Established on 6 March 1941, it borders on Qashqadaryo Region internally, and Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan externally, going anticlockwise from the north.

The southern part of the region is in the Badkhiz-Karabil semi-desert ecoregion (PA0808), characterized by a savanna of pistachio and desert sedge.

Light industry, mainly cotton ginning and food processing, is also an important part of the regional economy, particularly in the production of consumer goods.

[citation needed] The Surxondaryo Region consists of 14 districts (listed below) and one district-level city: Termez.

[3][11] There are 8 cities (Termez, Boysun, Denov, Jarqoʻrgʻon, Qumqoʻrgʻon, Shargʻun, Sherobod, Shoʻrchi) and 112 urban-type settlements in the Surxondaryo Region.