Turkmenabat
(1999 est. pop. 203,000). Turkmenabat (Chardzhou, Charjou, or Charjew before 1999) is a major river port in Central Asia, on the right bank of the lower Amu Dar'ya River, in the eastern part of the republic of Turkmenistan, a Central Asian state. It is the country's second largest city (after the capital Ashgabat) and the administrative center of Lebap Welayat (province). The city was founded in 1886 as a Russian military settlement named Novi Chardzhui (New Chardzhui), when Russia's Transcaspian Railroad, linking the Caspian Sea with the middle of Central Asia, reached the Amu Dar'ya. In 1940, the city was renamed Chardzhou and became the administrative center of the Chardzhou oblast (province) of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, part of the Soviet Union.
After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the city became the center of the Lebap province of the republic of Turkmenistan. In July 1999, it was renamed Turkmenabat (Turkmen City). At present, Turkmenabat is a major rail junction and the largest port on the Amu Dar'ya in Central Asia. The city has cotton-processing, silk-weaving, and chemical industries. It is also famous for its Astrakhan fur manufacturers.
Further Reading
Allworth, Edward, ed. (1994) Central Asia, 130 Years of Russian Dominance: A Historical Overview. 3d ed. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
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