O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Republic of Uzbekistan
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Capital (and largest city)		Tashkent 41°16′N, 69°13′E
Official languages		Uzbek
Demonym		Uzbekistani. The flag of Uzbekistan was approved at the Seventh Extraordinary Session of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan on November 18, 1991 The current Coat of arms of Uzbekistan was adopted on July 2 1992. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan (O`zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi came into being when Uzbekistan was a Republic of the Soviet Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country Its 283 million people (July 2008 estimate comprise nearly half the region's total population An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Uzbek ( O‘zbek tili or O'zbekcha in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script; أۇزبېك ﺗﻴﻠی in Arabic A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly [1] sometimes Uzbek or Uzbeki
Government		Presidential republic
-	President	Islom Karimov
-	Prime Minister	Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Independence		from the Soviet Union
-	Formation	17471
-	Declared	September 1, 1991
-	Recognized	December 8, 1991
-	Completed	December 25, 1991
Area
-	Total	447,400 km² (56th) 172,742 sq mi
-	Water (%)	4. The Uzbeks (Self designation sg O‘zbek, pl O‘zbeklar) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature Leaders of Uzbekistan since 1924 Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (1924-1991 First secretaries of the Communist Party Vladimir Ivanovich Islom Abdug‘aniyevich Karimov (in Cyrillic Uzbek: Ислом Абдуғаниевич Каримов; in Russian: Ислам Абдуганиевич According to the Constitution of Uzbekistan, the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan and the deputy ministers are appointed by the President Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev (Russified form Shavkat Miramanovich Mirziyayev is also used (born 1957 is the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. Located in the heart of Central Asia between the Amu Darya (Oxus and Syr Darya (Jaxartes Rivers Uzbekistan has a long and interesting heritage The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 9
Population
-	2007 estimate	27,372,000 (44th)
-	Density	59/km² (136th) 153/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$64. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 149 billion (73th)
-	Per capita	$2,283 (145th)
Gini (2000)		26. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 8 (low)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 702 (medium) (113th)
Currency		Uzbekistan som (Uzbekiston so'mi) (UZS)
Time zone		UZT (UTC+5)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+5)
Internet TLD		.uz
Calling code		+998
1	As Bukharian Emirate, Kokand Khanate, Khwarezm. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is For earlier currencies used in Uzbekistan see Bukharan tenga, Kokand tenga and Khwarazmi tenga. ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Uzbekistan Time is the standard Timezone in Uzbekistan that 5 hours ahead of UTC. Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E The Emirate of Bukhara ( Buxoro Amirligi; Аморати Бухоро was a Central Asian state that existed from 1785 to 1920 The Khanate of Kokand ( Uzbek: Qo'qon Xonligi) was a state in Central Asia that existed from 1709&ndash1876 within the territory of modern Uzbekistan Khwarezm were a series of States centered on the Amu Darya River delta of the

Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси), is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia, formerly part of the Soviet Union. Uzbek ( O‘zbek tili or O'zbekcha in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script; أۇزبېك ﺗﻴﻠی in Arabic A landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia.

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Human rights 4 Geography 5 Provinces 6 Economy 7 Demographics 7.1 Languages 8 Communications 9 Transportation 10 Military 11 Foreign relations 12 Culture 13 Environment 14 Multimedia 15 See also 16 References 17 External links

History

Main article: History of Uzbekistan

The territory of Uzbekistan was already populated in the second millennium BC. Located in the heart of Central Asia between the Amu Darya (Oxus and Syr Darya (Jaxartes Rivers Uzbekistan has a long and interesting heritage Early human tools and monuments have been found in the Ferghana, Tashkent, Bukhara, Khorezm (Khwarezm, Chorasmia) and Samarkand regions. Fergana or Farghana ( Uzbek: Farg'ona, Persian فرغانه, UniPers "Farqāna", Russian: Фергана Bukhara (Buxoro Бухоро بُخارا Бухара also spelled as Bukhoro and Bokhara, from the Soghdian βuxārak ("lucky Khwarezm were a series of States centered on the Amu Darya River delta of the Samarkand (Samarqand Самарқанд سمرقند UniPers: "Samarqand" is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of

Alexander the Great conquered Sogdiana and Bactria in 327 BC, marrying Roksana, daughter of a local Bactrian chieftain. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' History Hellenistic period The Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes a fortress in Sogdiana was captured in 327 BC by the forces of Alexander the Great "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. The conquest was supposedly of little help to Alexander as popular resistance was fierce, causing Alexander's army to be bogged down in the region. For many centuries the region of Uzbekistan was ruled by Iranian Empires, including the Parthian and Sassanid Empires. The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire

In the fourteenth century AD, Timur, known in the west as Tamerlane, overpowered the Mongols and built an empire. Timur also written Emir Timur or Amir Temur ( Chagatai: تیمور - Tēmōr " Iron " (1336 – 19 February 1405 among In his military campaigns, Tamerlane reached as far as the Middle East. He defeated Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I, who was captured, and died in captivity. The Ottoman Dynasty (or the Imperial House of Osman) ( Turkish: Osmanlı Hanedanı) ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922 beginning with Bayezid I ( Ottoman: بايزيد الأول Turkish: Beyazıt, nicknamed Yıldırım (Ottoman ییلدیرم "the Thunderbolt" Tamerlane sought to build a capital for his empire in Samarkand. Today Tamerlane is considered to be one of the greatest heroes in Uzbekistan. He plays a significant role in its national identity and history. Following the fall of the Timurid Empire, Uzbek nomads conquered the region. The Timurids, self-designated Gurkānī ( were a Persianate Central Asian Sunni Muslim dynasty The Uzbeks (Self designation sg O‘zbek, pl O‘zbeklar) are a Turkic people of Central Asia.

