KASHKADARYA

also spelled Kashkadaria, or Kaadarja, oblast (province), southern Uzbekistan. Created in 1964, it has an area of 10,950 sq mi (28,400 sq km) and consists largely of the Karshi Steppe, an extensive foothill plain intersected by the Kashka River. In the east and southeast are spurs of the Zeravshan, Gissar, and Kugitangtau mountains. The climate is continental and dry, precipitation occurring mainly in winter. Cotton, grown on irrigated land along the river, is the chief crop; but grain, fruit, and vines also are cultivated. Karakul sheep are raised on the desert and semidesert pastures in the south. Natural gas is extracted at Mubarek and Mirdash in the northwest, but otherwise industry consists largely of processing agricultural raw materials. Traditional embroidered skullcaps and wall hangings (syuzane) are still produced. The chief cities are Karshi, the administrative centre, and Shakhrisabz. Uzbeks make up some 85 percent of the population. There are smaller numbers of Tajiks, Russians, and Tatars. The population is predominantly rural. Pop. (1991 est.) 1,697,700.