Karakalpakistan

The Republic of Karakalpakistan (in Uzbek: Qoraqalpog `iston Respublikasi ), known in the past under the names of autonomous Republic of the Karakalpaks or Karakalpakie , is the 14th administrative area of Ouzbékistan. Its capital is Nukus in Uzbek, or No `KIS in karakalpak. The languages ouzbèke and Karakalpak E are Co-official.

Demography

The population of Karakalpakie is estimated at 1,2 million inhabitants, of which 400.000 belong to the ethnos group karakalpake, 400.000 of that of the Uzbek and 300.000 of that of the Kazakh . Karakalpaks were formerly shepherds and fishing nomandes, and for the first time were mentioned in XVIe century. Their name means black hat , but the culture karakalpake was so well decimated at the time of the Soviet era that the significance of this black hat is from now on unknown. The language karakalpake is regarded as being closer to the language kazakhe than of the language ouzbèke. It is sometimes suggested that the karakalpak ethnicity would be an invention of the Soviet government, with an aim of dividing the population kazakhe. The language was written in a Cyrillic alphabet modified at the time of the Soviet era, and is written from now on with the Latin alphabet.

Put aside the capital, Nukus, the other big cities are Xo `jeyli (in karakalpak: Xojeli; in Russian: Khodjeïli), an important site of ruins khorezmiennes, and Mo `ynoq, (in karakalpak: Moynaq , in Russian: Mouïnak ), an old port on the Sea of Aral which is some distant from several kilometers today.

Economy

The economy of the area, formerly highly dependant on fishing, is now mainly turned towards the Coton, the Riz and the melon. The hydroelectric energy of a large power station built by Soviet on the Amou Darya is also an important source of incomes.

The delta of the Amou Darya densément was formerly densément populated, and one found there an agriculture based on an extensive system of irrigation since millenia. At the time of Khorezm, the area had of an important power and a prosperity. However, the progressive climate changes and the ecological disaster of the Mer of Aral at the end of the 20th century destroyed Karakalpakie. Old the oases, rivers, lakes, marshes, forests and farms were drained, sterilized by the salt carried by the wind since the old bed of the sea of Aral. The estival temperatures increased of more than 10°C while those winter dropped by as much, involving a considerable rise of the medical in general and respiratory problems in particular.

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