The Chuy Region was established on December 14, 1990. Until 1939, various administrative-territorial formations (districts, cantons, volosts) were created on the current territory of the region. From 1939 to 1959, it was the Frunze Region, and from 1939, it included districts of republican subordination. The Chuy Region occupies the northern part of Kyrgyzstan. To the north and west, the region borders Kazakhstan; to the southwest, it borders the Talas Region; to the south, it borders the Jalal-Abad and Naryn Regions; and to the east, it borders the Issyk-Kul Region. The region consists of 8 administrative districts: Alamudun, Jayil, Kemin, Moscow, Panfilov, Sokuluk, Chuy, and Issyk-Ata. The capital of the republic, the city of Bishkek, is located in the region. The city of Tokmok is the regional center. The total area of the region is 20.2 thousand square kilometers, which is 10.1% of the total area of the republic. The population is 770.8 thousand people (16% of the total population of the country, excluding the residents of Bishkek).
The territory of the region includes the Chuy, Chon-Kemin, and Suusamyr valleys, along with the slopes of the surrounding ridges. The absolute height ranges from 550 m to 4895 m (Ala-Archa Peak, Kyrgyz Ridge). The Kyrgyz Ridge, the longest in the Chuy Region and the second largest in Kyrgyzstan, stretches 454 km from west to east. The foothills of the Kyrgyz Ridge form numerous river valleys and gorges (Kara-Balta, Ak-Suu, Ala-Archa, Alamidin, Issyk-Ata, Kegeti, etc.). There are 582 glaciers on the Kyrgyz Ridge with a total area of 520 square kilometers. To the east, between the Ile and Kunghey ridges, lies the Chon-Kemin Valley. The southern part of the region is occupied by the Suusamyr Valley, one of the largest jailoos. It is located at an altitude of 2000-3200 m, rising from east to west.
Chu is the main river of the Chuy Region. After exiting the Boom Gorge, the Chu River receives the Chon-Kemin and Kichi-Kemin rivers on the right, and on the left, rivers descending from the northern slopes of the Kyrgyz Ridge, such as Kegeti, Issyk-Ata, Alamidin, Ala-Archa, and others. In summer, the waters of these tributaries are diverted for irrigation and do not reach the Chu River. Large irrigation structures have been built in the Chuy Valley, including the Chumyshe, Lower Ala-Archa reservoirs, and the Eastern, Western, and Southern Large Chuy canals.
The climate of the Chuy Region is diverse. In the north, in the plain part, it is continental, dry, with hot summers (average July temperature 17-25°C) and moderately cold winters (average January temperature -7°C). The average annual precipitation is 270-400 mm. On the slopes of the mountains, as the altitude increases, the air temperature decreases, and the amount of precipitation increases. In the high-altitude Suusamyr Valley, the average July temperature is 13-14°C, January -20...-21°C, with an average precipitation of 350-370 mm.
The vegetation cover is subject to altitudinal zoning. The plain areas of the valleys and foothill strips are covered by a semi-desert-steppe zone, where wormwood-ephemeral semi-desert, marshy meadows, reed and shrub thickets are found. The foothills and low to mid slopes of the mountains occupy steppe and forest-meadow-steppe zones, where meadow-steppes, tall grass meadows, shrubs, and sparse forests prevail. In the gorges of the Kyrgyz Ridge, there are sparse forests of spruce, juniper, birch, maple, and rowan. Alpine meadows are located at altitudes above 2800 m.
The region is an industrially developed area of the republic. The priority areas in agriculture are the cultivation of grains, sugar beets, and vegetables.
The region has developed road, rail, air, and pipeline transport, but road transport plays the main role. The international airport "Manas," located in the region, operates more than 40 flights, both domestic and international. A gas pipeline from Mubarek to Bishkek and Almaty runs through the western part of the region.
The nature of the region is rich in recreational and tourist resources, which are widely used for the establishment of holiday homes and health facilities, the development of tourism, and international mountaineering.
The territory of the region has preserved historical-architectural and archaeological monuments: the Georgievsky Hill, dating back to the Stone Age, the Alamidin site of ancient humans, Bronze Age dwellings in Kain and Jayilma, and the site from the Saka-Usun period in Kara-Balta. The medieval sites include: Ashmara, Suiyab, Nevaket, Balasagyn, Ak-Beshim, Krasnorechenskoe, and others. The Burana Tower is unique - a sample of a cult building from the 10th-11th centuries, and stone balbals - monuments of the ancient Turkic ethnos.
The administrative center is the city of Bishkek.
The modern Chuy Region includes 8 districts:
Panfilov District
Jayil District (formerly Kalininsky)
Moscow District
Sokuluk District
Alamudun District
Chuy District
Issyk-Ata District
Kemin District
1 city of regional subordination: Tokmok.
Natural and ecological complexes:
Shamsi Natural Complex
Ala-Archa Natural Park
Chon-Kemin Zone
Kegeti Zone
Alamidin Zone
Ala-Archa Zone
Valleys:
Suusamyr Valley
Alamidin and Issyk-Ata
Gorges:
Boom Canyon
Konorchek Canyons
Natural Parks and Reserves
Ala-Archa Natural Park
Water Resources:
Kekemeren River
Chu River
Shamshy River
Issyk-Ata River
Alamudun River
Ala-Archa River
Sokuluk River
Ak-Suu River
Kara-Balta River
Ashmara River
Chong-Kemin River
Kichi-Kemin River
