Karakalpakstan is located in the west of Uzbekistan and is part of it as a sovereign republic, which occupies forty percent of the country's territory. Karakalpakstan borders Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. About 2 million people of various nationalities live here. The capital of Karakalpakstan, the city of Nukus, was founded on the site of the ancient settlement of Shurcha. The first mention of Nukus as a military fortress dates back to the 12th century. Many amazing fortresses with unusual, never-repeating architecture have been preserved on the territory of the republic.