Uzbekistan

O‘zbekiston Respublikasi O‘zbekiston Jumhuriyati Ўзбекистон Республикаси Republic of Uzbekistan
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: none
Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Capital (and largest city)	Tashkent 41°16′N 69°13′E
Official languages	Uzbek
Government	Authoritarian republic
- President	Islom Karimov
- Prime Minister	Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Independence	from the Soviet Union
- Formation	1747, as Bukharian Emirate, Kokand Khanate, Khwarezm
- Declared	September 1 1991
- Recognized	December 8 1991
- Completed	December 25 1991
Area
- Total	447,400 km² (56th) 172,742 sq mi
- Water (%)	4.9
Population
- July 2005 estimate	26,593,000
- Density	59/km² 153/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$50.395 billion
- Per capita	$1,920
HDI  (2003)	0.694 (medium)
Currency	Uzbekistani som (UZS)
Time zone	UZT (UTC+5)
- Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+5)
Internet TLD	.uz
Calling code	+998

Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly-landlocked country in Central Asia, formerly of the Soviet Union, surrounded entirely by other landlocked states.

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 leading cities of the Silk Road - Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva - are located in Uzbekistan.

But the heavy use of agrochemicals, diversion of huge amounts of irrigation water from the two rivers that feed the region, and the chronic lack of water treatment plants have caused health and environmental problems on an enormous scale.

Geography

Map of Uzbekistan

The name Uzbek, both for the people and for the nation itself, is said to be self-referential from the period the Russians first encountered the people, parsing as ozum bek, or "I am the lord (or ruler)". The word ozbek means “real”, “original”, or “true”. The word “oz” means “leader” and “bek” means “noble”.

Bordering Turkmenistan to the southwest, Kazakhstan and the Aral Sea to the north, and Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to the south and east, Uzbekistan is not only one of the larger Central Asian states but also the only Central Asian state to border all of the other four. Uzbekistan also shares a short border with Afghanistan to the south.

With a land area of 172,700 square miles, (447,400 square kilometres, Uzbekistan is approximately the size of Morocco or California, and is the 56th-largest country (after Sweden). Uzbekistan stretches 885 miles (1425 km) from west to east and 578miles (930km) from north to south.

Uzbekistan is a dry, country of which 10 percent consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. It is one of two double-landlocked countries in the world (the other being Liechtenstein) although Uzbekistan has borders with two countries (Kazakhstan in the north and Turkmenistan in the south) bordering the landlocked but non-freshwater Caspian Sea from which ships can reach the Sea of Azov and thus the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the oceans.

The physical environment ranges from the flat, desert topography that comprises almost 80 percent of the country territory to mountain peaks in the east. The highest point is Adelunga Togh at 14,111 feet (4301 meters) above sea level

File:Bactrian camel.jpg

The Qyzylqum is one of the largest deserts in the world. In the picture: Bactrian camel.

Southeastern Uzbekistan is characterized by the foothills of the Tian Shan mountains, which form a natural border between Central Asia and China. The vast Qizilqum ("red sand") Desert, shared with southern Kazakstan, dominates the northern lowland region. The most fertile part of Uzbekistan, the Fergana Valley, is an area of about 21,440 square kilometers directly east of the Qizilqum and surrounded by mountain ranges to the north, south, and east. The western end of the valley is defined by the course of the Syr Darya, which runs across the northeastern sector of Uzbekistan from southern Kazakstan into the Qizilqum.

Water resources are unevenly distributed, and in short supply in most of Uzbekistan. The vast plains that occupy two-thirds of Uzbekistan's territory have little water, and there are few lakes. The two largest rivers are the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, which originate in the mountains of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, respectively.

The mountain areas are especially prone to earthquakes. Indeed, much of Uzbekistan's capital city, Tashkent, was destroyed in a major earthquake in 1966, and other earthquakes have caused significant damage before and since the Tashkent disaster.