In the nineteenth century, the Russian Empire began to expand, and spread into Central Asia. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The "Great Game" period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. For the film see The Great Game (film The Great Game was a term used for the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire The Anglo-Russian Entente or the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 was an accord signed on 31 August 1907 in St Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 a second less intensive phase followed. The October Revolution (Октябрьская революция Oktyabrskaya revolyutsiya) also known as the Soviet Revolution At the start of the 19th century, there were some 2,000 miles (3,200 km) separating British India and the outlying regions of the Tsarist Russia. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Much of the land in between was unmapped.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, Central Asia was firmly in the hands of Russia and despite some early resistance to Bolsheviks, Uzbekistan and the rest of Central Asia became a part of the Soviet Union. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 On 27 October 1924 the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was created. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Ўзбекистон Совет Социалистик Республикаси O`zbekiston Sovet Sotsialistik Respublikasi; Узбекская On August 31, 1991, Uzbekistan declared independence, marking September 1 as a national holiday. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle.

The country is now the world's second-largest exporter of cotton – while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit

Politics

Main article: Politics of Uzbekistan

Constitutionally, the Government of Uzbekistan provides for democracy. The politics of Uzbekistan take place in a framework of a presidential Republic, whereby the President of Uzbekistan is both Head of state and Islom Abdug‘aniyevich Karimov (in Cyrillic Uzbek: Ислом Абдуғаниевич Каримов; in Russian: Ислам Абдуганиевич In reality, the executive holds a great deal of power and the legislature and judiciary has little power to shape laws. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Under terms of a December 27,1995 referendum, Islom Karimov's first term was extended. Islom Abdug‘aniyevich Karimov (in Cyrillic Uzbek: Ислом Абдуғаниевич Каримов; in Russian: Ислам Абдуганиевич Another national referendum was held January 27, 2002 to extend Contitutional Presidential term from 5 years to 7 years. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The referendum passed and Karimov's term was extended by act of the parliament to December 2007. Most international observers refused to participate in the process and did not recognize the results, dismissing them as not meeting basic standards. The 2002 referendum also included a plan to create a bicameral parliament, consisting of a lower house (the Oliy Majlis) and an upper house (Senate). Members of the lower house are to be "full time" legislators. Elections for the new bicameral parliament took place on December 26, but no truly independent opposition candidates or parties were able to take part. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. The OSCE limited observation mission concluded that the elections fell significantly short of OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections. Several political parties have been formed with government approval. Similarly, although multiple media outlets (radio, TV, newspaper) have been established, these either remain under government control or rarely broach political topics. Independent political parties were allowed to organize, recruit members, and hold conventions and press conferences, but have been denied registration under restrictive registration procedures. Terrorist bombings were carried out March 28–April 1, 2004 in Tashkent and Bukhara. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Bukhara (Buxoro Бухоро بُخارا Бухара also spelled as Bukhoro and Bokhara, from the Soghdian βuxārak ("lucky

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in Uzbekistan

The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan asserts that "democracy in the Republic of Uzbekistan shall be based upon common human principles, according to which the highest value shall be the human being, his life, freedom, honor, dignity and other inalienable rights. The state of human rights in Uzbekistan has faced heavy criticism for arbitrary arrests Religious persecution, and Torture employed by the government on a regional "

However, non-government human rights watchdogs, such as IHF, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, as well as United States Department of State and Council of the European Union define Uzbekistan as "an authoritarian state with limited civil rights"^[2] and express profound concern about "wide-scale violation of virtually all basic human rights". The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights ( IHF) is a self-governing group of non-governmental not-for-profit organizations that act to protect human rights Human Rights Watch is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Human rights. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to The Council of the European Union is the principal decision making institution in the European Union (EU ^[3] According to the reports, the most widespread violations are torture, arbitrary arrests, and various restrictions of freedoms: of religion, of speech and press, of free association and assembly. ^[4] The reports maintain that the violations are most often committed against members of religious organizations, independent journalists, human rights activists, and political activists, including members of the banned opposition parties. In 2005, Uzbekistan was included into Freedom House's "The Worst of the Worst: The World's Most Repressive Societies". Freedom House is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Democracy, political

