Shymkent

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Shymkent
Шымкент
Чимкент
Night view of New Memorial in Ordabasy Square
Night view of New Memorial in Ordabasy Square
Shymkent is located in Kazakhstan
Shymkent
Shymkent
Location in Kazakhstan
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country Kazakhstan
Region South Kazakhstan Region
Founded 12th century
Government
 • Akim (mayor) Darkhan Satybaldy
Area
 • Total 347 km2 (134 sq mi)
Elevation 506 m (1,660 ft)
Population (2014 est.)[3]
 • Total 854 500[1]
 • Agglomeration 1,400,000[2]
Time zone BTT (UTC+6)
Postal code 160000
Area code(s) (+7) 7252
Vehicle registration X
Website www.shymkent.ru

Shymkent (Kazakh: Шымкент / Şımkent), known until 1993 as Chimkent (Uzbek: 'Чимкент', Russian: Чимкент), is the capital city of South Kazakhstan Region, the most densely populated region in Kazakhstan. It is the third most populous city in Kazakhstan behind Almaty and Astana with an estimated population of 629,600 in 2011.[3] A major railroad junction on the Turkestan-Siberia Railway, the city is also a notable cultural centre, with an international airport. Shymkent is situated 690 kilometres (430 mi) west of Almaty and 120 kilometres (75 mi) to the north of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 603,499 (2009 Census results);[4] 423,902 (1999 Census results).[4]

History

Shymkent was founded in the twelfth century[5] as a caravanserai to protect the Silk Road town of Sayram, 10 km to the east. Shymkent grew as a market center for trade between Turkic nomads and the settled Sogdians. It was destroyed several times: by Genghis Khan, soldiers from the southern Khanates, and by nomad attacks. In the early 19th century it became part of the khanate of Kokand. It was captured by the Russians in 1864.[6] It was renamed Chernyaev in 1914 and renamed Shymkent in 1924. Following the Russian conquest, Shymkent was a city of trade between nomadic Turks and sedentary Turks, and was famous for its kumis.[7]

There was a gulag located near Shymkent, and many Russian-speaking people came to the area via imprisonment.[8]

The name Shymkent comes from two words: shym meaning “turf”, and kent meaning “city”. Shymkent and Chimkent have identical translations.

After Kazakhstan gained independence, the city was renamed Shymkent in 1993 as part of the government’s campaign to apply Kazakh names to cities. The formal spelling of Шымкент (Shymkent) as codified in Kazakhstan’s Constitution goes against the Russian spelling rules of never having the letter "ы" follow the letter "ш". As a result, the new name Шымкент (Shymkent) is used only in Kazakhstan, while Russia and some other countries using Russian language continue to use the original spelling Чимкент (Chimkent).

In January 2015 Shymkent officials sent a request to UNESCO to be recognized as an ancient city.[9]

Geography

Climate

Shymkent features a borderline Mediterranean (Köppen Csa)/Continental Mediterranean (Dsa) climate, not unlike Eastern Washington or Northern Idaho but with much hotter summers. Shymkent features hot, relatively dry summers and cold winters. Winters here are noticeably warmer than in more northerly cities like Almaty and Astana, with the mean monthly temperature during the city’s coldest month (January) averaging around −1 °C (30.2 °F). Shymkent averages just under 600 millimetres (23.62 in) of precipitation annually.