Uzbekistan climate has a continental climate, with hot summers and cool winters. Summer temperatures often surpass 104°F (40°C), while winter temperatures average about –9.4°F (-23°C), but may fall as low as -40°C. Most of the country also is quite arid, with average annual rainfall amounting to between four and eight inches (100 and 200 millimeters) and occurring mostly in winter and spring. Between July and September, little precipitation falls, essentially stopping the growth of vegetation during that period.

Fauna include the extremely rare Saiga antelope] (Saiga tatarica) and a large lizard Desert monitor) that can reach lengths of five feet (1.6 meters), the Bukhara Deer (a local species of Cervus elaphus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetus)

Abandoned ship near Aral, Kazakhstan

But the heavy use of agrochemicals, diversion of huge amounts of irrigation water from the two rivers that feed the region, and the chronic lack of water treatment plants have caused health and environmental problems on an enormous scale.

The most visible damage has been to the Aral Sea, which in the 1970s was larger than most of the Great Lakes of North America. Sharply increased irrigation caused the sea to shrink. By 1993, the Aral Sea had lost an estimated 60 percent of its volume, and was breaking into three unconnected segments. Increasing salinity and reduced habitat killed the fish, destroying its fishing industry. The depletion of this large body of water has increased temperature variations in the region, which has harmed agriculture.

Every year, many tons of salt and dust from the sea's dried bottom are carried as far as 800 kilometers away, and has led to the large-scale loss of plant and animal life, loss of arable land, changed climatic conditions, depleted yields on the cultivated land that remains, and destruction of historical and cultural monuments.

In addition, decades of poor water management and lack of water or sewage treatment plants, heavy use of pesticides, herbicides, defoliants, and fertilizers in the fields, and construction of industrial enterprises without regard to human or environmental impact present enormous environmental challenges throughout Uzbekistan.

In the early 1990s, about 60 percent of pollution control funding went to water-related projects, but only about half of cities and about one-quarter of villages have sewers. Communal water systems do not meet health standards; much of the population lacks drinking water systems and must drink water straight from contaminated irrigation ditches, canals, or the Amu Darya itself. According to one report, virtually all the large underground fresh-water supplies in Uzbekistan are polluted by industrial and chemical wastes.

File:RomanovPalace.jpg

Prince Romanov Palace, Tashkent.

Fewer than half of factory smokestacks in Uzbekistan are equipped with filtration devices, and none has the capacity to filter gaseous emissions. In addition, a high percentage of existing filters are defective or out of operation.

The government of Uzbekistan has acknowledged the extent of the country's environmental problems, and it has made a commitment to address them in its Biodiversity Action Plan. But the governmental structures to deal with these problems remain confused and ill defined.

Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and also of Tashkent Province. The population of the city in 2006 was 1,967,879.

History

The territory of Uzbekistan was populated in the second millennium B.C.E. There are findings of early human tools and monuments in Ferghana, Tashkent, Bukhara, Khorezm (Khwarezm, Chorasmia) and Samarkand regions.

Alexander the Great conquered Sogdiana and Bactria in 327 B.C.E., marrying Roxana, daughter of a local Bactrian chieftain. However, 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 such as the Parthian and Sassanid Empires.

In the 14th century AD, Timur, known in the west as Tamerlane, overpowered the Mongols and built an empire. In his military campaigns, Tamerlane reached as far as the Middle East. He defeated Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I. Bayezid was captured, and died in captivity. Tamerlane sought to build a capital of his empire in Samarkand. Today Tamerlane is considered to be one of the greatest heroes in Uzbekistan who plays a significant role in its national identity and history. Following the fall of the Timurid Empire, Uzbek nomads conquered the region.

File:Vasili Vereshchagin Pust' Voidut.jpg

Khiva under Russian attack.

In the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to expand, and spread into Central Asia. The "Great Game" period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 a second less intensive phase followed. 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. Much of the land in between was unmapped.

By the beginning of the 20th 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. On August 31 1991, Uzbekistan reluctantly declared independence, marking September 1 as a national holiday. In subsequent ethnic tensions, two million Russians left the country for Russia.

The country now seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture - it is the world's second-largest exporter of cotton - while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. By the year 2004 there were very few Russians still living in Uzbekistan. The Russians that do still live there mostly consist of the elderly and the very poor.

