Namangan

Namangan is a city in eastern Uzbekistan. It is the administrative, economic, and cultural center of Namangan Region. Namangan is located in the northern edge of the Fergana Valley, less than 30 km from the Kyrgyzstan border. The city is served by Namangan Airport.The first mention of the settlement dates from the end of the 15th century. By the mid-18th century, its many craftsmen made it one of the foremost cities in the Fergana Valley. In the same century, it became part of the khanate of Kokand and the centre of a political unit. Industry processing local agricultural raw materials, particularly cotton, began to develop after the Fergana Valley was annexed by Russia in 1876, and Namangan is now known for its food and other light industries.

Namangan has been an important craft and trade center in the Fergana Valley since the 17th century. Many factories were built in the city during Soviet times. During World War II, industrial production in Namangan increased fivefold compared with that of 1926–1927. Currently, Namangan is mainly a center for light industry, especially in food. The officially registered population of the city was 475,700 in 2014. Uzbeks are the largest ethnic group.