The Jalal-Abad Region was established on November 21, 1939. From January 27, 1959, it became part of the Osh Region, and was re-established as an independent region on December 14, 1990.
The Jalal-Abad Region occupies the southwestern part of Kyrgyzstan. To the north, it borders the Talas and Chui Regions, and to the southwest and west, it borders Uzbekistan.
In terms of its administrative and territorial division, the region consists of 8 districts, including Aksy, Ala-Buka, Bazar-Korgon, Nooken, Suzak, Toguz-Toro, Toktogul, and Chatkal. The city of Jalal-Abad is the regional center, located on a wide flat terrace on the left bank of the Kugart River, at the foot of the Ayub-Too mountain.
The total area of the region is 33.7 thousand sq. km (16.9% of the total area of the republic). The population is 869.3 thousand people, which constitutes 18% of the republic's population.
The territory of the region is rich in recreational resources and well-preserved historical monuments.
The main object of the tourist and recreational sphere of the city of Jalal-Abad is the well-known balneological resort of the same name, founded in 1887. The resort is located five kilometers from the city of Jalal-Abad in a shady park at an altitude of 975 m above sea level. The healing properties of the Kyz-Bulak (Maiden's Spring), Ayub-Bulak (Bear's Spring), and others have been known since ancient times. The healing power of the springs of the Ayub-Too mountains gave rise to a belief in their divine origin. Hundreds of sick people and pilgrims flocked to the springs in hope. The khan's governor, Jala-Itdin, decided to profit from the pilgrimage to the springs. By his order, caravanserais, dining houses, and channels were built here. Thus, the city was formed, which was named Jalal.
In 1880, the Russians opened a military-sanitary station with a hospital for soldiers near the springs. In 1916, a railway was brought from Andijan. Currently, there are 7 springs rich in hydrogen sulfide, iodine, and bromine emerging on the surface. Mineral waters and therapeutic muds are used to treat skin, nerve, rheumatic, gastrointestinal, women's diseases, liver, and kidney diseases.
A significant part of the region's territory is located in the southwestern Tien Shan. The highest point is Peak Aflatun at an altitude of 4503 m (Chatkal Range), while the lowest point is at an elevation of 600 m in the Bazar-Korgon district. The average July temperature in the foothill zone is 20-22°C. The first half of summer is rainy, while the second half of summer and autumn are dry. Winters are generally moderately cold. The lowest temperature observed in high mountain depressions is -40.9°C, which is the absolute minimum in the Tar depression, where cold air stagnates. The distribution of atmospheric precipitation is subject to altitude zonation. In the forest-meadow-steppe zone, the annual amount of precipitation is 500-1000 mm, while on the southwestern slopes of the Chatkal Range, it is only 300-400 mm. The region has many rivers, the largest of which are Naryn, Chatkal, and Kara-Darya. The river regime is unstable, with spring and summer floods caused by melting snow and glaciers in the mountains. The rivers of the Jalal-Abad region have large reserves of hydroenergy. There are small mountain lakes in the region, mostly of alluvial origin: Sary-Chelek, Kögala, Kara-Suu, and others. The largest is the picturesque Sary-Chelek lake, located on the southeastern slope of the Chatkal Range at an altitude of 1878 m.
The vegetation cover of the region is highly diverse. On the southern slopes of the Fergana and Chatkal ranges at an altitude of 1000-2300 meters, relict nut-fruit forests spread, consisting of walnut, apple, plum (alchi), and maple. The walnut forests of Kyrgyzstan contain 54% of the world's gene pool of naturally occurring walnuts. The massifs of relict walnut forests, also known as Royal forests, are the main treasure and pride of the region, its golden fund, its symbol, its business card, pride, glory, and image. In the foothills, drought-resistant tree species such as pistachio and almond grow. The area occupied by forests in the Jalal-Abad region is approximately 70 thousand hectares.
At an altitude of 2000-3000 meters, subalpine meadows and forests consisting of spruce, fir, juniper, maple, and birch are widespread. They serve as good summer pastures.
In addition to the valleys and ridges facing the Fergana oasis, the territory of the Jalal-Abad region consists of high-altitude valleys: Chatkal, located between the Chatkal and Pskem ranges, and Ketmen-Tyubinskaya, filling the intermountain basin between the Fergana and Suusamyr ranges. Natural resources, a significant part of which is located in favorable climatic conditions, allow for the cultivation of heat-loving crops. Most of the territory is occupied by pastures.
10 km from the city of Karakol, there is the Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Station dam - a grand structure 227 meters high, 350 meters long, and 150 meters wide. The foundation of the dam was laid with 3 million cubic meters of concrete, and about 100 thousand metal structures were installed. As a result, a high-altitude artificial sea was formed, filling the basin of the Ketmen-Tyubinskaya depression. Extensive archaeological research preceded the flooding of the Ketmen-Tyubinskaya depression, resulting in the excavation of numerous burial mounds of the ancient inhabitants of the valleys - the Saka (VII-IX centuries). A rich collection of jewelry, tools, and various household items from that time was gathered.
26 thousand hectares of land, 24 settlements where 18.7 thousand people lived, fell into the flooding zone. All of them were resettled from the flooding zone to settlements built along the Bishkek-Osh highway, which has now transformed into a super-modern highway after extensive reconstruction.
Natural parks and reserves:
Arslanbob Relict Nut-Fruit Forests
Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve
Sary-Chelek Reserve
Natural and ecological complexes:
Padsha-Ata Zone
Aflatun Zone
Sary-Chelek Zone
Kara-Suu
Mayluu-Suu (Mayli-Sai)
Arslanbap Zone (Arslanbob)
Kyzyl-Unkyur
Kek-Art
Gorges:
Gava-say Gorge
Valleys:
Chatkal River Valley
Attractions:
Saimalu-Tash Drawings
Mausoleum of Shah-Fazil
