Mirzachul economic region and Syrdarya region

Syrdarya region consists mainly of Mirzachul lands developed in the 20th century; there is plenty of land suited to farming, but because of soil salinity and groundwater lying close to the surface, much labour and money must be spent. For this reason drainage ditches are dug, soil is flushed, and shelterbelts are planted against the wind. It is one of the smallest regions in the country, and its people live in irrigated areas. The main branches of agriculture are cotton, grain, melon and gourd growing, vegetables, and meat and dairy livestock; cotton and grain take most of the sown area. Industry rests on power generation: the Syrdarya thermal power station at Shirin sends power outside the region too. There are also cotton-ginning, oil-extraction, flour and cereal, and building materials and structures enterprises. The regional centre Gulistan lies on the railway and a main road and has a university, lyceums and colleges. The city of Yangiyer was founded in 1957 and makes ceramic and pressure-resistant pipes and reinforced-concrete products; Shirin is an energy-based city. Joint ventures operate in the region too.