The official position is summarized in a memorandum "The measures taken by the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of providing and encouraging human rights"^[5] and amounts to the following: the government does everything that is in its power to protect and to guarantee the human rights of Uzbekistan's citizens. Uzbekistan continuously improves its laws and institutions in order to create a more humane society. Over 300 laws regulating the rights and basic freedoms of the people have been passed by the parliament. For instance, an office of Ombudsman was established in 1996. An ombudsman ( English plural conventionally ombudsmen) is an official usually (but not always appointed by the government or by parliament who is charged with ^[6] On August 2, 2005, President Islom Karimov signed a decree that was to abolish capital punishment in Uzbekistan on January 1, 2008. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

The 2005 civil unrest in Uzbekistan, which resulted in several hundred people being killed is viewed by many as a landmark event in the history of human rights abuse in Uzbekistan,^[7][8][9] A concern has been expressed and a request for an independent investigation of the events has been made by the United States, European Union, the UN, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The Andijan massacre occurred when Uzbek Interior Ministry and National Security Service troops fired into a crowd of Protesters in Andijan The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The government of Uzbekistan is accused of unlawful termination of human life, denying its citizens freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. The government vehemently rebuffs the accusations, maintaining that it merely conducted an anti-terrorist operation, exercising only necessary force. ^[10] In addition, some officials claim that "an information war on Uzbekistan has been declared" and the human rights violations in Andijan are invented by the enemies of Uzbekistan as a convenient pretext for intervention into the country's internal affairs. ^[11]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Uzbekistan

See also: List of cities in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is approximately the size of Morocco and has an area of 447,400 square kilometers (172,700 sq mi). Uzbekistan is a country of Central Asia, located north of Afghanistan. This is a list of cities in Uzbekistan. The names of many places have been changed during the last century sometimes more than once Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. It is the 56th largest country in the world by area and the 42nd by population. ^[12] Among the CIS countries, it is the 5th largest by area and the 3rd largest by population. ^[13]

Uzbekistan stretches 1,425 kilometers (885 mi) from west to east and 930 kilometers (578 mi) from north to south. Bordering Kazakhstan and the Aral Sea to the north and northwest, Turkmenistan to the southwest, Tajikistan to the southeast, and Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Uzbekistan is not only one of the larger Central Asian states but also the only Central Asian state to border all the other four. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Uzbekistan also shares a short border (less than 150 km) with Afghanistan to the south. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country; it is one of two double-landlocked countries in the world, i. Lake Tcharvak (also transliterated as Charvak) is an Artificial lake in the northern part of Tashkent Province, Uzbekistan. A landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land e. , a country completely surrounded by land-locked countries – the other being Liechtenstein. The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland Less than 10% of its territory is intensively cultivated irrigated land in river valleys and oases. The rest is vast desert (Kyzyl Kum) and mountains. The Kyzyl Kum (Qizilqum Қызылқұм also called Qyzylqum, is the 11th largest Desert in the world The highest point in Uzbekistan is 4,643 meters (15,233 ft), located in the southern part of the Gissar Range in Surkhandarya Province, on the border with Tajikistan, just north-west of Dushanbe (formerly called Peak of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party, today apparently unnamed). Gissar Range is a Mountain range in Central Asia, in the western part of the Pamir–Alay system stretching over 200 km in the general east-west direction across Surxondaryo Province (Surxondaryo viloyati Сурхондарё вилояти Persian سرخان‌دریا UniPers "sorxāndaryā" old spelling Surkhandarya Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Dushanbe (Душанбе Dushanbe; formerly Dyushambe or Stalinabad) population 661100 people (2006 census is the Capital and largest city ^[13]

The climate in the Republic of Uzbekistan is continental, with little precipitation expected annually (100–200 millimeters, or 3. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of 9–7. 9 inches). The average summer temperature tends to be 40 °C, while the average winter temperature is around 0 °C. Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature ^[14]

Major cities include: Bukhara, Samarqand, Namangan, and the capital Tashkent. Bukhara (Buxoro Бухоро بُخارا Бухара also spelled as Bukhoro and Bokhara, from the Soghdian βuxārak ("lucky Samarkand (Samarqand Самарқанд سمرقند UniPers: "Samarqand" is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Namangan (Russian Наманган is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan (2006 pop

Provinces

Main article: Provinces of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is divided into twelve provinces (viloyatlar, singular viloyat, compound noun viloyati e. Uzbekistan is divided into 12 Provinces ( viloyatlar, singular Viloyat, viloyati in compound e A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. A wilāyah (ولاية or vilâyet (in Persian and Ottoman Turkish) is an administrative division usually g. Toshkent viloyati, Samarqand viloyati, etc. ), one autonomous republic (respublika, compound noun respublikasi e. An autonomous republic is a type of Administrative division similar to a Province. g. Qaraqalpaqstan Avtonom Respublikasi, Karakalpakistan Autonomous Republic, etc. ), and one independent city (shahar. An independent city is a City that does not form part of another general-purpose Local government entity Shahar is the god of dawn in the pantheon of Ugarit. He is the twin brother and counterpart of Shalim, the god of dusk compound noun shahri , e. g. Toshkent shahri). Names are given below in the Uzbek language, although numerous variations of the transliterations of each name exist. Uzbek ( O‘zbek tili or O'zbekcha in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script; أۇزبېك ﺗﻴﻠی in Arabic

