Istaravshan


Istaravshan is a city in Sughd Province in Tajikistan. Located in the northern foothills of the Turkistan mountain range, 78 kilometers southwest of Khujand, Before 2000, it was known as Ура́-Тюбе in Russian, Ӯротеппа in Tajik and O‘ratepa in Uzbek. In 2000, the Tajik authorities decided to rename the name of the city from O‘ratepa into Istaravshan, the process called as forced "Tajikization" or "Persification" by many.
Bordered by Uzbekistan in the north and west, and Kyrgyzstan in the east, the territorial area of Istaravshan stretches 1,830 square kilometers, and with an administrative population of 199,000 people, the majority of its citizens live in the outlying countryside.
The city lies on the main road connecting Tajikistan's two largest cities, Khujand and Dushanbe.

Climate

Istaravshan has a cold semi-arid climate. There is more rainfall in winter than in summer. The average annual temperature in Istaravshan is. About of precipitation falls annually.

Istaravshan on stamps