The Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast (; ), abbreviated as Kara-Kirghiz AO (; ) or KAO (; ) in the former region of Soviet Central Asia, was created on 14 October 1924 within the Russian SFSR from the predominantly Kyrgyz part of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. On 15 May 1925 it was renamed into the Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast. On 11 February 1926 it was reorganized into the Kirghiz ASSR (not to be confused with the Kirghiz ASSR that was the first name of Kazakh ASSR). On 5 December 1936 it became the Kirghiz SSR, one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union. Etymology Kara-Kirghiz is a former name for the Kyrgyz that literally means "the black Kirghiz (Kyrgyz)", in reference to the colour of tents the nomads used. References Post–Russian Empire states Autonomous oblasts of the Soviet Union States and territories established in 1924 Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic 1924 establishments in the Soviet Union 1926 disestablishments in the Soviet Union de:Kirgisische Sozialistische Sowjetrepublik#Entwicklung