Division	Capital City	Area (km²)	Population	Key
Andijon Viloyati	Andijon	4,200	0,1,899,000	2
Buxoro Viloyati	Buxoro (Bukhara)	39,400	0,1,384,700	3
Farg'ona Viloyati	Farg'ona (Fergana)	6,800	0,2,597,000	4
Jizzax Viloyati	Jizzax	20,500	0, 910,500	5
Xorazm Viloyati	Urganch	6,300	0,1,200,000	13
Namangan Viloyati	Namangan	7,900	0,1,862,000	6
Navoiy Viloyati	Navoiy	110,800	0, 767,500	7
Qashqadaryo Viloyati	Qarshi	28,400	0,2,029,000	8
Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi	Nukus	160,000	0,1,200,000	14
Samarqand Viloyati	Samarqand	16,400	0,2,322,000	9
Sirdaryo Viloyati	Guliston	5,100	0,648,100	10
Surxondaryo Viloyati	Termez	20,800	0,1,676,000	11
Toshkent Viloyati	Toshkent (Tashkent)	15,300	0,4,450,000	12
Toshkent Shahri	Toshkent (Tashkent)	No Data	0,2,205,000	1

The statistics for Toshkent Viloyati also include the statistics for Toshkent Shahri. Andijan Province ( Uzbek: Andijon viloyati / Андижон вилояти is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan, located in the eastern Andijan ( Andijon in Uzbek also Andizhan is the fourth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and the capital of the Andijan Province. Buxoro Province ( Bukhara Province) (Buxoro viloyati/Бухоро вилояти is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan located in the southwest of Bukhara (Buxoro Бухоро بُخارا Бухара also spelled as Bukhoro and Bokhara, from the Soghdian βuxārak ("lucky Fergana Province (Farg‘ona viloyati Ферганский вилоят is an Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan, located in the southern part of the Fergana Fergana or Farghana ( Uzbek: Farg'ona, Persian فرغانه, UniPers "Farqāna", Russian: Фергана Jizzakh Province ( Uzbek: Jizzax viloyati / Жиззах вилояти is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan located in the center of the Jizzakh (also spelled Jizzax, Djizak; in Джизак is a city (pop 138400 in 2004 and the center of Jizzakh Province in Uzbekistan Xorazm Province (Xorazm viloyati Хоразм вилояти or Khorezm Province as it is still more commonly known is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan Urgench ( Uzbek: Urganch / Урганч, Persian گرگانج Gorganch is a city (1999 pop Namangan Province (Namangan viloyati Russian Наманганская область is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan, located in the southern part of Namangan (Russian Наманган is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan (2006 pop Navoiy Province (Navoiy viloyati Навоий вилояти is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan located in the northwest of the country Navoiy is a city (pop 125800 in 2007 and the capital of Navoiy Province in the southwestern part of Uzbekistan. Qashqadaryo Province (Qashqadaryo viloyati Қашқадарё вилояти (old spelling Kashkadarya Province) is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan Qarshi (Qarshi Қарши نخشب UniPers: Naxšab) is a city in southern Uzbekistan. Karakalpakstan ( Karakalpak: Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikası or Қарақалпақстан Республикасы; Uzbek: Qoraqalpog`iston Nukus ( Karakalpak: No‘kis, formerly Нөкис) is the sixth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and the capital of the autonomous Karakalpakstan Samarqand Province (Samarkand Province (Samarqand viloyati is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan located in the center of the country in the basin of Zarafshan Samarkand (Samarqand Самарқанд سمرقند UniPers: "Samarqand" is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Sirdarya Province (Sirdaryo viloyati Сирдарё вилояти is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan, located in the center of the country on the left bank Guliston (formerly known as Mirzachul also spelled Gulistan is the capital of Sirdarya Province in eastern Uzbekistan. Surxondaryo Province (Surxondaryo viloyati Сурхондарё вилояти Persian سرخان‌دریا UniPers "sorxāndaryā" old spelling Surkhandarya Termez (Termiz ترمذ UniPers: "Termez" is a city in southern Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan. Toshkent Province (Toshkent viloyati Тошкент вилояти is a Viloyat (province of Uzbekistan, located in the northeastern part of the country between

The provinces are further divided into districts (tuman).

Economy

Main article: Economy of Uzbekistan

Along with many Commonwealth of Independent States economies, Uzbekistan's economy declined during the first years of transition and then recovered after 1995, as the cumulative effect of policy reforms began to be felt. Since independence the Government of Uzbekistan has stated that it is committed to a gradual transition to a Market-based economy. It has shown robust growth, rising by 4% per year between 1998 and 2003 and accelerating thereafter to 7%-8% per year. According to IMF estimates^[15], the GDP in 2008 will be almost double its value in 1995 (in constant prices). Since 2003 annual inflation rates averaged less than 10%.

