Fergana

City in eastern Uzbekistan, and capital, cultural, and administrative centre of Fergana wiloyat (region), situated 250 km/155 mi southeast of Tashkent and 65 km/40 mi east of Kokand; population (1999) 182,800. It is an important centre of petroleum and oil extraction and refining, and is the capital of the major cotton- and fruit-growing region of the Fergana Valley.

Fergana was founded as Novy Margelan by Russian forces as a garrison town and admistrative centre after the overthrow of the Kokand Khanate.

Fergana

Wiloyat (region) in eastern Uzbekistan, bordering on Kyrgyzstan to the south, and Tajikistan to the west; area 7,100 sq km/2,741 sq mi; population (1999) 2,600,000. The main towns are Fergana (capital), Kokand, and Margilan. Important industries are oil extraction and processing, fertilizers and building materials, and textile manufacture and food industries; agricultural production is based on cotton, fruit, and flowers.

Physical The province is located in the southern part of the highly fertile Fergana Valley (which has black chernozem soil).