Kara-Balta

Kara-Balta ('black ax') is a ceety an municipality on the Chu River, in Chuy Province, Kyrgyzstan, the caipital o Jaiyl Destrict.  It wis foondit in 1825 unner the Kokand Khanate, an receivit ceety status in 1975 unner the Soviets.  Its ceety population wis offeecially 43,531 in a 2001 census. The municipality haed a population o 54,200 accordin tae the Soviet 1989 census, an is nou estimatit at ower 70,000.

Kara-Balta is locatit on the northren slopes o the Kyrgyz Ala-Too, in the wastren pairt o Chuy Province, 62 km wast o the caipital o Bishkek. The road continues wast through Kaindy toward Taraz, Kazakhstan. Anither road goes sooth through the Too-Ashoo Tunnel an then splits, ane branch goin wast tae Talas Province an the ither sooth an then east through the Suusamyr Valley tae Balykchy on Lake Issyk Kul. It haes a temperate climate. The terrain is flat, wi a slicht slope dounwards frae the sooth tae the north. 

History
The Chuy Valley haes been settled syne the 5t Century, but efter the invasion bi Genghis Khan the aurie wis inhabitit maistly bi nomads an pastoralists.  Housomeivver, the settlement became a toun an flourished unner the Khanate o Kokand. 

Economy
The major industry in Kara-Balta wis the processin plant o the minin combine, Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine (KBMP), the lairgest in Central Asie. Durin Soviet times, it processed uranium ore frae deposits in Kyrgyzstan an Kazakhstan.  Efter independence, the mines in Kyrgyzstan closed quickly; housomeivver KBMP continued tae process uranium concentrate frae Kazakhstan till 2005 when this activity wad stoppit due tae the lack o raw material.  The massive uranium tailins remain a problem.  KBMP still processes gowd an molybdenum ores.

In Februar 2007 the Roushie Renova Group wan a tender tae purchase the Kyrgyz govrenment's 72.28 percent stake
in the Kara-Balta uranium-production facility.

Sports
The ceety haes a bandy club.

Military
In the ceety the Roushie military haes a capacity.

References
This article is based in pairt on material frae the Roushie Wikipedia.

Category:Populatit places in Chuy Province