Bukhara Region (Buxoro Region) is a region of Uzbekistan located in the southwest of the country. The Kyzyl Kum desert takes up a large portion of its territory. It borders  Turkmenistan, Navoiy Region, Qashqadaryo Region, a tiny bit of Xorazm Region, and the Karakalpakstan Republic. It covers an area of 39,400 km². The population is estimated at 1,543,900 (end of 2009 data), with 71% living in rural areas.