Jalal-Abad Province, also known as Jalalabat (Kyrgyz

Kyrgyz language

Kyrgyz or Kirgiz, also Kirghiz, Kyrghiz, Qyrghiz is a Turkic language and, together with Russian, an official language of Kyrgyzstan...

: Жалалабат областы), is a province

Province

A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...

 (oblast

Oblast

Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...

) of 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...

. Its capital is the city of the same name, Jalal-Abad

Jalal-Abad

Jalalabat is the administrative and economic centre of Jalal-Abad Province in southwestern Kyrgyzstan, with a population of about 150,000...

. It is surrounded by (clockwise from the north) 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...

, Chui Province, Naryn Province

Naryn Province

Naryn Province is the largest province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Naryn. The province was established on November 21, 1939 as Tien-Shan Province. On December 20, 1962 the province was dissolved, but on December 11, 1970 re-established again...

, Osh Province

Osh Province

Osh Province is a province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Osh. It is bounded by Jalal-Abad Province, Naryn Province, Xinjiang, China, Tajikistan, Batken Province and Uzbekistan.-Geography:...

 and 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....

. The Jalal-Abad Province was established on November 21, 1939. On January 27, 1959 it became a part of Osh Province

Osh Province

Osh Province is a province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Osh. It is bounded by Jalal-Abad Province, Naryn Province, Xinjiang, China, Tajikistan, Batken Province and Uzbekistan.-Geography:...

, but regained its old status as a province on December 14, 1990. Jalal-Abad Province consist of 8 districts, and includes 5 towns, 8 urba-type settlements, and 415 villages

Geography

Jalalabad oblast covers 33647 square kilometres (12,991.2 sq mi) square kilometers (16.9% of total country's area) in central-western Kyrgyzstan.

The southern edge of the province is part of the Ferghana Valley. The rest of the province is mountainous. M41, the main north-south highway from 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...

 to Osh

Osh

Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939...

, takes a very crooked route down the center of the province. Another road follows the south border almost to the western tip and then turns northeast up the Chatkal valley to Kyzyl-Adyr

Kyzyl-Adyr

Kyzyl-Adyr is a village in the Kara-Buura District of Talas Province of Kyrgyzstan. To the north is the Kirovskaya Reservoir. From the main east-west highway through Talas Province, one road goes north to Taraz in Kazakhstan and another goes south to Jalal-Abad Province over the Kara-Buura Pass...

 in 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...

. Another road (closed in winter and requiring a jeep from the Ferghana range to Kazarman) goes east to Kazarman

Kazarman

Kazarman is the capital of Toguz-Toro District, Jalal-Abad Province, Kyrgyzstan on the Naryn River. One source rather impolitely says that "this poor dust-blown settlement in northern Jalal-Abad Province has something of the sinister reputation of a tough mining town down on its luck". The Makmal...

 and Naryn

Naryn

Naryn is the provincial administrative center of the Naryn Province in central Kyrgyzstan, with a population of 34,822 . It is situated on both banks of the Naryn River, , which cuts a picturesque gorge through the town...

.

An integral part of the country's power system is Toktogul hydroelectric power station

Toktogul Reservoir

Toktogul Reservoir , located in the Jalal-Abad Province of Kyrgyzstan, is the largest of the reservoirs on the path of the Naryn River. The reservoir was named after Toktogul Satilganov....

, which supplies electricity and water to both Kyrgyzstan and neighboring countries.

Ecology and Environment

The area has several mountain lakes, walnut forests, and mineral waters. It has also the world's largest natural growing walnut

Walnut

Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...

 forest, called Arslanbob

Arslanbob

Arslanbob is small town, sub district, valley, mountain range, and a large wild walnut forest in the Jalal-Abad Province of Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan's first known export to Europe was the Arslanbob walnut...

, about 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) north of Jalal-Abad city. Jalal-Abad Province is rich in ecological resources. Among strictly protected areas (IUCN Ia Category) located in the province are Sary-Chelek State Biosphere Nature Reserve

Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve

The Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve is located in Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The Reserve was established in 1959, and in 1978 it was designated as a World Biosphere reserve by UNESCO. The Reserve is located at altitudes from above sea level....

