Gumdag Explained

Official Name:Gumdag
Other Name: Кумдаг, Kumdag
Pushpin Map:Turkmenistan
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Turkmenistan
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name: Turkmenistan
Subdivision Name1:Balkan Region
Subdivision Type2:City
Subdivision Name2:Balkanabat
Population As Of:2021
Population Total:33000 (estimated)
Coordinates:39.2061°N 54.5906°W

Gumdag (romanized Russian Kum Dag) is a town in Balkan Province, Turkmenistan. It is located 43 km southeast of the city of Balkanabat. To the south-east of the town, lies the Boyadag Mud Volcano.[1]

Etymology

The name is derived from two words in Turkmen, gum ("sand") and dag ("mountain, hill").[2] Atanyyazow postulates that the name came from the sand hill 3 km to the west where the first oil well in the area was drilled.

Economy

The town is home to the Gumdag oil and gas field, which is the main driver of the local economy.

History

Before Gumdag was established, the settlement was called Hudaý-Dag, Bahangoşa and Monjuklu.[3] Gumdag was founded as a village in the 1930s by nomadic families from nearby settlements. In the same years, a well-drilling machine was installed by the government on the sand hill 3 km west of the village. With the development of oil production from the region, people from Balkanabat and other cities started to flock here. From 1951 to 1956, it was attached to the Ashgabat region. It used to be a city-with-district-status until November 2022, and alongside Hazar, it became subordinate to City of Balkanabat.[4]

Population

!1959!1970!1979!1989
9,237[5] 11,615[6] 14,449[7] 16,529[8]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Brummell, Paul . Turkmenistan . Bradt Travel Guides . 2005 . 978-1-84162-144-9 . 152 . en . Paul Brummell.
  2. Book: Frank, Allen J.. Turkmen-English Dictionary. Jeren. Touch-Werner. Dunwoody Press . Kensington, Maryland. October 20, 1999. English, Turkmen. 978-1881265290.
  3. Book: Atanyýazow . Soltanşa . Түркменистаның Географик Атларының Дүшүндиришли Сөзлүги . 1980 . 118. Ylym . Ashgabat . Explanatory Dictionary of Geographic Names in Turkmenistan.
  4. News: 10 November 2022 . Постановление Меджлиса Милли Генгеша Туркменистана . ru . Электронная газета «Золотой век» .
  5. Перепись населения СССР (1959)
  6. Перепись населения СССР (1970)
  7. Перепись населения СССР (1979)
  8. Перепись населения СССР (1989)