The Department of Natural Geography of the Faculty of Geography and Natural Resources of the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek was founded in 1920, and in the same year, the Department of Geography of Turkestan was established at the Military Faculty of the Central Asian State University.

Since 1940, the department of natural geography (the head of the department is N.L. Korzhenevsky) began to operate independently. During those times, the members of the Department of Natural Geography carried out natural geographical descriptions and geomorphological studies of some regions of Central Asia.

In 1943, a member of the department – the first Uzbek geographer N.D. Dolimov defended his candidate’s thesis on the topic “Complex natural geographical characteristics of the Nurota mountains”. N.D. Dolimov has made great contributions to the development of the science of geography and the training of scientific and pedagogical personnel. In 1970, N.D. Dolimov was awarded the title of “Honored Scientist of Uzbekistan” for these services.

In the mid-1940s, well-known scientists – scientists who served in Uzbekistan, geomorphologist Yu.A. Skvorsov, climatologist L.N. Babushkin, joined the department and carried out in-depth scientific research, “Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology” was the basis for the creation of the scientific school. In the 1950s and 1960s, H.H. Hasanov, a member of the department, conducted research on the history of geography, toponymy and terminology, and the study of the geographical heritage of Central Asian travelers.

From the 1960s, R. U. Rahimbekov began to deal with the history of the geographical study of the nature of Central Asia. In 1970, his large monograph on this topic was published. Also, R. U. Rahimbekov founded the Kashkarov-Korovin Central Asian Ecology-Geography Scientific School.

Until the 1970s, L.N. Babushkin and N.A. Kogay, Yu.A. Skvorsov and O.Yu. Poslavskaya were engaged in geomorphology and quaternary geology.

The scientists of the department knew N.D.Dolimov, H.H. Hasanov, P.N.Gulomov and R.U.Rahimbekov as skilled translators of popular scientific and educational literature from Russian to Uzbek.

Until the beginning of the 1990s, the department carried out scientific research related to the geographical foundations of environmental protection, the history and methodology of geography, paleogeography, as well as the problems of the Aral Sea (A.A. Rafikov), along with the main scientific directions that had developed earlier.

The members of the department actively participated in a number of international and national scientific-practical conferences in cooperation with the Geographical Society of Uzbekistan.

In the following years, fundamental, practical, and innovative projects funded by a number of funds were carried out at the department. In addition to professors, young teachers, doctoral students, masters and talented students are involved in these scientific topics. Special attention is paid to young people conducting scientific research at the department.

During the years of independence, the new scientific works of Sh.S.Zokirov, P.N.Gulomov, M.Mamatkulov and others, representatives of the middle generation of natural geographers were published in the department.

In the years of independence, Docent P.N.Gulomov continued his research on the scientific analysis of the relationship between man and nature, the creation of geographical bases for the use of nature, the effective use of natural resources, the organization of human economic activity based on the laws of nature, the history of geography, in the field of toponymy and geographical terminology, he also carried out significant work in the creation of new generation educational literature.

P.N. Ghulomov’s effective work was recognized as worthy and he was awarded the state award of the public education worker who served in Uzbekistan.

M. Mamatkulov, in addition to conducting deep scientific research and honorable pedagogical activity, has written 3 textbooks on geography for students of general and secondary special educational institutions, students of higher educational institutions, for students of geography He is the author of 4 training manuals and 4 monographs.

Asamutdin Zaynutdinov (1940-2015), who worked effectively in long-term scientific expeditions in Kyzylkum, Karakum deserts, Chirchik-Ohangaron valley, Turkestan mountains, and achieved unique scientific results, joined the ranks of natural geographers of the university in the years of independence. it was cold. In the first years of independence, it geologically and geomorphologically identified several recreation areas in the south of the Charbog reservoir, the area around the Khojimushkent reservoir dam, the place of recreation, skiing, boarding houses in Beldorsoy, and the location of Tallimarjon IES in Kashkadarya. He took an active part in studying and justifying.

.

