Andijon

Wiloyat (region) in eastern Uzbekistan; area 4,300 sq km/1,660 sq mi; population (1996) 1,795,000. The main cities are Andijon (capital), Kokand, Namangan, and Fergana. The region contains the fertile Fergana Valley; some 75% of the cultivated land yields cotton under irrigation. There are also major deposits of petroleum and natural gas, the extraction of which comprises the region's main industries. Textiles and silk are also produced, and there is cultivation of cotton and foodstuffs (particularly fruit).