Uzbekistan has a very low GNI per capita (US$610 in current dollars in 2006, giving a PPP equivalent of US$2,250). Gross National Income (GNI comprises the total value produced within a country (i The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. ^[16] By GNI per capita in PPP equivalents Uzbekistan ranks 169 among 209 countries; among the 12 CIS countries, only Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had lower GNI per capita in 2006. Economic production is concentrated in commodities: Uzbekistan is now the world's sixth-largest producer and second-largest exporter of cotton,^[17] as well as the seventh largest world producer of gold. It is also a regionally significant producer of natural gas, coal, copper, oil, silver, and uranium. ^[18] Agriculture employs 28% of Uzbekistan's labor force and contributes 24% of its GDP (2006 data). Agriculture in Uzbekistan employs 28% of the country's labor force and contributes 24% of its GDP (2006 data ^[13] While official unemployment is very low, underemployment - especially in rural areas - is estimated to be at least 20%. ^[19] Still, at cotton-harvest time, all students and teachers are mobilized as unpaid labour to help in the fields. ^[20]

Facing a multitude of economic challenges upon acquiring independence, the government adopted an evolutionary reform strategy, with an emphasis on state control, reduction of imports, and self-sufficiency in energy. Since 1994, the state controlled media have repeatedly proclaimed the success of this "Uzbekistan Economic Model"^[21] and suggested that it is a unique example of a smooth transition to the market economy while avoiding shock, pauperization, and stagnation.

The gradualist reform strategy has involved postponing significant macroeconomic and structural reforms. The state in the hands of the bureaucracy has remained a dominant influence in the economy. The New Class is a term to describe the privileged Ruling class of Bureaucrats and Communist party functionaries which typically arises in a Stalinist Corruption permeates the society and grows more rampant over time: Uzbekistan's 2005 Corruption Perception Index was 137 out of 159 countries, whereas in 2007 Uzbekistan is at the very bottom of the ranking, 175 out of 179. Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI ordering the countries of the world according to "the degree A February 2006 report on the country by the International Crisis Group suggests that revenues earned from key exports, especially cotton, gold, corn, and increasingly gas, are distributed among a very small circle of the ruling elite, with little or no benefit for the populace at large. The International Crisis Group ( ICG) is an independent international Non-profit, Non-governmental organization whose mission is to prevent and resolve ^[22][23]

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, "the government is hostile to allowing the development of an independent private sector, over which it would have no control". Samarkand (Samarqand Самарқанд سمرقند UniPers: "Samarqand" is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of The Economist Intelligence Unit ( EIU) is part of The Economist Group. ^[24] Thus, the national bourgeoisie in general, and the middle class in particular, are marginalized economically, and, consequently, politically. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power.

The economic policies have repelled foreign investment, which is the lowest per capita in the CIS. ^[25] For years, the largest barrier to foreign companies entering the Uzbekistani market has been the difficulty of converting currency. In 2003, the government accepted the obligations of Article VIII under the International Monetary Fund,^[26] providing for full currency convertibility. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic However, strict currency controls and the tightening of borders have lessened the effect of this measure.

Uzbekistan experienced galloping inflation of around 1000% per year immediately after independence (1992-1994). In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time Stabilization efforts implemented with active guidance from the IMF rapidly paid off, as inflation rates were brought down to 50% in 1997 and then to 22% in 2002. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic Since 2003 annual inflation rates averaged less than 10%. ^[15] Tight economic policies in 2004 resulted in a drastic reduction of inflation to 3. 8% (although alternative estimates based on the price of a true market basket, put it at 15%^[27]). Market Basket is a grocery chain that serves southeast Texas and Louisiana. The inflation rates moved up to 6. 9% in 2006 and 7. 6% in 2007, but have remained in the single-digit range. ^[28]

The government of Uzbekistan restricts foreign imports in many ways, including high import duties. Excise taxes are applied in a highly discriminatory manner to protect locally produced goods. Official tariffs are combined with unofficial, discriminatory charges resulting in total charges amounting to as much as 100 to 150% of the actual value of the product, making imported products virtually unaffordable. ^[29] Import substitution is an officially declared policy and the government proudly reports a reduction by a factor of two in the volume of consumer goods imported. ^[30] A number of CIS countries are officially exempt from Uzbekistan import duties.

The Republican Stock Exchange (RSE) 'Tashkent' opened in 1994. It houses a securities exchange, real estate traders, the national investment fund and the national securities depositary. It does not trade all joint-stock companies each month and therefore market capitalisation varies widely. ^[31]

Uzbekistan's external position has been strong since 2003. Thanks in part to the recovery of world market prices of gold and cotton, the country's key export commodities, expanded natural gas and some manufacturing exports, and increasing labour migrant transfers the current account turned into a large surplus – of between 9 and 11 per cent of GDP in 2003-05 – and foreign exchange reserves, including gold, more than doubled to around US$3 billion. ^[32]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country. Its 27. 7 million people^[1] comprise nearly half the region's total population.

