Fergana Valley

The Fergana Valley (also commonly spelled the Ferghana Valley) in Central Asia crosses eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan. Encompassing three former Soviet republics, the valley is ethnically diverse and relations among the countries are tense. Ethnic enclaves, restricted right of movement, lack of agreement about border demarcation and disputes over access to family members and economic activity contribute to tensions. The Fergana valley owes its fertility to two rivers, the Naryn and the Kara Darya, which run from the east, joining near Namangan, forming the Syr Darya river. The valley's history stretches back over 2,300 years, when Alexander the Great founded Alexandria Eschate at its southwestern end. According to the dates given by Chinese chroniclers the towns are more than 2,100 years old and were at the crossroads of Greek, Chinese, Bactrian and Parthian civilisations. It was home to Babur, founder of the Mughal dynasty, tying the region to modern Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent. The Russian Empire conquered the valley at the end of the 19th century, and it became part of the Soviet Union in the 1920s. Those three Soviet republics gained independence in 1991. The area largely remains Muslim, populated by ethnic Uzbek, Tajik and Kyrgyz people, often intermixed and not matching modern borders. Historically there have also been substantial numbers of Russian, Kashgarian, Kipchak, Bukharan Jewish and Romani minorities. Cotton cultivation, initiated by the Soviets, is complemented by a diverse array of grains, fruits, and vegetables. Additionally, the region has a rich heritage in stock breeding, leatherwork, and an expanding mining industry, including deposits of coal, iron, sulfur, gypsum, rock-salt, naphtha and some small known oil reserves.