Candidate of geography sciences, associate professor I.A. Hasanov (1940) is known among university professors and students as an active participant in natural geographical research and expeditions. His main scientific work is devoted to natural geography, target assessment of natural complexes, reclamation and recreation geography.

Oktam Kabiljanovich Abdunazarov (1942) was the first to comprehensively study the ancient soil layers that are widespread in Central Asia and are important from the point of view of paleogeography, stratigraphy and engineering geology. His teacher is prof. Together with I.N. Stepanov, he scientifically substantiated the paleogeographical and stratigraphical significance of the buried ancient soils in the composition of loessous rocks distributed in Central Asia. He also took an active part in the implementation of scientific research related to bringing part of the water of the Siberian rivers to the Arol basin. More than 20 medium-scale maps analyzing the nature of Central Asia and Uzbekistan were created under his authorship and co-authorship.

While the roots of his scientific research and research go back to the 70s of the 20th century, the works of the scientist, candidate of geography sciences, associate professor Abdurasul Alimovich Sagatov (1943-2005), who wrote extensively in the years of independence, are of particular importance. In 1993, he defended his candidate’s thesis on the topic “Analysis of physical-geographical conditions of Uzbekistan for tseley gradostroitelstva” under the supervision of professor N.A. Kogay, a distinguished scientist, doctor of geography, in 1993. Docent A.A.Sagatov, while carrying out hard pedagogical activities, conducted research on the issues of natural geographical zoning of the territory of Uzbekistan for the purpose of urban development, assessment of relief from the point of view of the construction of various structures, classification of natural geographical research methods.

From the first years of national independence, young specialists were involved in natural geographers. Their composition is a new generation, i.e. professors-teachers of the period of independence N.I.Sabitova, Z.S.Saidkarimova, R.Yusupov, M.T.Mirakmalov, later Sh.M.Sharipov, H.B.Nikadambaeva, N.T.Shamuratova, B.Yu.Egamov, R.A.Ibragimova. updated. Along with conducting pedagogical activities at the university, they, like their teachers, successfully continue scientific research in various areas of natural geography.

Doctor of Geography, Professor Naila Ismailovna Sabitova (1954) is distinguished by the fact that most of her work is focused on environmental protection, development of scientific bases for increasing soil fertility, study of the reclamation of natural complexes, use of water resources, and solutions to ecological issues. At the same time, he is actively participating in a number of scientific developments, as well as fundamental and practical projects, in addition to successfully conducting pedagogical activities.

The new generation of natural geographers, that is, researchers, professors and teachers of the period of national independence, are no longer descriptive or descriptive geographical studies, but within the framework of separate geosystems, natural geographical complexes and small areas, new directions, narrow and sub-branches of natural geography, is conducting its own research on aspects of interest to economic sectors.

M.T. Mirakmalov natural geographic terminology, toponymy and geographic linguistics, Z.S. Saidkarimova assessment and prediction of landscape changes during mining, R. Yusupov the role of exogenous processes in the development of natural geographic complexes, Sh.M. Sharipov geoecology, preservation of landscape diversity , N.T.Shamuratova tourism, natural geographical aspects of ecotourism, R.A.Ibragimova natural geographical zoning, B.Yu.Egamov is conducting his research on the history of natural geographical ideas, geomorphology, geography education methodology, problems and issues.

In 2019, Doctor of Geography A.K. Urazbaev was recruited to the department. During his scientific activity, A.K. Orazboev, based on a systematic approach, was involved in the evaluation of the land reclamation condition of the irrigated areas in the current Amudarya delta, based on the use of the relief plastic method. Currently, the scientific research conducted under the leadership of A.K. Orazboev is dedicated to the systematic method and the teaching of relief plastic, and is continued by his students – young scientists.

5 of the natural geographers who have worked at the university over the past hundred years have been awarded the state awards of the meritorious scientist of Uzbekistan, and 1 person of the meritorious public education worker of Uzbekistan.

Currently, the members of the department, in addition to imparting theoretical knowledge to students in the sciences related to natural geography and its branches, lead general natural geographic training-field, complex, production and pedagogical practices.