Jambyl Region

Jambyl or Zhambyl Region, formerly known as Dzhambul Region until 1991, is a region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Taraz. The population of the region is 1,209,665; the city is 335,100. The region borders Kyrgyzstan, and is very near to Uzbekistan (all to the south). Jambyl also borders three other provinces: Karaganda Region (to the north), Turkistan Region (to the west) and Almaty Region (to the east). The total area is . The province borders Lake Balkhash to its northeast. The province (and its capital during the Soviet era) was named after the Kazakh akyn (folk singer) Jambyl Jabayev. History The Dzhambul Region was formed by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on October 14, 1939 and included nine districts, of which six were separated from the South Kazakhstan and three from the Alma-Ata region. Arys ammunition explosion In August 2021, nine people were killed in a major explosion in at a Kazakhstani ammunition depot at a military unit in Taraz in the Jambyl Region of Kazakhstan. As a result, Minister of Defense Nurlan Yermekbayev announced his intent to resign on 27 August 2021. Four days later his resignation was accepted by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with Yermekbayev accepting responsibility for the tragedy, and was succeeded by Lieutenant General Murat Bektanov. The leaders of foreign countries and international organizations delivered condolences and all government websites were grayscaled in memoriam. Demographics