Namangan

Wiloyat (region) in eastern Uzbekistan; area 7,800 sq km/3,012 sq mi; population (1996) 1,558,000. The capital is Namangan. The region is located in the north of the highly fertile Fergana Valley, near the border with Kyrgyzstan. It has a largely dry climate. The principal river is the Syr Darya, formed by the confluence of the Qoradaryo and Naryn rivers near the capital. Industry in the region is mainly agricultural, centred on the cultivation of irrigated crops, principally cotton. There is also oil exploration and refining. Namangan wiloyat was formed in 1967, having previously existed between 1941-60.