Administrative divisions

Uzbekistan is divided into 12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat, viloyati in compound, e.g. Toshkent viloyati, Samarqand viloyati), 1 autonomous republic ([respublika], respublikasi in compound, e.g. Qaraqalpaqstan Avtonom Respublikasi, Karakalpakistan Autonomous Republic), and 1 independent city (shahar or shahri in compounds, e.g. the Tashkent city with a K, Toshkent shahri). Names are given below in the Uzbek language, although numerous variations of the transliterations of each name exist.

Map of Uzbekistan

Division	Capital City	Area (km²)	Population	Key
Andijon Viloyati	Andijon	4,200	1,899,000	2
Buxoro Viloyati	Buxoro (Bukhara)	39,400	1,384,700	3
Farg'ona Viloyati	Farg'ona (Fergana)	6,800	2,597,000	4
Jizzax Viloyati	Jizzax	20,500	910,500	5
Xorazm Viloyati	Urganch	6,300	1,200,000	13
Namangan Viloyati	Namangan	7,900	1,862,000	6
Navoiy Viloyati	Navoiy	110,800	767,500	7
Qashqadaryo Viloyati	Qarshi	28,400	2,029,000	8
Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi	Nukus	160,000	1,200,000	14
Samarqand Viloyati	Samarqand	16,400	2,322,000	9
Sirdaryo Viloyati	Guliston	5,100	648,100	10
Surxondaryo Viloyati	Termez	20,800	1,676,000	11
Toshkent Viloyati	Toshkent (Tashkent)	15,300	4,450,000	12
Toshkent Shahri	Toshkent (Tashkent)	???	???	1

The statistics for Toshkent Viloyati also include the statistics for Toshkent Shahri.

Enclaves and exclaves

There are four Uzbek Exclaves, all of them surrounded by Kyrgyz territory in the Fergana Valley region where Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan meet. Two of them are the towns of: Sokh, area of 325 km² (125 sq mi) with a population of 42,800 in 1993 (although some estimates go as high as 70,000) (99% are Tajiks and the remainder Uzbeks [1]); and Shakhrimardan (also known as Shakirmardon or Shah-i-Mardan), area of 90 km² (35 sq mi) with a population of 5,100 in 1993 (91% are Uzbeks and the remainder Kyrgyz). The other two are the tiny territories of Chong-Kara (or Kalacha), roughly 3 km (1.9 mi) long by 1 km (0.6 mi) wide, and Dzhangail, a dot of land barely 2 or 3 km (1.5 mi) across. Chong-Kara is on the Sokh river, between the Uzbek border and the Sokh exclave.

Uzbekistan has a Tajikistan enclave, the village of Sarvan, which includes a narrow, long strip of land about 15 km (9 mi) long by 1 km (0.6 mi) wide, alongside the road from Angren to Kokand. Last but not least, there is a tiny Kyrgyzstan enclave, the village of Barak (population 627), between the towns of Margilan and Fergana.

Economy

Uzbekistan is a country with a GNI per capita of US$460 and PPP equivalent of US$1860 [2]. Economic production is concentrated in commodities: Uzbekistan is now the world's fourth-largest producer and the world's second-largest exporter of cotton and the seventh world major producer of gold. It is also a regionally significant producer of natural gas, coal, copper, oil, silver, and uranium [3]. Agriculture contributes about 37% of GDP while employing 44% of the labor force [4]. Unemployment and underemployment are estimated to be at least 20% [5].

File:RomanovPalace.jpg

Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Facing a multitude of economic challenges upon acquiring independence, the government adopted an evolutionary reform strategy, with emphasis on state control, reduction of import, and self-sufficiency in energy. Since 1994, state controlled media repeatedly proclaimed success of this "Uzbek Economic Model" [6] as a unique example of 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. Corruption permeated the society: Uzbekistan's 2005 Index of perception of corruption is 137 out of 159. A February 2006 report on the country by the International Crisis Group illustrates one aspect of this corruption:

Much of Uzbekistan’s GDP growth comes from favourable prices for certain key exports, especially cotton, gold, and increasingly gas but the revenues from these commodities are distributed among a very small circle of the ruling elite, with little or no benefit for the populace at large. [7], [8].

