Qurghonteppa
Encyclopedia
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 (est. 2006) people, making it the third-largest city in the country. The population fluctuates depending on season (due to Tajik immigrant workers in Russia). The political opposition in Tajikistan primarily comes from Qurghonteppa.
Along with the capital Dushanbe
, Qurghonteppa is demographically much more diverse than other major cities such as Khujand
, Kulob
or Istaravshan. Ethnicities include Tajiks, Uzbeks
, Russians
, Tatars, Ukrainians
, Kazakhs
, Greeks
and many more. The city had a large number of ethnic Russians who were actively employed by the industrial and agricultural complexes in and around the city. Qurghonteppa was seriously demaged during the civil war in 1992-1997; during and after that war 85 % of the Russians left the city.
Qurghonteppa International Airport
serves a handful of cities in Tajikistan, Russia
and Kazakhstan
. The city is considered to be the heart of cotton
("white gold") cultivation in Tajikistan.
Qurghonteppa and Kulob are the main cities of south Tajikistan. Qurghonteppa is a regional hub (one of the top four), especially for banking and telecommunications industries.
Tajik immigrant workers (mostly employed in Russia) have significantly contributed to the local economy since early 2000s.
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
. It is the capital of the Khatlon
Khatlon
Khatlon Province , sometimes misspelt Khatlan, one of the three provinces of Tajikistan and is the most populous of the four first level administrative regions. It is situated in the southwest of the country, between the Hisor Range in the north and the Panj River in the south and borders on...
region and it is located 100 km from Dushanbe
Dushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
. It is estimated that the population of the city is close to 85,000 (est. 2006) people, making it the third-largest city in the country. The population fluctuates depending on season (due to Tajik immigrant workers in Russia). The political opposition in Tajikistan primarily comes from Qurghonteppa.
Along with the capital Dushanbe
Dushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
, Qurghonteppa is demographically much more diverse than other major cities such as Khujand
Khujand
Khujand , also transliterated as Khudzhand, , formerly Khodjend or Khodzhent until 1936 and Leninabad until 1991, is the second-largest city of Tajikistan. It is situated on the Syr Darya River at the mouth of the Fergana Valley...
, 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....
or Istaravshan. Ethnicities include Tajiks, Uzbeks
Uzbeks
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...
, Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, Tatars, Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
, Kazakhs
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
, Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
and many more. The city had a large number of ethnic Russians who were actively employed by the industrial and agricultural complexes in and around the city. Qurghonteppa was seriously demaged during the civil war in 1992-1997; during and after that war 85 % of the Russians left the city.
Qurghonteppa International Airport
Qurghonteppa International Airport
Qurghonteppa International Airport is an airport in Kurgan Tyube, Tajikistan .- Airlines and destinations :...
serves a handful of cities in Tajikistan, 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...
and Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
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...
. The city is considered to be the heart of 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....
("white gold") cultivation in Tajikistan.
Qurghonteppa and Kulob are the main cities of south Tajikistan. Qurghonteppa is a regional hub (one of the top four), especially for banking and telecommunications industries.
Tajik immigrant workers (mostly employed in Russia) have significantly contributed to the local economy since early 2000s.
External links
- Kurgan Tepe in Encyclopaedia Iranica Online