THE KAZAKH DIASPORA IN THE REPUBLIC OF KARAKALPAKSTAN: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF ETHNOCULTURAL PROCESSES, SOCIAL INTEGRATION, AND LANGUAGE PRACTICES (1991–2022)

This article provides a scholarly analysis of the historical formation, demographic dynamics, ethnocultural values, and sociocultural integration of the Kazakh diaspora residing in the Republic of Karakalpakstan during the post-independence period (1991–2022). Having evolved over centuries across the Lower Amu Darya basin and the Aral Sea region, the Kazakh population shares deep historical and ethnogenetic ties with the Karakalpak and Uzbek peoples, constituting one of the largest ethnic groups in the region. The study conceptually examines the activities of Kazakh national cultural centers, the Kazakh-language educational system (primary, secondary, and higher education programs), mass media, and the impact of cultural diplomacy between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on the diaspora.