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" [9]. Thus, the national bourgeoisie in general, and the middle class in particular, are marginalized economically, and, consequently, politically.

The economic policies have repelled foreign investment, which is the lowest per capita in the CIS [10]. For years, the largest barrier to foreign companies entering the Uzbek market has been difficulty in currency conversion. In 2003, the government accepted the obligations of Article VIII under the International Monetary Fund [11], providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened its effects.

Inflation, though lower than in the mid-1990s, remained high up until 2003 (estimated 50% in 2002, 21.9% in 2003, [12]). Tight economic policies in 2004 resulted in drastic reduction of inflation, to 3.8% (while alternative estimates [13] based on price of true market basket, put it at 15%). However, the relief appears to be transient, as IMF estimate of CPI-based inflation in Uzbekistan in 2005 is 14.1% [14].

The government of Uzbekistan restricts 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 percent of the actual value of the product, making imported products virtually unaffordable [15]. Import substitution is an officially declared policy and the government proudly reports [16] reduction in the consumer goods import by a factor of two. A number of the CIS countries are officially exempt from Uzbekistan import duties.

Demographics

Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country. Its 26 million people, concentrated in the south and east of the country, comprise nearly half the region's total population. Uzbekistan had been one of the poorest republics of the Soviet Union; much of its population was engaged in cotton farming in small rural collective farms (kolkhozy). In the recent years, the fraction of the rural population has continued to increase [17] now reaching 63.5%. The population of Uzbekistan is very young: 34.1% of it are people younger than 14.

Uzbekistan is predominantly Uzbek in ethnic composition. According to the CIA World Factbook[18], Uzbeks comprise 80% of the total population. Other ethnic groups include Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakhs 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, and Tatar 1.5%. The nation is 88% Muslim (mostly Sunni, with a 5% Shi'a minority) and 9% Eastern Orthodox. Uzbek is the only official state language. However, Russian is the de facto language for interethnic communication, including much day-to-day technical, scientific, governmental and business use. According to Ethnologue, 49% of the population of Uzbekistan can speak Russian. There is also some controversy in regard of the Tajik population. While official numbers from Uzbekistan put the number at 5%, some Western scholars believe the number to be much higher, going as far as 40%.

According to government figures about 817,000 disabled people were registered in Uzbekistan in 2003. This figure only shows how many disabled people have been registered according to Uzbek law. As many disabled people do not have the chance to get registered (due to knowledge about the legislation and difficulties to go through the registration procedure) it can be assumed that many more people are disabled. The World Health Organisation estimates that about 10% of each population have a disability. According to the WHO estimations the number of 2.5 million disabled people is more realistic.

The name Uzbek, both for the people and for the nation itself, is said to be self-referential from the period the Russians first encountered the people, parsing as ozum bek, or "I am the lord (or ruler)".

Uzbekistan enjoys 99.3% literacy rate (among adults older than 15) which, in part, is attributable to the free and universal education system of the Soviet Union.

Communications

According to the official source report, by the end of 2004, there were 544,100 users of cellular phones in Uzbekistan (an increase of 168% since the beginning of the year). An independent source, Ferghana.Ru, claims, however, that the users of cellular phones in Uzbekistan was only 450,000.

The number of Internet providers and operators by the end of 2004 was 477 (+181.4%). There were 675,000 Internet users in the country (+137%). 96.4% cities and 72.5% district centers have digital telecommunications systems.

Transportation

Tashkent, the nation's capital and largest city, has a 3 line-subway built in 1977, and expanded 2001 after independence from the Soviet Union. Uzbekistan is considered as the only country in Central Asia with subway system which is considered as one of the cleanest subway systems in the world. There are government operated trams, buses and trolleybuses (buses connected to the electric cables above them) running across the city. Also there are many taxis, both registered and not registered. Uzbekistan has car producing plans which produce modern cars. The car production is supported by the government and Korean auto company "Daewoo". The train links are good. They connect many towns within Uzbekistan as well as with neighbouring ex-republics of the Soviet Union. Moreoever, after independence two fast running train systems have been established. Also, there is a huge plane plan that was built during Soviet era.

