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Semirechye Oblast

Coordinates: 43°15′00″N 76°54′00″E / 43.2500°N 76.9000°E / 43.2500; 76.9000
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Semirechyenskaya Oblast
Семиреченская область
Semirechyenskaya oblast'
Oblast of Russia
1867–1924
Coat of arms of Semirechyenskaya Oblast
Coat of arms

CapitalVerniy
History 
• Established
23 July 1867
• Disestablished
27 October 1924
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Oblast of the Siberian Kirghiz
Khanate of Kokand
Turkestan ASSR
Today part ofKazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Coat of arms of Pishpek

The Semirechyenskaya Oblast (Russian: Семиреченская область) was an oblast (province) of the Russian Empire. It corresponded approximately to most of present-day southeastern Kazakhstan and northeastern Kyrgyzstan. It was created out of the territories of the northern part of the Khanate of Kokand that had been part of the Kazakh Khanate. The name "Semirechye" ("Seven Rivers") itself is the direct Russian translation of the historical region of Jetysu. Its site of government was Verniy (now named Almaty).

The Russian government seized the Semirechyenskaya region in 1854[1] and created the province the same year. It was administered as part of Governor-Generalship of the Steppes (which was known as the Governor-Generalship of the Western Siberia before 1882) between 1854 and 1867 and again between 1882 and 1899, and part of Russian Turkistan between 1867 and 1882 and again between 1899 and 1917. Russian control of the region was recognized by the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881) between Russia and China.

On April 30, 1918 the region became part of the Turkestan ASSR. On October 27, 1924, as a result of the national-territorial reorganisation of Soviet Central Asia, the northern part of the region became part of the Kirgiz ASSR (already created in 1920 and renamed the Kazakh ASSR in 1925 and then established as the union-level Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic), while the southern part became the Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast (eventually the Kirghiz ASSR and SR) within the RSFSR.

Geography

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It covered a region called Semiriche (southeastern Kazakhstan and northern Kyrgyzstan), the Chui Valley and the mountainous regions of Tien Shan.

It was found in the southeastern part of the Turkestan Governor-General. In the north it bordered the Semipalatinsk region, from the south and east - China (on the Bedel Pass to the southwest by the Tian Shan Range),and from the west the Fergana and Syr Darya oblasts. The oblast covered the territory of lakes Balkhash, Issyk-Kul, Ala-Kul.

Administrative division

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As of 1897, the Semirechye Oblast was divided into 6 uyezds:

Uyezd Uyezd city (pop.) Area,
sq versta
Population[2]
Verniy Verniy (22,744) 58330 223,883
Dzharkent Dzharkent (16,094) 5160 122,636
Kopal Kopal (6,183) 69100 136,421
Lepsinsk Lepsinsk (3,230) 87080 180,829
Pishpek Pishpek (6,615) 80480 176,577
Przhevalsk Przhevalsk (8,108) 47760 147,517

Its major outposts included Fort Ili (now Qonayev) at the head of navigation on the Ili River.

Demographics

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As of 1897, 987,863 people populated the oblast. Kazakhs and Kyrgyz (united as Kirgiz in estimation) constituted the majority of the population. Significant minorities consisted of Russians and Taranchi. Total Turkic speaking were 878,209 (88,9%).

Ethnic groups in 1897

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TOTAL 987,863 100%
Kyrgyz 794,815 80,5%
Russians 76,839 7,8%
Taranchi 55,999 6,2%
Sart 14,895 1,5%
Chinese 14.130 1,4%

[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Historical Atlas of the 19th Century World, 1783-1914. Barnes & Noble Books. 1998. p. 5.19. ISBN 978-0-7607-3203-8.
  2. ^ demoscope.ru 1897 census results.
  3. ^ demoscope.ru 1897 census results, languages

43°15′00″N 76°54′00″E / 43.2500°N 76.9000°E / 43.2500; 76.9000