Tashkömür

Tashkömür Ташкөмүр
Tashkömür from Crocodile Mountain
Tashkömür Location in Kyrgyzstan
Coordinates: 41°21′N 72°13′E / 41.350°N 72.217°E / 41.350; 72.217
Country	Kyrgyzstan
Region	Jalal-Abad Region
Area
• Total	47 km2 (18 sq mi)
Elevation	585 m (1,919 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	34,756
• Density	740/km2 (1,900/sq mi)

Tashkömür (Kyrgyz: Ташкөмүр, also written Tash-Kumyr) is one of the five largest towns of Jalal-Abad Region in Southern Kyrgyzstan. Its area is 47 square kilometres (18 sq mi), and its resident population was 34,756 in 2009. It is located along the West bank of the Naryn River, opposite the main Osh - Bishkek road. Located at the edge of the Tien Shan Mountains, when heading South from Bishkek, Tashkömür is the gateway to the Fergana valley.

Officially founded on December 17, 1943, Tashkömür, meaning stone-coal, grew into one of the largest industrial centers of the Central Asian region of the Soviet Union. It was primarily a mining town, but had a cigarette factory and other industries as well, which complemented the output of the coal mines. A railroad was constructed, and trains transported the coal out of Tashkömür to all corners of the Soviet Union. At its peak, Tashkömür had a population of around 35,000.

Dams constructed along the Naryn river transformed what used to be a stream into a sizable river. Residents will also attest to a change in climate, which they attribute to the dams. Furthermore, the Tashkömür dam and the Shamaldysay dam raised the water level considerably, causing certain settlements to be submerged by the water. Despite the presence of the dams and hydroelectic plants, Tashkömür still does not have 100% reliable electricity.

Tashkömür is located in what could be described as a canyon, which the Naryn river runs through.

Fossils of dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs have been discovered in the area, and paleontologists have speculated that once the area was used by dinosaurs to lay their eggs. The mountains surrounding the town are rich in minerals, not only in coal, which gave Tashkömür its fame.