The population of Uzbekistan is very young: 34. 1% of its are people are younger than 14. According to official sources, Uzbeks comprise a majority (80%) of the total population. The Uzbeks (Self designation sg O‘zbek, pl O‘zbeklar) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. Other ethnic groups include Russians 5. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries 5%, Tajiks 5%, Kazakhs 3%, Karakalpaks 2. Tajik ( - Tādjīk; UniPers: Tâjik; Cyrillic: Тоҷик is a term generally applied to Persian-speaking people of The Kazakhs (also spelled Kazaks, Qazaqs; Kazakh: Қазақтар qɑzɑqtɑr Russian: Казахи the English name is transliterated The Karakalpaks (also Qaraqalpaqs) are a Turkic ethnic group who mainly live in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya and in the (former delta 5%, and Tatars 1. Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups 5%. ^[33] There is some controversy about the percentage of the Tajik population. While official numbers from Uzbekistan put the number at 5%, some Western scholars believe it to be much higher, going as high as 40%. ^[34] There is also an ethnic Korean population that was forcibly relocated to Uzbekistan by Stalin in the 1930s. The Korean people are an East Asian Ethnic group. Most Koreans speak the Korean language. Population transfer in the Soviet Union may be classified into the following broad categories deportations of " Anti-Soviet " categories of population often classified There are also small groups of Armenians in Uzbekistan, mostly in Tashkent and Samarkand, most of them came during the Armenian Genocide. The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large The nation is 88% Muslim (mostly Sunni, with a 5% Shi'a minority), 9% Eastern Orthodox and 3% other faiths. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The U. S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2004 reports that 0. 2% of the population are Buddhist (these being ethnic Koreans). Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Bukharian Jews have lived in Central Asia, mostly in Uzbekistan, for thousands of years. Bukharan Jews, also Bukharian Jews or Bukhari Jews, ( בוכרים, Bukharim) are Jews from Central Asia who speak There were also an estimated 93,000 Jews in Uzbekistan in the early 1990s (source Library of Congress Country Studies). PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ But now, since the collapse of the USSR, most Central Asian Jews left the region for the United States or Israel. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Only about 500-1,500 Jews remain in Uzbekistan.

At least 10 percent of the Uzbekistan's labour force works abroad (mostly in Russia and Kazakhstan). Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the ^[35]

Uzbekistan has a 99. 3% literacy rate among adults older than 15,^[36] which is attributable to the free and universal education system of the Soviet Union.

Languages

The Uzbek language is the only official state language. Uzbek ( O‘zbek tili or O'zbekcha in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script; أۇزبېك ﺗﻴﻠی in Arabic ^[37] Russian is still an important language for interethnic communication, especially in the cities, including much day-to-day technical, scientific, governmental and business use. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages The use of Russian in remote rural areas has always been limited, and today school children have no proficiency in Russian even in urban centers. In 1992 Uzbekistan officially shifted back to Latin script from traditional considerations of consistency with Turkey, but many signs and notices (including official government boards in the streets) are still written in Uzbek Cyrillic script that had been used in Uzbek SSR since 1940. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Ўзбекистон Совет Социалистик Республикаси O`zbekiston Sovet Sotsialistik Respublikasi; Узбекская Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Computers as a rule operate using the so-called "Uzbek Cyrillic" keyboard, and Latin script is reportedly composed using the standard English keyboard.

Communications

Main article: Communications in Uzbekistan

According to the official source report, as of 10 March 2008, the number of cellular phone users in Uzbekistan reached 7 million, up from 3. Telephones - main lines in use 1976 million (1999 Telephones - mobile cellular 2500000 (2007 Internet - number of user 700000 (2005 June Telephone 7 million on 1 July 2007. ^[38] The largest mobile operator in terms of number of subscribers is MTS-Uzbekistan (former Uzdunrobita and part of Russian Mobile TeleSystems) and it is followed by Beeline (part of Russia's Beeline) and Coscom (owned by US MCT Corp. , but there is news that it is selling its asset to TeliaSonera. ^[39]

As of 1 July 2007, the estimated number of internet users was 1. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 8 million, according to UzACI.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, the nation's capital and largest city, has a three-line rapid transit system built in 1977, and expanded in 2001 after ten years' independence from the Soviet Union. Because of low investment and poor maintenance Uzbekistan 's overland transportation Infrastructure has declined significantly in the post-Soviet era A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Uzbekistan is currently the only country in Central Asia with a subway system, and promotes itself as one of the cleanest systems in the world. The stations are exceedingly ornate. For example Kosmonavtov is decorated throughout using a space travel theme to recognise the achievements of an Uzbek Cosmonaut

There are government operated trams, buses and trolley buses running across the city. A human spaceflight is a Spaceflight with a human crew, and possibly passengers There are also many taxis, both registered and unregistered. Uzbekistan has car-producing plants which produce modern cars. The car production is supported by the government and the Korean auto company Daewoo. This article is about the Chaebol Daewoo Group For the Korean auto company Daewoo Motors that is associated with Chevrolet, see GM Daewoo. The Uzbek government acquired a 50% stake in Daewoo in 2005 for an undisclosed sum, and in May 2007 UzDaewooAuto, the car maker, signed a strategic agreement with General Motors-Daewoo Auto and Technology (GMDAT). ^[40] The government also bought a stake in Turkey's Koc in SamKocAuto, a producer of small buses and lorries. Afterwards, it signed an agreement with Isuzu Motors of Japan to produce Isuzu buses and lorries. ^[41]

Train links connect many towns within Uzbekistan, as well as neighbouring ex-republics of the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Moreover, after independence two fast-running train systems were established. There is also a large airplane plant that was built during the Soviet era – Tashkent Chkalov Aviation Manufacturing Plant or ТАПОиЧ in Russian. The plant originated during World War II, when production facilities were evacuated south and east to avoid capture by advancing Nazi forces. Until the late 1980s, the plant was one of the leading airplane production centers in the USSR, but with collapse of the Soviet Union its manufacturing equipment became outdated, and most of the workers were laid off. Now it produces only a few planes a year, but with interest from Russian companies growing in it, there are rumors of production-enhancement plans.

