Karakalpakstan
Travel Blog • Ben Keene • 11.10.06 | 12:50 PM ET
Coordinates: 43 0 N 58 0 E
Population: 1,400,000 (2006 est.)
While it’s unlikely that he will inspire as many people to actually visit the glorious nation of Kazakhstan, one can hope that a percentage of the millions who’ve already rushed to see Sasha Baron Cohen’s movie “Borat!: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” will be inspired to learn something about Central Asia. If so, they might investigate Karakalpakstan, the autonomous republic in the westernmost part of Uzbekistan, due south of the shrinking Aral Sea. Compelled under Stalin to adopt a Soviet identity, the population of this massive expanse of harsh geography includes Tartars, Uygurs and Karakalpaks, in addition to Uzbeks, Tajiks and Kazakhs. Located atop numerous large mineral deposits, Karakalpakstan is also bordered by two deserts and the arid Ustyurt Plateau, and thus lacks an equivalent wealth in resources above ground.
—.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) is the editor of the Oxford Atlas of the World.
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Andrea Leuenberger 06.03.07 | 10:44 AM ET
As a tourism development expert in Central Asia with over 10 years experience in the region I would like to point out that Kazakhstan is the country name that Sasha Baron Cohen has chosen for his movie (it is where I am currently living, a country far aheads in its economic development from any other CIS nation) and that KARAKALPAKSTAN is the autonomous region in the north of Uzbekistan completely unrelated to Borat but well worth travelling to for its SAVITSKIY MUSEUM housing the 2nd largest Russian Avant Guard Art collection in the world.
Thank you and P.S. Mr. Keene I’d be curious to see that atlas of yours… I’m Swiss so I hope Switerland didn’t get mixed up with Sweden…