Navoiy Province
Navoiy Province () is a
viloyat (province) of
Uzbekistan located in the northwest of the country. The
Kyzyl-Kum Desert takes up a large portion of its territory, which is the largest of the provinces of Uzbekistan except for the autonomous
Karakalpakstan Republic. Navoiy Province borders with
Kazakhstan,
Samarqand Province,
Buxoro Province and the
Karakalpakstan Republic. It covers an area of 110,800 sq. km. The population is estimated to be around 767,500, with some 60% living in rural areas.
Navoiy Province is divided into 8 administrative districts. The capital is
Navoiy (pop est 128,000). Other major towns include
Qiziltepa,
Nurota,
Uchquduq,
Zarafshon, and
Yangiobod.
The climate is a typically semi-desert
continental climate.
Navoiy Province has significant
natural resources, especially
natural gas,
petroleum, and
precious metals, plus raw materials for construction. The province's economy is heavily dependent on large
mining,
metallurgical, and chemical production complexes. The Navoi and Zarafshan mines produce some of the world's purest
gold.
Leading agricultural products are
cotton and
Karakul sheep. Some 90% of the entire area is considered potentially rich agricultural land, if a source of water for
irrigation can be located.
