Zhambyl

City in southern Kazakhstan and capital of Zhambyl oblast (region), 516 km/321 mi west of Almaty; population (1996) 311,000. Zhambyl lies on the Talas River, and is the market centre for a fruit-growing area immediately north of the border with Kyrgyzstan. Industries include fruit canning, sugar refining, and the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers.

There has been a settlement on the site of Zhambyl since the 5th century, when it was a caravan stop on the Silk Route. After Arab rule and Mongol conquest, the Kazakh city of Auliye-Ata (belonging to the Kokand khanate) was established here in the 18th century. It fell to the Russians in 1864, and was renamed Dzhambul in 1938.

Zhambyl

Oblast (region) in southern Kazakhstan; area 144,600 sq km/55,830 sq mi; population (1996) 1,000,000. The capital is Zhambyl. Phosphor is mined (at Chulak-Tau), and chemicals, building materials, and foodstuffs are produced. Sugar beet, cotton, grain, fruit, and vegetables are grown under irrigation, and sheep are raised.

The Tien Shan foothills lie in the south of the region, while the north is chiefly desert. The northeast borders on the western shore of Lake Balkhash. There are large phosphor deposits. Cities include Chu.