Kara-Balta ('black ax') is a city and municipality on the Chu River, in Chuy Province, Kyrgyzstan, the capital of Jaiyl District. It was founded in 1825 under the Kokand Khanate, and received city status in 1975 under the Soviets. Its city population was officially 43,531 in a 2001 census (...) (from Wikipedia)