Bukhara region

Bukhara region occupies about nine percent of the country’s area, and its population is roughly 5–6 percent of the total. In some places shallow groundwater, scant precipitation and moving sands in the desert demand extra labour and money in land use. The region has very large natural gas reserves, and oil, building materials, salt and other minerals have also been found; major oil and gas fields were discovered in areas such as Kandym, Akkum and Parsankul. To process this raw material the Karaulbazar oil refinery began work in 1997, and it also provides jobs. Cotton and grain make up the core of sown area, with fodder crops and early-ripening apricots, peaches and cherries also common; sheep farming is developed too. The main branches of industry are fuel (oil and gas), chemicals and petrochemicals, building materials, and light and food industries. The city of Bukhara, like Samarkand, is ancient and was once a capital; its historic centre is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and many architectural monuments survive in the region. The city is famed for gold embroidery, silk weaving, jewellery, copper work, carved plaster and wood carving. The Afrosiyob high-speed train has cut the journey from the capital to Bukhara to about four hours. Tourism and services matter for jobs. Kogon is a transport node that grew out of a railway station, and Gazli is a city built on a gas field; in the Gazli area the climate is sharply continental, with strong winds and moving sands.