Territorial organization and the Tashkent economic region

Each part of a country differs from the others in natural conditions, resources and the labour traditions of its people. For that reason some areas supply industrial goods while others supply raw materials or food; this split of work is called the territorial division of labour. It is stable when a product exceeds local needs, is cheaper to make there, rests on raw materials that will last for many years, and costs little to transport. Specialization can change over time: for example, when oil and gas fields opened in Kashkadarya, a new line of production appeared. We estimate specialization with the formula K = M / A, where M is the region’s share of the country’s output and A is the region’s share of the country’s population. If K is greater than one, the region is considered specialized in that branch. An economic region is an area with its own position, a country-wide specialization and a complex economy; a territorial production complex is a set of linked enterprises that share transport, energy and construction bases. Uzbekistan is conventionally divided into six economic regions: Tashkent, Mirzachul, Fergana, Zarafshan, Southern and Lower Amudarya.