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{{Infobox Settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|official_name          = Shalkar
|other_name             =
|native_name            = Шалқар
|nickname               = 
|settlement_type        = Town
|motto                  =
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline          = Shalkar Mamedova street.jpg
|imagesize              = 
|image_caption          = Mamedova Street
|image_flag             = 
|flag_size              =
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|seal_size              =
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|mapsize                = 
|map_caption            = 
|image_map1             = 
|mapsize1               = 
|pushpin_map            = Kazakhstan <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|pushpin_label_position =bottom
|pushpin_mapsize        = 300
|pushpin_map_caption    =Location in Aktobe Province, Kazakhstan
<!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type       = Country
|subdivision_name       = [[Kazakhstan]]
|subdivision_type1      = [[Regions of Kazakhstan|Region]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[Aktobe Region]]
|subdivision_type2      = [[Districts of Kazakhstan|District]]
|subdivision_name2      = [[Shalkar District]]
|subdivision_type3      = 
|subdivision_name3      = 
<!-- Politics ----------------->
|government_footnotes   =
|government_type        =
|leader_title           =
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|established_title      = Settlement
|established_date       = 1870
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|area_magnitude         = 
|unit_pref                =Imperial <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
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|area_total_km2           = <!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion-->
|area_land_km2            = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion-->
|area_metro_km2           =
<!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of               = 2009
|population_footnotes           =<ref name="kz2009Census"/>
|population_note                =
|population_total               =26,574
|population_density_km2         =
<!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone               = [[Yekaterinburg Time]] 
|utc_offset             = +5
|timezone_DST           = 
|utc_offset_DST         = 
|coordinates            = {{coord|47|50|N|59|36|E|region:KZ_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes    =  <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
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}} 
'''Shalkar''' ({{lang-kk|{{Audio|Kk-shalkar.ogg|Шалқар|help=no}}}}) is a [[town]] and the administrative center of [[Shalkar District]] in [[Aktobe Region]] of western [[Kazakhstan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aktobe.stat.kz/ru/rjn/map12/|script-title=ru:Шалкарский район|publisher=Департамент статистики Актюбинской области|language=Russian|accessdate=1 June 2012}}</ref> The town is located north of the [[Ülken Borsyk Desert]], close to [[Lake Shalkar]]. Population: {{Kz-census2009|26,574|punct=;}} {{Kz-census1999|26,329|punct=.}}

==History==
Shalkar (Chelkar) was founded in 1870 as a settlement. At the time, Chelkar was a part of [[Irgizsky Uyezd]] of [[Turgay Oblast, Russian Empire|Turgay Oblast]] and was connected to [[Yrgyz]] by a road. In the 1900s, the railroad connecting [[Orenburg]] and [[Tashkent]] was built. Chelkar became an important railway station. Between 1905 and 1907 the station building, the locomotive depot, as well as other facilities including a school and a hospital, were built. In 1918, Chelkar was an area of battles during the [[Russian Civil War]].<ref name="zhelezn"/> 

In 1920, Turgay Oblast was transformed to [[Turgay Governorate]], and in 1921, it was abolished and included into [[Orenburg-Turgay Governorate]]. On May&nbsp;26, 1921 [[Irgizsky District]], a successor of Irgizsky Uyezd, was transferred to [[Aktyubinsk Governorate]] of [[Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1920–25)|Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]. On July&nbsp;5, 1922 the district was abolished, and Shalkar became the administrative center of [[Chelkarsky Uyezd]]. In 1925, the republic was renamed [[Kazak Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic]]. On January&nbsp;17, 1928 the governorate was abolished, and Chelkar was transferred to [[Aktyubinsk Okrug]]. The uyezds were abolished as well, and [[Chelkarsky Raion]] (District) was established.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avestnik.kz/?p=16538|script-title=ru:От волостей к районам|last=Каратаев|first=Абат|date=February 2, 2012|publisher=Актюбинский вестник|language=Russian|accessdate=1 June 2012}}</ref>

In 1928, Shalkar was granted a town status. On December&nbsp;17, 1930 the okrug was abolished, and the districts became directly subordinate to the republic. In 1932, [[Aktobe Region]] was established, and in 1936, the republic was transformed into [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic]]. In the 1930s Shalkar became a place for political exile, in particular, from Saint Petersburg.<ref name="zhelezn">{{cite web|url=http://www.kazakh.ru/news/articles/?a=1019|script-title=ru:С визитом к царю из Шалкарской пустыни|last=Железняк|first=Сергей|date=June 28, 2007|publisher=Диапазон|language=Russian|accessdate=1 June 2012}}</ref>

==Economy==
===Industry===
Shalkar is mostly serving the railway; there is a carriage repair plant. There are also food industry enterprises.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapl40.narod.ru/map2/index06.html|title=L-40-VI. Челкар|publisher=narod.ru|language=Russian|accessdate=1 June 2012}}</ref><!-- not the best source, need better-->

===Transportation===
Shalkar is a railway station on the [[Trans-Aral Railway]], which connects [[Orenburg]] and [[Tashkent]]. It is also connected to [[Irgiz, Kazakhstan|Irgiz]] by a road. This connection provides an access to the [[European route E38|E38 highway]] between [[Aktobe]] and [[Shymkent]].

==Sport==
A team was sent to the 2014 Youth [[Bandy]] Championship of Kazakhstan and also to the first round of the National [[rink bandy|Rink Bandy]] Championships in 2015 for players born in 1999-2000, held in [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://akzhajik.ucoz.kz/news/spasibo_andrej_evgenevich_vy_pobeditel/2015-03-30-904|title=Спасибо, Андрей Евгеньевич! Вы - победитель!|publisher=Хоккейный клуб «Акжайык»|language=Russian|accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commonscat|Shalqar}}

{{Aktobe Region}}

[[Category:Populated places in Aktobe Region]]