Military

Uzbekistan possesses the largest military force in the Central Asian region, having around 65,000 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 Uzbek 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 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. Uzbekistan approved the U.S. Central Command's request for access to a vital military air base, Karshi-Khanabad Airbase, in southern Uzbekistan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. After the Andijan riot and subsequent U.S. reaction, Uzbekistan demanded that the U.S. withdraw from the airbases. The last US troops left Uzbekistan in November 2005.

Foreign relations

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 Tajik and Afghan 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 restricted American military use of the airbase at Karshi-Khanabad which is used for air operations in neighboring Afghanistan. See AP article

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 Kyrgystan). 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 Islam Karimov changed the political alignment of the country closer to Russia and China, countries which chose not to criticize Uzbekistan's leaders for the alleged human rights violations.

In late July, 2005, the government of Uzbekistan ordered the United States to vacate an air base in Karshi-Kanabad (near the Uzbek 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 inspired seclusively by the UK and US influences in the area of Andijan. So far, this is another reason for the hostility between Uzbekistan and the West.

It 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). 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. 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. Uzbekistan is also a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and hosts the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent. Uzbekistan also joined the new Central Asian Cooperation Organization (CACO) in 2002. The CACO consists of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is a founding member of and remains involved in the Central Asian Union, formed with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, joined in March, 1998, by Tajikistan.

In September the UNESCO presented Islam Karimov an award for Uzbekistan's preservation of its rich culture and traditions. Despite the fact that the former received criticism, this seems to be a sign of ameliorating relationships between Uzbekistan and the West.

The month of October 2006 tends to decrease the isolation of Uzbekistan from the West. The EU recently announced that it was planning to send its delegation to Uzbekistan to talk about human rights and liberties after a long time of hostile relations between the two. Although it is not completely decisive on whether the official or unofficial version about the Andijan Massacre is true, the EU showed concern at easing its economic sanctions against Uzbekistan. Nevertheless, it is highly assumed among the Uzbek population that the Uzbek government will stand firm in maintaining its close ties with the Russian Federation and in its critique that the 2004-2005 protests in Uzbekistan were promoted by the USA and UK.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Uzbekistan

• Music of Uzbekistan
• Kurash
• Islam in Uzbekistan
• Scout Association of Uzbekistan

Further reading

• Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia by Tom Bissell
• A Historical Atlas of Uzbekistan by Aisha Khan
• The Modern Uzbeks From the 14th Century to the Present: A Cultural History by Edward A. Allworth
• Nationalism in Uzbekistan: Soviet Republic's Road to Sovereignty by James Critchlow
• Odyssey Guide: Uzbekistan by Calcum Macleod and Bradley Mayhew
• Uzbekistan: Heirs to the Silk Road by Johannes Kalter and Margareta Pavaloi
• "Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?" by Ted Rall
• Murder in Samarkand - A British Ambassador's Controversial Defiance of Tyranny in the War on Terror by Craig Murray

