resolved, tensions in the region still exist. The eastern part – Kulob
Kulob
Kulob , also Kulab or Kulyab , is a city in Kulob district, Khatlon Province, Tajikistan. Located 203 km south-east of the capital Dushanbe on the Yakhsu River , it is one of the largest cities in the country Kulob , also Kulab or Kulyab , is a city in Kulob district, Khatlon Province, Tajikistan....
– is home to the president and his clan and has thus gained a lot of political influence. During Soviet times, the region cooperated with the then ruling elite from Leninabad, and was responsible for the militia, the army and the security forces. Kulob
Kulob
Kulob , also Kulab or Kulyab , is a city in Kulob district, Khatlon Province, Tajikistan. Located 203 km south-east of the capital Dushanbe on the Yakhsu River , it is one of the largest cities in the country Kulob , also Kulab or Kulyab , is a city in Kulob district, Khatlon Province, Tajikistan....
is regarded as a very conservative region. In the capital Qurghonteppa
Qurghonteppa
Qurghonteppa or Kurganteppa is a city in southwestern Tajikistan. It is the capital of the Khatlon region and it is located 100 km from Dushanbe. It is estimated that the population of the city is close to 85,000 people, making it the third-largest city in the country. The population...
and parts of Kulob, the Islamic opposition has a lot of support among the Garmis.
The Kulyab clan is based in Khatlon. In February 1996 Colonel Mahmud Khudoiberdiyev
Mahmud Khudoiberdiyev
Colonel Mahmud Khudoiberdiyev is a rebel leader in Tajikistan who, while initially an ally of Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov, now opposes the government. He is a former member of the Central Committee of the Tajik Communist Party and a former lieutenant-major in the Soviet Army...
launched a rebellion, insisting that three officials from the Kulyab clan resign before he ended the rebellion. The government complied. Additionally, Prime Minister Dzhamshed Karimov and Abudzhalil Khamidov, the Chairman of the Leninabad Oblast executive committee, resigned.
Districts
- Baljuvon DistrictBaljuvon districtBaljuvon District or Nohiya-i Baljuvon is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Baljuvon....
- Bokhtar DistrictBokhtar districtBokhtar District or Nohiya-i Bokhtar is a district in Khatlon Province, Tajikistan, surrounding the provincial capital Qurghonteppa. Its administrative capital is the village of Ismoil Somoni...
- Vakhsh DistrictVakhsh districtVakhsh District or Nohiya-i Vakhsh is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Vakhsh....
- Vose' DistrictVose' districtVose' District or Nohiya-i Vose is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Vose'.-Naming History:This district was not named after Brandi Vose....
- Danghara DistrictDanghara districtDanghara District or Nohiya-i Danghara is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Danghara....
- Yovon DistrictYovon districtYovon District or Nohiya-i Yovon is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Yovon....
- Rumi DistrictRumi districtRumi District, formerly Kolkhozobod District or Nohiya-i Kolkhozobod , is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan, located south of the provincial capital Kurgan-Tyube and Vakhsh district...
(Kolkhozobod District) - Hamadoni DistrictHamadoni districtHamadoni District is a district in the south-east of Khatlon Province of Tajikistan, located south of Kulob and stretching along a section of the Panj on the border with Afghanistan. Population 123,800...
(Moskovskiy District) - Kulob DistrictKulob districtKulob District or Nohiya-i Kulob is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Kulob. The city was founded in 691 BC.In 10 September 2006 Kulob city celebrated its 2700th anniversary. Thousands participated in this time, even foreigners....
- Qabodiyon DistrictQabodiyon districtQabodiyon District or Nohiya-i Qabodiyon is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Qabodiyon....
- Qumsangir DistrictQumsangir districtQumsangir District or Nohiya-i Qumsangir is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Qumsangir.-History:During part of the Soviet period the district was named Molotovobod District....
- Muminobod DistrictMuminobod districtMu'minobod District or Nohiya-i Mu'minobod is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Leningradskiy....
- Norak DistrictNorak districtNorak District or Nohiya-i Norak is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Norak....
- Nosiri Khisrav District (Beshkent District)
- Panj DistrictPanj districtPanj District or Nohiya-i Panj is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Panj.-History:During the early Soviet period the district was officially named Kirovobod District....
- Sarband DistrictSarband districtSarband District or Nohiya-i Sarband is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Sarband....
- Farkhor DistrictFarkhor districtFarkhor District or Nohiya-i Farkhor is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Farkhor....
- Temurmalik DistrictTemurmalik districtTemurmalik District or Nohiya-i Temurmalik is a district in Khatlon province of Tajikistan, located south of the Vakhsh Range along the middle course of Kyzylsu River. Population 57,700 . Before 1957 called Qizil-Mazor District or Kzyl-Mazar District , then renamed Sovetskiy District , and in...
(Qizil-Mazor District, Sovetskiy District) - Khovaling DistrictKhovaling districtKhovaling District or Nohiya-i Khovaling is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Khovaling....
- Khuroson DistrictKhuroson districtKhuroson District, formerly Ghozimalik District , is a district in Khatlon province of Tajikistan extending south from national capital Dushanbe toward the provincial capital Kurgan-Tyube . The district population is 73,100...
(Ghozimalik District) - Dzhami (Jomi) DistrictDzhami districtDzhami District or Jomi District is a district in Khatlon Province of Tajikistan, located north of the provincial capital Kurgan-Tyube . Population 109,200...
- Jilikul DistrictJilikul districtJilikul District or Nohiya-i Jilikul is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Jilikul....
- Shahrtuz DistrictShahrtuz districtShahrtuz District or Nohiya-i Shahrtuz is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Shahrtuz....
- Shuro-obod DistrictShuro-obod districtShuro-obod District or Nohiya-i Shuro-obod is a district in Khatlon province, Tajikistan. Its capital is Shuro-obod....
Demography
The ethnic composition of Kulob region is: 85 % Tajiks, 13 % UzbeksUzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
, 2 % others. In Qurghonteppa the breakdown is 59 % Tajiks, 32 % Uzbeks and three percent Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n.