, Besh-Aral State Nature Reserve

Besh-Aral State Nature Reserve

Besh-Aral State Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Jalal-Abad Province, western Kyrgyzstan. Established in 1979, it currently covers 112,018 hectares.-History:...

, and Padyshata State Nature Reserve. Also there is State Nature National Park Saimaluu-Tash located in Toguz-Toro District

Toguz-Toro District

Toguz-Toro is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Kazarman. :-Rural communities and villages:...

. Natural monuments (IUCN category III) include: Tegerek Waterfall located in the upper reaches of Kara-Unkur River, Sogon-Tash Cave, and composed of red sandstone

Sandstone

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...

 Kara-Djigach Rocks in Aksy District

Aksy District

Aksy is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Kerben. :-Towns, rural communities and villages:...

. Among other protected areas are:

• Forest reserves (Kuru-Kol Forest Reserve
  Kuru-Kol Forest Reserve
  The Kuru-Kol Forest Reserve is located in Ala-Buka District of Jalal-Abad Province of Kyrgyzstan. It was established in 1975 with a purpose of conservation of Schrenk's Spruce . Among other trees growing in the forest reserve are wild ash, maple, hawthorn, barberry, etc. The forest reserve...
  
  , Mesken-Say Forest Reserve, Dashman Forest Reserve
  Dashman Forest Reserve
  The Dashman Forest Reserve is located in Bazar-Korgon District of Jalal-Abad Province of Kyrgyzstan. It was established in 1975 with a purpose of conservation of natural forests composed of walnut trees , apple trees , alycha and other species. The forest reserve occupies 5,000 hectares....
  
  , Batrakhan Forest Reserve, Uzun Akmat Forest Reserve)
• Botanical reserves (Chanach Botanical Reserve, Kosh-Tekir Botanical Reserve, Chatkal Botanical Reserve, Ryazan-Say Botanical Reserve, Djeltiybes Botanical Reserve)
• Game reserves (Toguz-Toro Game Reserve, Chychkan Game Reserve, Sandalash Game Reserve)

Basic Socio-Economic Indicators

• Employed population: 390,700 (2008)
• Registered Unemployed Population: 18707 (2008)
• Export: 87,1 million US dollars (2008)
• Import: 111,5 million US dollars (2008)
• Direct Foreign Investments (2008): 16,8 million US dollars

Economy

Wheat, fruit, vegetables, maize, nuts, tobacco, and silk-worm cocoons are grown in the region. The province also has a few textile plants and hydroelectric stations. Minerals, natural gas, coal, metals, and oil can be found here, notably around the town of Kochkor-Ata

Kochkor-Ata

Kochkor-Ata is a Kyrgyz town located northwest of the major city Jalal-Abad in Kyrgyzstan. It is located along the major Bishkek-Osh route, approximately 3 miles from the Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan border. During the Soviet-era, the town was known for its rich oil wells.The town itself maintains a...

, which is home to small scale oil industry. Most of the extraction of minerals, natural gas, coal, metals, and oil of the Soviet era has ceased.

A pearl of the region is the Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve

Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve

The Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve is located in Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The Reserve was established in 1959, and in 1978 it was designated as a World Biosphere reserve by UNESCO. The Reserve is located at altitudes from above sea level....

 with Lake Sary-Chelek

Lake Sary-Chelek

Sary-Chelek is a mountain lake located in Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve in Jalal-Abad Province in Western Kyrgyzstan. It is north of Arkit at the eastern end of the Chatkal Range. There are a number of smaller lakes in the area.-External links:* by Azamat Imanaliev...

, surrounded by wild fruit orchards and snow-covered peaks.

A few Soviet-era resorts offer mineral water treatment programs for people with various chronic diseases. A number of companies have succeeded in trading bottled mineral water around the country and abroad.

Except for the small fringes of the Fergana Valley

Fergana Valley

The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Divided across three subdivisions of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse, and in the early 21st century was the scene of ethnic conflict...

