mintaqalar

Mintaqalar is the Uzbek plural form of mintaqa, meaning region, area, or zone. In Uzbek geography and discourse, mintaqalar refer to distinct geographic or administrative areas that share certain features, such as economy, culture, climate, or governance. The term is used in academic writing, media, and public planning to discuss broad regional patterns rather than a single locality.

Etymology: The word mintaqa comes from Turkic mintaqa, itself borrowed from Persian or Arabic manṭaqa, meaning “region” or “zone.” The plural suffix -lar marks the plural in Uzbek, so mintaqalar literally means “regions.”

Usage: While formal administrative divisions in Uzbekistan are viloyatlar (regions) and tumanlar (districts), mintaqalar is commonly used to describe aggregate regional groupings, cross-border regions, or economic or cultural zones. It appears in research on regional development, climate or ecological zones, and media reporting about regional disparities or policy initiatives. The term also appears in discussions of regional planning and resource allocation across multiple areas.

See also: The concept is related to regional terminology in other Turkic languages and to terms like “region,” “zone,” or “district” in administrative contexts. In practice, mintaqalar emphasizes the comparative or collective aspect of multiple regions rather than a single locality.