Military

Main article: Military of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan possesses the largest military force in the Central Asian region, having around 65,000 people in uniform. Uzbekistan possesses the largest military force in Central Asia, with around 55000 people in uniform Its structure is inherited from the Soviet armed forces, although it is moving rapidly toward a fully restructured organization, which will eventually be built around light and Special Forces. The Uzbekistan Armed Forces equipment is not modern, and training, while improving, is neither uniform nor adequate for its new mission of territorial security. The government has accepted the arms control obligations of the former Soviet Union, acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (as a non-nuclear state), and supported an active program by the U. S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in western Uzbekistan (Nukus and Vozrozhdeniye Island). The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (or DTRA) is an agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD created "to safeguard America and its interests Nukus ( Karakalpak: No‘kis, formerly Нөкис) is the sixth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and the capital of the autonomous Karakalpakstan This article is about the island For the album by Folk metal band Arkona, see Vozrozhdeniye. The Government of Uzbekistan spends about 3. 7% of GDP on the military but has received a growing infusion of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and other security assistance funds since 1998. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. S. , Uzbekistan approved the U. S. Central Command's request for access to a vital military air base, Karshi-Khanabad Airbase, in southern Uzbekistan. Karshi-Khanabad is an Airbase in south-eastern Uzbekistan at. However Uzbekistan demanded that the U. S. withdraw from the airbases after the Andijan massacre and the U. The Andijan massacre occurred when Uzbek Interior Ministry and National Security Service troops fired into a crowd of Protesters in Andijan S. reaction to this massacre. The last US troops left Uzbekistan in November 2005.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991. Uzbekistan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991 However, it is opposed to reintegration and withdrew from the CIS collective security arrangement in 1999. Since that time, Uzbekistan has participated in the CIS peacekeeping force in Tajikistan and in UN-organized groups to help resolve the Tajikistan and Afghanistan conflicts, both of which it sees as posing threats to its own stability.

Previously close to Washington (which gave Uzbekistan half a billion dollars in aid in 2004, about a quarter of it military), the government of Uzbekistan has recently restricted American military use of the airbase at Karshi-Khanabad for air operations in neighboring Afghanistan. Karshi-Khanabad is an Airbase in south-eastern Uzbekistan at. ^[42] Uzbekistan was an active supporter of U. S. efforts against worldwide terrorism and joined the coalitions that have dealt with both Afghanistan and Iraq. The relationship between Uzbekistan and the United States began to deteriorate after the so-called "color revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine (and to a lesser extent Kyrgyzstan). Colour revolutions is a term used to describe related movements that developed in post-communist societies in Central and Eastern Europe, and Central When the U. S. joined in a call for an independent international investigation of the bloody events at Andijon, the relationship took an additional nosedive, and President Islom Karimov changed the political alignment of the country to bring it closer to Russia and China, countries which chose not to criticize Uzbekistan's leaders for their alleged human rights violations. Andijan ( Andijon in Uzbek also Andizhan is the fourth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and the capital of the Andijan Province.

In late July 2005, the government of Uzbekistan ordered the United States to vacate an air base in Karshi-Kanabad (near the Uzbekistan's border with Afghanistan) within 180 days. Karimov had offered use of the base to the U. S. shortly after 9/11. It is also believed by some Uzbeks that the protests in Andijan were brought about by the UK and US influences in the area of Andijan. This is another reason for the hostility between Uzbekistan and the West.

Uzbekistan is a member of the United Nations (since March 2, 1992), the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Partnership for Peace, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) It belongs to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Economic Cooperation Organization (comprised of the five Central Asian countries, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC is an International organization with a permanent delegation to the United Nations. The Economic Cooperation Organization ( ECO) is an intergovernmental International organization involving seven Asian and three European nations Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and In 1999 , Uzbekistan joined the GUAM alliance (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova), which was formed in 1997 (making it GUUAM), but pulled out of the organization in 2005. GUAM redirects here See Guam for the Pacific island territory Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania Uzbekistan is also a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and hosts the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ( SCO) is an Intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Uzbekistan joined the new Central Asian Cooperation Organization (CACO) in 2002. The Organization of Central Asian Cooperation ( OCAC) (sometimes named Central Asian Cooperation Organization, CACO, Russian: Центрально-Азиатское The CACO consists of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Kyrgyzstan (ˈkɻ̩gɪztɑn (AmE or /'kɝgəztan/ (BrE Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия or Киргизстан or Кыргызстан It is a founding member of, and remains involved in, the Central Asian Union, formed with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and joined in March 1998 by Tajikistan.

