Uchquduq (sometimes spelled as Uchkuduk, Uzbek: Üçquduq; Russian: Учкуду́к) is a city in the north of Navoiy Region, Uzbekistan. It is the seat of Uchquduq District.[1] The city's name means "three draw-wells" in Uzbek. It is located at 42°9′24″N 63°33′20″E / 42.15667°N 63.55556°E, at an altitude of 193 meters in the middle of the Kyzylkum Desert .[2] Its population is 26,800 (2016).[3]
Uchquduq
Üçquduq | |
|---|---|
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  Uchquduq Location in Uzbekistan | |
| Coordinates: 42°09′24″N 63°33′20″E / 42.15667°N 63.55556°E | |
| Country |  Uzbekistan |
| Region | Navoiy Region |
| District | Uchquduq District |
| Elevation | 193 m (633 ft) |
| Population (2016) | |
• Total | 26,800 |
History
editUchkuduk was founded in 1958, after a small prospecting party found deposits of uranium ore. In the late 1960s, the development of open pit and underground mining led to the rapid growth of the settlement, with workers, engineers and technicians from all over the Soviet Union. It was elevated to city status in 1978. Until 1979, Uchkuduk had the status of a "closed secret city," as it supplied much of the raw material for nuclear weapons in the Soviet military arsenal. The mining operations are now under the control of the Navoi Mining and Metallurgy Combinat (NMMC), which continues to mine and process uranium using in-situ leach processes. The company also produces gold by the same process.[4]
Aeroflot Flight 5143 crashed near Uchkuduk on July 10, 1985. This was the deadliest air disaster in Uzbek and Soviet history.[5]
The Uzbek group Yalla made a Soviet-wide hit named after the city.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Classification system of territorial units of the Republic of Uzbekistan" (in Uzbek and Russian). The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on statistics. July 2020.
- ^ "Kyzylkum desert travel guide". Caravanistan. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ Soliyev, A.S. Shaharlar geografiyasi [Geography of cities] (PDF) (in Uzbek). p. 144.
- ^ "Добро пожаловать на официальный сайт НГМК". www.ngmk.uz. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ Accident description for CCCP-85311 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2023-12-06.
- ^ ВИА Ялла - Учкудук, три колодца / Yalla - UCHKUDUK, archived from the original on 2021-12-13, retrieved 2019-12-10
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