Geographic location
The Ismoil rural jamoat is one of the jamoats of Bobojon Ghafurov District in Sughd Region. It lies in the central north-eastern part of the district, 30 km from the city of Khujand and 27 km from the district centre, on the right bank of the Kairakkum Reservoir. The population of the jamoat is 26,034 people, accounting for 7.05% of the district’s population. Its total area is 70,055 ha, or 26.42% of the district’s area.
Administrative structure
The Ismoil rural jamoat comprises the villages of Sultonobod, Shamsobod, Chordara, Qalai Kuhna, Ravot, Dusti, Pilol, Uyas, Sabzazor, Gulobod, Sarichashma, Terak, Kurghoncha, Qarochingil, Olamtob and Shoqadam. Among them, Shamsobod, Chordara, Qalai Kuhna, Ravot, Dusti, Pilol and Uyas are the most populous, together hosting 63% of the jamoat’s population.
Historical and cultural background
Every human settlement has its own history and chronicle. The village of Somghor also has an ancient past. As historians note, Somghor is one of the oldest villages around the city of Khujand.
Within the Ismoil rural jamoat, general secondary schools No. 3, 9, 43, 46, 52, 59, 81 and 64 are in operation, along with District Hospital No. 6, 2 health centres and the «Obodkor» communal enterprise serving the public. In addition, trade and food shops, a club, a teahouse, a library and a banquet hall stand ready to meet the needs of the rural residents.
War participants and veterans
The jamoat is home to 3 participants of the Great Patriotic War, 25 veterans of the Afghan war, 4 liquidators of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, 69 participants of the campaigns to restore constitutional order, and more than 1,200 labour veterans. The jamoat takes pride in 1 Hero of the Soviet Union and 1 Hero of Labour.
Natural resources and geographic conditions
The area features a steppe landscape and a dry climate (average temperatures range from +25 °C to +35 °C in summer and down to −20 °C in winter). Fertile land and the availability of water determine the agricultural focus on cotton, grain, fruit and vegetable growing, and viticulture. Sericulture is also developed. Due to low average precipitation (150–300 mm), the area requires intensive irrigation.
Gravel deposits within the jamoat make it possible to source construction aggregate. There are also deposits of iron, gold and lead.
Demographic situation
The jamoat has 4,442 households spread across 16 villages.
Table 1. Population and households of the Ismoil rural jamoat
| No. | Village | Households | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uyas | 797 | 4,445 |
| 2 | Sabzazor | 160 | 1,350 |
| 3 | Gulobod | 275 | 1,590 |
| 4 | Terak | 98 | 411 |
| 5 | Kurghoncha | 278 | 1,398 |
| 6 | Sultonobod | 262 | 1,582 |
| 7 | Qarochingil | 255 | 1,343 |
| 8 | Olamtob | 141 | 892 |
| 9 | Qalai Kuhna | 481 | 2,500 |
| 10 | Chordara | 269 | 2,014 |
| 11 | Sarichashma | 123 | 816 |
| 12 | Pilol | 195 | 994 |
| 13 | Ravot | 141 | 721 |
| 14 | Dusti | 288 | 1,670 |
| 15 | Shamsobod | 482 | 3,477 |
| 16 | Shoqadam | 197 | 797 |
| Total | 4,442 | 26,034 | |
Table 2. Ethnic composition of the population (2015)
| Ethnicity | Share |
|---|---|
| Tajiks | 37% |
| Uzbeks and other ethnicities | 63% |
| Total | 100% |
Table 3. Population growth forecast for the jamoat, 2016–2020
| Indicator | 2014 (report) | 2015 (estimate) | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 as % of 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,669 | 26,034 | 26,554 | 26,819 | 27,336 | 27,629 | 28,182 | 109.8 |
The average age of the jamoat’s residents is 49 years.
Key socio-economic trends
The economy of the jamoat is based on agriculture, which employs 87% of the population. The main rural output consists of vegetables, grain, fruit and cotton (mostly produced by dehkan farms). The lack of a unified material and technical base, ageing equipment, declining soil productivity, an outdated irrigation system and the absence of investors hinder higher yields.
The «Obodkor» communal enterprise operates in the jamoat, but shortcomings remain due to a shortage of vehicles for timely waste removal. The jamoat has 2 health houses and 1 hospital in operation.
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT)
Strengths
- Agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, cotton growing and livestock farming
- Development of livestock farming
- Fertile land
- Proximity to the city centre
- Presence of mineral resources
- Availability of water
- Favourable climate
- Civic responsibility of the population
- Jamoat leadership
- Market and trading outlets
Weaknesses
- Shortage of specialists across all sectors
- Insufficient irrigation water
- Lack of natural gas
- Absence of small and medium-sized enterprises
- Lack of mineral fertilisers
- Family breakdown
- Low legal literacy among the population
- Insufficient electricity supply
- Lack of modern equipment in the healthcare sector
- Absence of a pre-school institution
Opportunities
- Central road
- Proximity to the city centre
- Solving problems through community effort
- Proximity to the river
- Attracting entrepreneurs
- Land and mountains
- Ecological conditions
- Groundwater
Threats
- Mudflows
- Earthquakes
- Demographic situation
- Migration
- Suicides
- Spread of infectious diseases