In September 2006, UNESCO presented Islom Karimov an award for Uzbekistan's preservation of its rich culture and traditions. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 Despite criticism, this seems to be a sign of improving relationships between Uzbekistan and the West.

The month of October 2006 also saw a decrease in the isolation of Uzbekistan from the West. The EU announced that it was planning to send a delegation to Uzbekistan to talk about human rights and liberties, after a long period of hostile relations between the two. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Although it is equivocal about whether the official or unofficial version of the Andijan Massacre is true, the EU is evidently willing to ease its economic sanctions against Uzbekistan. The Andijan massacre occurred when Uzbek Interior Ministry and National Security Service troops fired into a crowd of Protesters in Andijan Nevertheless, it is generally assumed among the Uzbekistan's population that the government will stand firm in maintaining its close ties with the Russian Federation and in its theory that the 2004-2005 protests in Uzbekistan were promoted by the USA and UK. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Culture

Main article: Culture of Uzbekistan

See also: Music of Uzbekistan, Kurash, Islam in Uzbekistan, and Scout Association of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has a wide mix of ethnic groups and cultures, with the Uzbek being the majority group. Uzbekistan has a wide mix of ethnic groups and cultures with the Uzbek being the majority group Central Asian classical music is called Shashmaqam, which arose in Bukhara in the late 16th century when that city was a regional capital Kurash is a form of upright jacket wrestling native to Uzbekistan, practiced since ancient times Islam is by far the dominant Religion in Uzbekistan. In the early 1990s many of the Russians remaining in the Republic (about 8% of the Scouting in Uzbekistan was founded in 1995 and is working toward World Organization of the Scout Movement recognition The Uzbeks (Self designation sg O‘zbek, pl O‘zbeklar) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. In 1995 about 71% of Uzbekistan's population was Uzbek. The chief minority groups were Russians (8%), Tajiks (5%), Kazaks (4%), Tatars (2. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Tajik ( - Tādjīk; UniPers: Tâjik; Cyrillic: Тоҷик is a term generally applied to Persian-speaking people of Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups 5%), and Karakalpaks (2%). Karakalpak is a Turkic language mainly spoken by Karakalpaks in Karakalpakstan ( Uzbekistan) as well as by Bashkirs and Nogay It is said however that the number of non-Uzbek people living in Uzbekistan is decreasing as Russians and other minority groups slowly leave and Uzbeks return from other parts of the former Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

When Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991, it was widely feared that Muslim fundamentalism would spread across the region. Islamic fundamentalism Arabic: usul (from usul the "fundamentals"] is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the The expectation was that a country long denied freedom of religious practice would undergo a very rapid increase in the expression of its dominant faith. As of 1994, well over half of Uzbekistan's population was said to be Muslim, though in an official survey few of that number had any real knowledge of the religion or knew how to practice it. However, Islamic observance is increasing in the region.

Uzbekistan has a high literacy rate, with about 99. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, 3% of adults above the age of 15 being able to read and write. However with only 88% of the under 15 population currently enrolled in education this figure may drop in the future . Uzbekistan has encountered severe budgeting shortfalls in its education program. The education law of 1992 began the process of theoretical reform, but the physical base has deteriorated, and curriculum revision has been slow.

Uzbekistan's universities churn out almost 600,000 graduates annually.

Environment

Uzbekistan's environmental situation ought to be a major concern among the international community. Decades of questionable Soviet policies in pursuit of greater cotton production has resulted in a catastrophic scenario. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp The agricultural industry appears to be the main contributor to the pollution and devastation of the air and water in the country. ^[43]

The Aral Sea disaster is a classic example. The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i The Aral Sea used to be the fourth largest inland sea on Earth, acting as an influencing factor in the air moisture. This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 ^[44] Since the 1960s, the decade when the misuse of the Aral Sea water began, it has shrunk to less than 50% of its former area, and decreased in volume threefold. Reliable – or even approximate – data has not been collected, stored or provided by any organization or official agency. The numbers of animal deaths and human refugees from the area around the sea can only be guessed at. The question of who is responsible for the crisis – the Soviet scientists and politicians who directed the distribution of water during the sixties, or the post-Soviet politicians who did not allocate sufficient funding for the building of dams and irrigation systems - remains open.

Due to the almost insoluble Aral Sea problem, high salinity is widespread in Uzbekistan. Salinity is the Saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of Water. The vast majority of the nation's water resources are used for farming, which consumes nearly 94% of the water usage. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. ^[14] This results in a heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers. ^[14]

Multimedia

• National anthem of Republic of Uzbekistan on YouTube
• National anthem of Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic on YouTube

See also

References

External links

• Government of Uzbekistan
• Lower House of Uzbekistan parliament
• Upper House of Uzbekistan parliament
• Uzbekistan at the Open Directory Project
• Library of Congress - A Country Study: Uzbekistan
• Uzbekistan travel guide from Wikitravel
• Photos of Uzbekistan

Craig Murray (born October 1958 is a British Political activist, former Ambassador to Uzbekistan and current Rector of the University The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.

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