Jambyl Region is a region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Taraz. The population of the region is 1,000,000; the city is 335,100. The region borders Kyrgyzstan, and is very near to Uzbekistan (all to the south). Jambyl also borders three other provinces: Karaganda Region (to the north), South Kazakhstan Region (to the west) and Almaty Region (to the east).

The total area is 144,200 square kilometres (55,700 sq mi). The province borders Lake Balkhash to its northeast. The province (and its capital during the Soviet era) was named after the Kazakh akyn (folk singer) Jambyl Jabayev.

Population

An estimated 1.2 million people lived in the province in 2010. The population consists of more than 100 ethnic groups. Kazakhs comprise about 65% of the population. The lowest percentage of Kazakhs is in Taraz (Dzhambul) though their share in the city has grown from 23% in 1989 to 60% in 2009.

History

See Taraz for a detailed account of the history of the provincial capital.

Administrative divisions

The province is administratively divided into ten districts and the city of Taraz.

Bayzak District, with the administrative center in the auyl of Sarykemer;

Jambyl District, the auyl of Asy;

Korday District, the auyl of Korday;

Merki District, the auyl of Merki;

Moiynkum District, the auyl of Moiynkum;

Sarysu District, the town of Janatas;

Shu District, the auyl of Tole bi;

Talas District, the town of Karatau;

Turar Ryskulov District, the auyl of Kulan;

Zhualy District, the auyl of Bauyrjan Momyshuly.

Janatas, Karatau, Shu, and Taraz have the administrative status of a town.

Economy

Important industries include rock phosphate mining (around Karatau). The Chu River valley is one of Kazakhstan's important areas of irrigated agriculture.

The core of the rail transportation network in the region is based on the east-west Turksib rail line, which runs through Taraz and Chu toward Almaty, and the north-south Transkazakhstan line, which runs north from Chu toward Astana.

CIS Highway M 39 (which in this area forms part of European route E40) comes from Tashkent, Uzbekistan over Shymkent (capital of neighbouring province South Kazakhstan) and runs further over Taraz to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; then it comes to Jambyl Province again through Korday border crossing and continues east toward Almaty.