Chüy Region


Chüy is the northernmost region of Kyrgyzstan, surrounding the national capital Bishkek. It is bounded on the north by Kazakhstan, and clockwise, Issyk-Kul Region, Naryn Region, Jalal-Abad Region, and Talas Region. Its administrative center is Bishkek. Its total area is. The resident population of the region was 974,984 as of January 2021. The region has sizeable Russian and Dungan minorities. It takes its name from the river Chüy that flows through the region.

History

In 1926, the area of the current region became part of the newly established Kirghiz Autonomous [Socialist Soviet Republic |Kirghiz ASSR]. In 1939, the Frunze Region was established. In 1959, Frunze Region was dissolved, and its constituent districts became districts of republican significance. In 1990, the Chüy Region was established. From 2003 to 2006, its administrative center was Tokmok.
During the Soviet period, various agro-processing and other industries were established throughout the province, giving rise to several urban centers such as Tokmok, Kant and Kara-Balta.

Geography

The main northwest part of the region is flat, a rarity in Kyrgyzstan. This is the Chüy Valley, the valley of the river Chu. The valley's black soil is fertile and largely irrigated with water diverted from the Chu. The region's agricultural production includes wheat, maize, sugar beets, potatoes, lucerne, and various vegetables and fruits.
The Kyrgyz Ala-Too mountains form the southern border of the region and the northern border of the Talas Region. There are many hiking and trekking routes accessible from the towns in the valley. The southwestern heel of the region over the Kyrgyz Alatau is geographically more similar to the Naryn Region.
The northeast panhandle is the Chong Kemin Valley.

Divisions

The Chüy Region is divided administratively into one city of regional significance, and eight districts:
DistrictSeatPopulation Map
City of TokmokTokmok71,443
Alamüdün DistrictLebedinovka188,484
Chüy DistrictTokmok54,622
Jayyl DistrictKara-Balta112,211
Kemin DistrictKemin48,360
Moskva DistrictBelovodskoye103,007
Panfilov DistrictKayyngdy47,938
Sokuluk DistrictSokuluk194,579
Ysyk-Ata DistrictKant154,340

Kant, Kara-Balta, Kayyngdy, Kemin, Orlovka and Shopokov are cities of district significance. There is one urban-type settlement in the region: Bordu.
The Chüy District surrounds the city of Tokmok. The Alamüdün District surrounds the city of Bishkek, which however is not part of Chüy Region but a region-level administrative unit in its own right. The southwestern heel is administered as two exclaves of Jayyl and Panfilov Districts, Panfilov having a valley to the southeast and Jayyl the mountains to the north, west and southwest.

Economy

The economically active population of Chüy Region in 2009 was 349,921, of which 297,298 were employed and 52,632 unemployed.
Agricultural production includes wheat, maize, sugar beets, potatoes, lucerne, and various vegetables and fruits. The region is the most industrialised and agriculturally developed in Kyrgyzstan.
  • Export: 294.3 million US dollars
  • Import: 202.5 million US dollars
  • Direct Foreign Investments : 57 million US dollars

    Transport

The main east-west transportation axis of the region is the Taraz-Bishkek-Balykchy highway, running through most major cities of the region. This road's section west of Bishkek is part of European route E40, known locally as Highway M-39. The same numbers apply to the road that continues north-east from Bishkek toward Almaty, crossing the river Chüy and leaving the region for Kazakhstan at Korday border crossing.
The only railway in the region runs along the same Taraz-Bishkek-Balykchy route; it sees comparatively little use these days.
Image:Milyanfan-adobe-brick-house-8040.jpg|thumb|Building an adobe bricken house in Milyanfan

Demographics

The resident population of Chüy Region, according to the Population and Housing Census of 2009, was 803,230. The Region's estimated population was 974,984 at the beginning of 2021.

Ethnic composition

The population is considerably more heterogeneous than that of the other regions of the country, with many ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, Dungans, Koreans, History of [Germans in Russia and the Soviet Union|Germans], etc.
According to the 2009 Census, the ethnic composition of Chüy Region was:
Ethnic groupPopulationProportion of Chüy Region population------------------------------------------------------
Kyrgyzs59.1%
Russians20.8%
Dungans6.2%
Uygurs1.9%
Uzbeks1.8%
Kazakhs1.6%
Turks1.4%
Ukrainians1.4%
Azerbaijanis1.3%
Tatars0.8%
Germans0.7%
Kurds0.6%
Koreans0.5%
Tajiks0.3%
Lesgins0.3%
Dargins0.2%
Karachays0.2%
Chechens0.2%
other groups0.7%