Qashqadaryo Province (old spelling Kashkadarya Province) is a viloyat (province) of 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....

, located in the southern part of the country in the basin of the Qashqadaryo River

Qashqadaryo River

Qashqadaryo River is a river in southern Uzbekistan. Length: 378 km, basin: 6,800 km2...

 and the western slopes of the Pamir

Pamir Mountains

The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...

 Mountains. It borders with Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...

, Samarqand Province

Samarqand Province

Samarqand Province is a viloyat of Uzbekistan located in the center of the country in the basin of Zarafshan River. It borders with Tajikstan, Navoiy Province, Jizzakh Province and Qashqadaryo Province. It covers an area of 16,400 km²...

, Buxoro Province

Buxoro Province

Buxoro Province is a viloyat of Uzbekistan located in the southwest of the country. The Kyzyl-Kum Desert takes up a large portion of its territory. It borders Turkmenistan, Navoiy Province, Qashqadaryo Province, a tiny bit of Xorazm Province, and the Karakalpakstan Republic. It covers an area...

 and Surxondaryo Province

Surxondaryo Province

Surxondaryo Province , old spelling Surkhandarya Province is a viloyat of Uzbekistan, located in the extreme south-east of the country. Established on March 6, 1941, it borders on Turkmenistan, Tajikstan, Afghanistan and Qashqadaryo Province. It covers an area of 20,100 km²...

. It covers an area of 28,400 km². The population is estimated to be around 2,067,000 (2007), with some 73% living in rural areas.

Administrative divisions

The provincial capital is Karshi (Qarshi)

Qarshi

Qarshi is a city in southern Uzbekistan. It is the capital of Qashqadaryo Province and has a population of 197,600 . It is about 520 km south-southwest of Tashkent, and about 335 km north of Uzbekistan's border with Afghanistan. It is located at latitude 38° 51' 48N; longitude 65° 47'...

 (pop est 177,000 inhabitants). Other major towns include Beshkent

Beshkent

Beshkent is a village in the Leilek District of Batken Province of Kyrgyzstan....

, Chiroqchi (Chirakchi)

Chirakchi

Chirakchi is a district in the north-east of Qashqadaryo Province in Uzbekistan. It contains the town of Chirakchi.Population: app. 20,000. Mainly Uzbeks, few Tatars, Jews, Russians.There is a Polish war cemetery for World War II soldiers in Chirakchi....

, Dehkanabad (Dehqonobod), Guzar (G‘uzor)

G‘uzor

G‘uzor also spelled as Guzar is a town in Uzbekistan....

, Kitob, Koson

Koson

Koson may refer to*Koson, a town in Qashqadaryo Province, Uzbekistan*Coson, an inscription found on gold coins in Transylvania...

, Myrishkor, Muborak, Kamashi (Qamashi), Shahrisabz

Shahrisabz

Shakhrisabz , is a city in Uzbekistan located approximately 80 km south of Samarkand with the population of 53,000 . It is located at the altitude of 622 m. Once a major city of Central Asia, it is primarily known today as the birthplace of 14th century Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur...

, Shurbazar

Shurbazar

Shurbazar is a market town in eastern Uzbekistan, Central Asia. It is in northern Kashkadarya Province.-External links:* , Falling Rain Genomics, Inc.* , Maplandia...

, Tollimarjon (Talimardzhan), and Yakkabog.

Qashqadaryo Province is currently divided into thirteen administrative districts. Formerly it

	District name	District capital
1	Chiroqchi District Chirakchi Chirakchi is a district in the north-east of Qashqadaryo Province in Uzbekistan. It contains the town of Chirakchi.Population: app. 20,000. Mainly Uzbeks, few Tatars, Jews, Russians.There is a Polish war cemetery for World War II soldiers in Chirakchi....	Chiroqchi (Chirakchi) Chirakchi Chirakchi is a district in the north-east of Qashqadaryo Province in Uzbekistan. It contains the town of Chirakchi.Population: app. 20,000. Mainly Uzbeks, few Tatars, Jews, Russians.There is a Polish war cemetery for World War II soldiers in Chirakchi....
2	Dehkanabad District	Karashina
3	Guzar District	Guzar (G‘uzor) G‘uzor G‘uzor also spelled as Guzar is a town in Uzbekistan....
4	Kamashi District	Kamashi
5	Karshi District	Beshkent Beshkent Beshkent is a village in the Leilek District of Batken Province of Kyrgyzstan....
6	Kasby District	Muglan
7	Kitob District	Kitab Kitab Kitab-Verlag is a publishing house in Klagenfurt, Austria. It primarily focuses on books about the history of the culture of the near east and on modern literature from Austria, Slovenia, and Italy...
8	Koson District	Koson Koson Koson may refer to*Koson, a town in Qashqadaryo Province, Uzbekistan*Coson, an inscription found on gold coins in Transylvania...
9	Myrishkor District	Yangi Mirishkor
10	Muborak District	Muborak
11	Nishon District	Yangi-Nishon
12	Shakhrisabz District	Shakhrisabz
13	Yakkabog District	Yakkabog

Latinization of district names is in accordance with the official Uzbekistan governmental website.

Economy

Natural resources

Natural Resources

Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...

 include significant petroleum

Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...

 and natural gas

Natural gas

Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...

 reserves, with the Mubarekh Oil and Gas Processing Plant as the region’s largest industry. Other industry includes wool

Wool

Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....

 processing, textiles, light industry

Light industry

Light industry is usually less capital intensive than heavy industry, and is more consumer-oriented than business-oriented...

, food processing

Food processing

Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...

 and construction materials. Major agricultural activities include 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....

, various crops and livestock. 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...

 infrastructure is very well developed with the large Tollimarjon reservoir as a reliable water source.

The province has a well-developed transport infrastructure, with over 350 km of railways and 4000 km of surfaced roads.

Culture

The city of Shahrisabz

Shahrisabz

Shakhrisabz , is a city in Uzbekistan located approximately 80 km south of Samarkand with the population of 53,000 . It is located at the altitude of 622 m. Once a major city of Central Asia, it is primarily known today as the birthplace of 14th century Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur...

, the birthplace of Amir Temur

Temur

Temur or Timur refer to Iron in Mongolic languages.People:*Mongke Temur , khan of the Golden Horde.*Temur Khan , Khagan of the Mongol Empire and ruler of the Yuan Dynasty....

, is the main tourist attraction in the province.