Khatlon Region

History

During the Soviet era, Khatlon became one of the two main cotton regions in Tajikistan, along with Sughd (Leninabad). Collectivisation of agriculture was implemented aggressively in the early 1930s, to expand cotton cultivation in Tajikistan as a whole, with particular emphasis on the southern part of the republic. The process included violations against peasants, substantial expansion of the irrigation network, and forcible resettlement of mountain peoples and people from Uzbekistan to the lowlands.

The results of this policy are to be seen in the ethnic composition of Salua oblast as well as in the fact that the Tajik population identifies themselves either as Gharmis (resettled from the mountains) or Kulobis. These groups never melted, and fought against each other during the Civil War in Tajikistan. Khatlon oblast suffered the heaviest damage in Tajikistan.

Since the conflicts leading to the civil war were never really resolved, tensions in the region still exist. The eastern part – Kulob – is home to the president and his clan and has thus gained a lot of political influence. During Soviet times, the region cooperated with the then ruling elite from Leninabad, and was responsible for the militia, the army and the security forces. Kulob is regarded as a very conservative region. In the capital Bokhtar and parts of Kulob, the Islamic opposition has a lot of support among the Garmis.

The Kulyab clan is based in Khatlon. In February 1996 Colonel Mahmud Khudoiberdiyev launched a rebellion, insisting that three officials from the Kulyab clan resign before he ended the rebellion. The government complied. Additionally, Prime Minister Dzhamshed Karimov and Abudzhalil Khamidov, the Chairman of the Leninabad Oblast executive committee, resigned.

Administrative divisions

The Khatlon Region is subdivided into 21 districts and 4 district-level cities: Kulob, Levakant, Norak and Bokhtar. The districts are:

• Baljuvon District (Sarikhosor District)
• Danghara District
• Dusti District (Jilikul District)
• Farkhor District
• Hamadoni District (Moskovskiy District)
• Jaloliddin Balkhi District (Kolkhozobod District, Rumi District)
• Jayhun District (Qumsangir District, Molotovobod District)
• Jomi District (Kuybyshevskiy District, Dzhami District, Khojamaston District)
• Khovaling District
• Khuroson District (Ghozimalik District)
• Kushoniyon District (Bokhtar District)
• Mu'minobod District (Leningradskiy District)
• Nosiri Khusrav District (Beshkent District)
• Panj District (Saroy-Kamar District, Kirovobod District)
• Qubodiyon District
• Shahritus District
• Shamsiddin Shohin District (Shuro-obod District)
• Temurmalik District (Qizil-Mazor District, Sovetskiy District)
• Vakhsh District (Qurghonteppa District)
• Vose' District (Hulbuk District, Aral District)
• Yovon District

Former districts

• Kulob District
• Norak District
• Sarband District (Levakant District)

Demography

In 2010, the ethnic composition of the Khatlon region was 81.8% Tajik, 12.9% Uzbek, 0.5% Turkmen and 4.6% other. The ethnic composition of Kulob region is: 85% Tajiks, 13% Uzbeks, 2% others. In Bokhtar the breakdown is 59% Tajiks, 32% Uzbeks and 3% Russians.

|graph-pos = bottom |graph-width = |graph-height = |1979 |1,220,949 |1989 |1,701,380 |1999 |2,150,136 |2010 |2,677,251 |2020 |3,348,300

Terrorist attack

Main article: Terrorist attack against cyclists in Tajikistan

On 29 July 2018, four cyclists, two Americans, one Dutch national and one Swiss national, were killed by a hit and run driver while three others were injured. Officials said the terrorists rammed into the group before getting out and attacking them with knives. 4 suspects were killed by security forces and 1 suspect was arrested.

References

References

1. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab".
2. "КОНСТИТУЦИЯ РЕСПУБЛИКИ ТАДЖИКИСТАН". Parliament of Tajikistan.
3. "Population of the Republic of Tajikistan as of 1 January 2020". Statistics office of Tajikistan.
4. [[Muriel Atkin]]. ''Tajikistan'' in: Glenn E. Curtis (ed.): Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, Country Studies, [[Washington D.C.. Washington]]: 1997. pp. 197–290.
5. Borjian, Habib, Kurgan Tepe, {{usurped
6. [http://ismaili.net/mirrors/112_tajik/tajkethn.html Ethnic groups at risk: The status of Tajiks] Heritage Society
7. link. (2007-09-30 The Jamestown Foundation)
8. (February 2020). "CensusInfo - Data".
9. "Tajikistan: Provinces".
10. Sang, Lucia Suarez. (August 1, 2018). "US cyclists killed in ISIS-claimed attack in Tajikistan identified".
11. (30 July 2018). "Four Foreign Cyclists Killed in Southern Tajikistan". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
12. (30 July 2018). "'Slachtoffer bevestigt aanval op buitenlandse toeristen Tadzjikistan'".