Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan Background

Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of white gold (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.

Uzbekistan Information

• Population: 26,410,416 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Uzbekistani adjective: Uzbekistani
• Location:: Central Asia, north of Afghanistan
• Religions:: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
• Ethnic Groups:: Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
• Land Boundaries:: total: 6,221 km border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km
• Area: total: 447,400 sq km water: 22,000 sq km land: 425,400 sq km
• Coast Line: 0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline
• Climate: mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east
• 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
• Maritime Claims: none (doubly landlocked)
• Land Use: arable land: 10.83% permanent crops: 0.83% other: 88.34% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: shrinkage of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and
• Natural Resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum
• Highways: total: 81,600 km paved: 71,237 km unpaved: 10,363 km (1999 est.)
• Railways: total: 3,950 km broad gauge: 3,950 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Termiz (Amu Darya)
• Airports: 247 (2003 est.)