, Jalal-Abad Province is a land of mountains.
There are unlimited trekking possibilities in the area, but the lack of infrastructure, except at Arslanbob, poses problems to visitors; a biodiversity conservation program supported by the government and the Global Environment Facility

Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility unites 182 member governments — in partnership with international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector — to address global environmental issues....

 (GEF) is working to protect these natural resources and promote soft tourism.

Districts of Jalal-Abad

Jalal-Abad is divided administratively into 8 districts (southern districts numbered from east to west)::

District	Capital	Location
Suzak District Suzak District Suzak is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Suzak.:-Towns, rural communities, and villages:...	Suzak Suzak Suzak is a city in Jalal-Abad Province, Kyrgyzstan. It is the capital of Suzak District. ....	|south1
Bazar-Korgon District Bazar-Korgon District Bazar-Korgon is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Bazar-Korgon.:...	Bazar-Korgon Bazar-Korgon Bazar-Korgon is a village in the Jalal-Abad Province of Kyrgyzstan. The majority of its inhabitants are ethnic Uzbeks and the remaining 20% are predominantly ethnic Kyrgyz. The town has a large open air market and vibrant scene of small cafes and eateries...	south2
Nooken District Nooken District Nooken is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Massy.:-Towns, rural communities, and villages:...	Massy	south3
Aksy District Aksy District Aksy is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Kerben. :-Towns, rural communities and villages:...	Kerben Kerben, Kyrgyzstan Kerben is a village in the Jalal-Abad Province of Kyrgyzstan. It is the administrative centre of Aksy District.Kerben is well-known due to the Aksy tragedy, which was the starting point of the so-called Tulip revolution in 2005...	south4
Ala-Buka District Ala-Buka District Ala-Buka is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Ala-Buka.:...	Ala-Buka Ala-Buka Ala-Buka a village which is the capital of Ala-Buka District of Jalal-Abad Province, Kyrgyzstan. It is about 25km southwest of Kerben, Kyrgyzstan on the main highway. There is a lake or reservoir to the southwest. 8km away is the 12th century Mausoleum of Safed-Bulan and Shah Fasil, a place of...	south5
Chatkal District Chatkal District Chatkal is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Kanysh-Kyya. :-Urban-type settlements, rural communities and villages:...	Kanysh-Kyya Kanysh-Kyya Kanysh-Kyya is a village in the Chatkal valley of Jalal-Abad Province, Kyrgyzstan. It is the capital of Chatkal District. See Ala-Buka....	west
Toktogul District Toktogul District Toktogul is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Toktogul. :The town and district are named after its most famous son - the musician Toktogul Satilganov...	Toktogul Toktogul Toktogul is an urban-type settlement in the Jalal-Abad Province of Kyrgyzstan. There are an estimated 15,943 inhabitants. It is named after its most famous son - the musician Toktogul Satilganov. It is located on the northern shore of the Toktogul reservoir. To the south, highway M41 curves around...	north
Toguz-Toro District Toguz-Toro District Toguz-Toro is a raion of Jalal-Abad Province in western Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at Kazarman. :-Rural communities and villages:...	Kazarman Kazarman Kazarman is the capital of Toguz-Toro District, Jalal-Abad Province, Kyrgyzstan on the Naryn River. One source rather impolitely says that "this poor dust-blown settlement in northern Jalal-Abad Province has something of the sinister reputation of a tough mining town down on its luck". The Makmal...	east

Demographics

As of 2009, Jalal-Abad Province comprised 7 towns, 7 urban-type settlements, 3 settlements, and 420 villages. Its population, according to the Population and Housing Census of 2009 amounted to 930,630 (enumerated de facto population) or 1,009,889 (de jure population).

Ethnic composition

According to the 2009 Census, the ethnic composition of the Nookat Distruct (de jure population) was:

Ethnic group	Population	Proportion of Kemin District population
Kyrgyzs		71.8%
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...		24.8%
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....		0.9%
Turks		0.6%
Tadjiks		0.5%
Tatars Tatars Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...		0.4%
Uygurs		0.3%
Kurds		0.2%
Azerbaijanis		0.1%
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...		0.1%
Kazakhs Kazakhs The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....		0.4%
other groups		0.1%