Uzbekistan

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Uzbekistan's Information


Capital	Tashkent
Languages	Uzbek (official) 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Ethnic Groups	Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
Religion	Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
Government	Presidential republic; highly authoritarian
Independance	1 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Area	447,400.00 km²
Water Area	22,000.00 km²
Land Area	425,400.00 km²
Population	29,473,614.00 Most of the population is concentrated in the fertile Fergana Valley in the easternmost arm of the country; the south has significant clusters of people, while the central and western deserts are sparsely populated
Location	Central Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan
No. Bordering Countries	5
Bordering Countries	Afghanistan 144 km, Kazakhstan 2,330 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,314 km, Tajikistan 1,312 km, Turkmenistan 1,793 km
GDP(PPP)	$202,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$6,500.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Switzerland, China, and Kazakhstan.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are energy products, cotton, gold, and mineral fertilizers.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Russia, and South Korea.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, and ferrous and nonferrous metals.
Climate	Tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April
Terrain	Mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Where is Uzbekistan?

Located in Central Asia, Uzbekistan has a 6,893.00 km border with Afghanistan (144 km), Kazakhstan (2,330 km), Kyrgyzstan (1,314 km), Tajikistan (1,312 km) and Turkmenistan (1,793 km). Prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan created water-sharing difficulties for some states.

The seat of Uzbekistan's is found in the capital city of Tashkent. It is located in the northeastern region of the Republic on the Chirchiq River. The city gained its capital status in 1930. Tashkent is the biggest city in Central Asia. It has a booming economy which has grown over the years from a small trading center. The city has a population of 2,371,000 people representing a population density of 15,300 people per square mile. The population consists of several communities. The city experiences a continental type of climate with July being the warmest month. January is the coldest month while February is the wettest month in the city. The best months to visit the city are in September, August, May, June, or July. Temperatures are at an average of 20 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Geography

Uzbekistan has a mean elevation of 0 m above sea level.

The climate is tropical with southeast trade winds from May to October and moderate rainfall from November to April. Its terrain is mostly flat with dunes, river valleys, and some mountains.

Population

Uzbekistan has a population of 29,473,614 making it the 44th largest in the world. The majority of the population lives around the fertile Fergana Valley.

Uzbek is the official langauge, while Russian and Tajik are also commonly spoken. The most common ethnic group reported is Uzbek. The majority of the population identifies as Muslim.

The official language of Uzbekistan is Uzbek. It is a Turkic language belonging to the Qarluq branch in the Altaic cluster of languages and has close relations with Uyghur and Kazak. The Tashkent dialect forms the foundation for the officially used written form of the language despite the many dialects spoken in different regions in the country. Turkmen has high influences over the dialects spoken in the northern and western parts of Uzbekistan. Before the 1990s, the language was known as Turki. Since 1992, Uzbek has used the Latin alphabet comprising of 26 letters. 85% of the people living in the country speak Uzbek. An estimated 14% speak Russian which is, therefore, the second most used language in the country, while 10% of the population speaks Tajik. There are various similarities in words and grammatical structure between Uzbek and Turkish since the language stemmed from Chagatai which is mainly used in eastern Turkish. Other languages used in Uzbekistan are Russian, Tajik, Arabic, Karakalpak, Kazakh, Crimean Tatar, Bukhari, and Korean Turkish.

Government

Uzbekistan is an independent country. It gained its independence with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Its constitution was last ratified in 1992.

In Uzbekistan, the President is both the head of government and the chief of state. The country has a presidential constitutional republic where the president wields executive powers. The office of the president was established on March 24, 1990. The parliament in Uzbekistan is also known as the Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis. It is a bicameral legislature comprising of the Senate and Legislative assembly. The Senate and Legislative chamber comprise of 100 members and 150 members respectively. The parliament building is situated in Tashkent and is found within the Uzbekistan National Park. Its facade is opposite Bunyodkor Street alongside the Alisher Navoi Memorial, Concert Hall, and Abul Qosim Madrassah. Eligible voters are aged 18 years and above while members of the two chambers of parliament should be 25 years and above to be elected. General elections are conducted after every five years and candidates vying for the presidential seat should be 35 years and above, proficient in the official language and permanent residents of Uzbekistan for at least ten years before the elections. Dominant political parties in the country are the Social Democratic Justice Party, National Revival Democratic Party, People’s Democratic Party, and Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Uzbekistan's GDP is $202,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $6,500.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 63rd largest economy and its citizens the 154th richest in the world. The currency of Uzbekistan is the Som (UZS).

Its major export partners are Switzerland, China, and Kazakhstan. Its main exports are energy products, cotton, gold, and mineral fertilizers. Its major import partners are China, Russia, and South Korea. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, and ferrous and nonferrous metals.

Flag

The flag of the Republic of Uzbekistan has four stripes of red, white, blue, and green. The first stripe has a crescent with twelve stars (both white) while the band is blue. The white band is in between two thin red bands, and green color covers the last band. The green color is a symbol of nature while the white is a symbol of peace and purity. Blue stands for sky and water, and red symbolizes life. The crescent on the first stripe is a symbol of Islam. The 12 stars represent the months of the year. The country got its flag from a contest that had 200 entries. The flag chosen had a similar pattern to the flag used when the country was under the Soviet Union.The current flag of Uzbekistan was adopted on November 18, 1991.