Climate data for Shymkent (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 22.2
(72)		 24.5
(76.1)		 31.5
(88.7)		 33.7
(92.7)		 37.8
(100)		 43.0
(109.4)		 44.3
(111.7)		 42.2
(108)		 39.2
(102.6)		 34.4
(93.9)		 30.5
(86.9)		 25.4
(77.7)		 44.3
(111.7)
Average high °C (°F) 4.1
(39.4)		 6.6
(43.9)		 12.9
(55.2)		 19.2
(66.6)		 25.1
(77.2)		 30.0
(86)		 32.7
(90.9)		 32.1
(89.8)		 27.2
(81)		 18.8
(65.8)		 12.0
(53.6)		 6.0
(42.8)		 18.89
(66.02)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.7
(30.7)		 1.6
(34.9)		 7.6
(45.7)		 13.6
(56.5)		 19.1
(66.4)		 23.7
(74.7)		 26.3
(79.3)		 25.3
(77.5)		 19.9
(67.8)		 12.3
(54.1)		 6.4
(43.5)		 0.9
(33.6)		 13
(55.39)
Average low °C (°F) −4.8
(23.4)		 −2.7
(27.1)		 3.0
(37.4)		 8.3
(46.9)		 12.9
(55.2)		 16.7
(62.1)		 19.1
(66.4)		 17.9
(64.2)		 12.8
(55)		 6.6
(43.9)		 1.7
(35.1)		 −3.1
(26.4)		 7.37
(45.26)
Record low °C (°F) −31.1
(−24)		 −28.9
(−20)		 −23.9
(−11)		 −5.0
(23)		 −2.8
(27)		 5.5
(41.9)		 7.8
(46)		 7.0
(44.6)		 −1.1
(30)		 −12.0
(10.4)		 −30.0
(−22)		 −26.1
(−15)		 −31.1
(−24)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 73
(2.87)		 70
(2.76)		 83
(3.27)		 69
(2.72)		 56
(2.2)		 16
(0.63)		 12
(0.47)		 4
(0.16)		 10
(0.39)		 41
(1.61)		 67
(2.64)		 75
(2.95)		 576
(22.67)
Average relative humidity (%) 75 73 67 63 56 44 39 34 39 55 69 75 57
Source: [10]

Demographics

According to the census of 2011, the city had 637,800 inhabitants.[12]

Economy

Formerly dominated by lead mining, industrial growth began in the 1930s.

A lead smelter was opened in Shymkent in 1934[13] or 1938.[14] It supplied a major part of the USSR's metals needs, copper as well as lead and others, including three-quarters of all bullets fired by the Red Army. Smelting continued until 2008, causing extreme levels of pollution (lead, cadmium et al.) in the surrounding ground, and then controversially restarted in 2010, briefly, under a major UK-listed company, Kazakhmys.[13]

The city also has industries producing refined zinc, processed karakul pelts, textiles, foodstuffs, and pharmaceuticals. Also, the city has a medium-sized refinery, which is owned and operated by PetroKazakhstan.

Main sights

  • Ordabasy circle, site of Friday Mosque and MIG Memorial
  • Regional Studies and History Museum
  • Victory Park
  • Central Park
  • Museum of Repression
  • Afghan War Memorial
  • Arboretum
  • Nauryz/Navruz Holiday Celebrations over Spring Solstice
  • Al-Farabi Square
  • Mega Shopping Center

Sport

In popular culture

In Command & Conquer: Generals, Shymkent is the starting point of the GLA counterattack by destroying the Chinese presence and a local hydroelectric dam to flood out the Chinese outposts in the riverside.

Twin cities

City Country Year
Stevenage United Kingdom United Kingdom
İzmir Turkey Turkey
Adana Turkey Turkey
Mogilev Belarus Belarus
Grosseto Italy Italy
Pattaya Thailand Thailand
Khujand Tajikistan Tajikistan

Gallery

  • View of the crossroads of Tauke-khan Avenue and Kunaev Bulevard from "Mega Center Shymkent" shopping mall

  • View on shopping mall in Shymkent, called ЦУМ in the Russian/Soviet style

  • Fountains near the Central Department store (ЦУМ)

  • Al-Farabi st., the view of the local Medical Academy

  • Turkestan st. (улица Туркестанская)

  • Mountains on the outskirts of Shymkent

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Estimation 2011-11-21 (in rus.)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Peoples of central Asia. By Lawrence Krader. Published by Indiana University, 1971
  6. ↑ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/111610/Shymkent
  7. ↑ Through Russian central Asia. By Stephen Graham. Published by The Macmillan Company, 1916
  8. ↑ The Gulag Archipelago, 1918–1956: an experiment in literary investigation. By Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, H. T. Willetts, Thomas P. Whitney. Published by Westview Press, 1997
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ www.stat.kz
  12. ↑ http://www.ontustik.stat.kz/rus/index.php
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 People & Power (TV programme), Al Jazeeera English, Robin Forestier, 20 February 2014
  14. ↑ The USSR. By John C. Dewdney. Published by Dawson, 1976
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