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Anora Mahmudova, AlterNet, May 27, 2005, Uzbekistan’s Growing Police State (checked 2005-11-08)
• Manfred Nowak, Radio Free Europe, 2005-06-23, UN Charges Uzbekistan With Post-Andijon Torture,
• Gulnoza Saidazimova, Radio Free Europe, 2005-06-22, Uzbekistan: Tashkent reveals findings on Andijon uprising as victims mourned
• BBC News, 'Harassed' BBC shuts Uzbek office, 2005-10-26 (checked 2005-11-15)
• CIA - The World Factbook — Uzbekistan
• Denial of Justice in Uzbekistan, report to OMCT
• The worst of the worst, the world's most repressive societies, 2005.
• The measures, taken by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of providing and encouraging human rights
• Uzbekistan' s Ombudsman reports on 2002 results
• Jeffrey Thomas, US Government Info September 26, 2005 Freedom of Assembly, Association Needed in Eurasia, U.S. Says,
• Robert McMahon, Radio Free Europe, 2005-06-07 Uzbekistan: Report Cites Evidence Of Government 'Massacre' In Andijon
• Amnesty International, public statement "Uzbekistan: Independent international investigation needed into Andizhan events"
• People's Voice, 2005-05-17 Andijan events: truth and lies
• Interview with Akmal Saidov, kreml.org, 2005-10-17 Andijon events are used as a pretext for putting an unprecedented pressure on Uzbekistan
• Worldbank per-country data on GNI and PPP per capita
• UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country Report on Uzbekistan
• Islam Karimov's interview to Rossijskaya Gazeta, 1995-07-07 Principles of Our Reform
• 2005 Index of Economic Freedom, Uzbekistan
• US Department of State, Uzbekistan: 2005 Investment Climate Statement
• The Republic of Uzbekistan Accepts Article VIII Obligations
• US Department of State, 2005-07 Background Note: Uzbekistan
• Asian Development Outlook for 2005, report on Uzbekistan
• IMF , 2005-09-24 Republic of Uzbekistan and the IMF
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan report on International Trade
• Uzbekistan: In for the Long Haul: report on the international response to Uzbekistan by the International Crisis Group

See also

• Agriculture in Uzbekistan
• Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge
• Companies of Uzbekistan
• Economy of Uzbekistan
• Uzbek cuisine
• Human rights in Uzbekistan
• President of Uzbekistan
• Prime Minister of Uzbekistan
• Politics of Uzbekistan
• Senate of Uzbekistan
• Supreme Court of Uzbekistan
• Trade unions of Uzbekistan
• Transport in Uzbekistan
• Trans-Caspian railway
• Tourism in Uzbekistan

External links

• Discover Uzbekistan
• Uzbekistan Government
• Open Directory Project - Uzbekistan directory category
• Library of Congress - A Country Study: Uzbekistan
• Uzbekistan Photo Gallery
• Travel story about Uzbekistan by Ira Spitzer
• Lots of Uzbekistanian Recipes on www.CookBookWiki.com
• Uzbek English online dictionary
• Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty News and Features on Uzbekistan in English.
• Startpage Uzbekistan
• Undercover in Uzbekistan Documentary
• Uzbekistan's Ombudsman - Authorized Person for Human Rights of Uzbekistan's Parliament (Oliy Majlis)
• Lower House of Uzbek parliament
• Upper House of Uzbek parliament
• Uzbek news web site

• Travel guide to Uzbekistan from Wikitravel

Template:Countries of Central Asia

Countries of Asia

Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan¹ · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China, People's Republic of · China, Republic of (Taiwan)² · Cyprus · Egypt³ · Georgia¹ · India · Indonesia⁴ · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan¹ · Korea, Democratic People's Republic of · Korea, Republic of · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia¹ · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste (East Timor)⁴ · Turkey¹ · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen³

For dependent and other territories, see Dependent territory and List of unrecognized countries.

¹ Partly or significantly in Europe.  ² The Republic of China (Taiwan) is not officially recognized by the United Nations; see Political status of Taiwan.
³ Partly or significantly in Africa.  ⁴ Partly or wholly reckoned in Oceania.

Template:Commonwealth of Independent States

Turkic-speaking regions

Federal subjects of Russia shown in italics

Western Turkic  Azerbaijan1 Gagauzia (Moldova)  Kazakhstan  Uzbekistan Eastern Turkic  Altai Republic  Tuva

Bashkortostan  Kabardino-Balkaria  Tatarstan  Xinjiang (China (PRC))  Khakassia

Chuvashia  Karachay-Cherkessia  Turkey  Kyrgyzstan

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus2 Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan)  Turkmenistan  Sakha Republic

¹ Includes the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. ² Recognized only by Turkey; see Cyprus dispute.

Template:GUAM

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Uzbekistan  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Uzbekistan"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.