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HistoryAlexander the Great conquered Sogdiana and Bactria in 327 BC, 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 fourteenth 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, who was captured, and died in captivity. 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 Orlat plaque, found in Uzbekistan, depicts a battle of warriors in cataphract, thought to be Sakas or Sogdians. 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. On August 31 1991, Uzbekistan reluctantly declared independence, marking September 1 as a national holiday. 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. Geography
Uzbekistan stretches 1,425 kilometers (885 mi) from west to east and 930 kilometers (578 mi) from north to south. 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 the other four. Uzbekistan also shares a short border with Afghanistan to the south. Uzbekistan is a dry, double-landlocked country; it is one of two double-landlocked countries in the world - the other being Liechtenstein. 10% of its territory is intensely cultivated irrigated river valleys. The highest point in Uzbekistan is Adelunga Toghi at 4,301 meters (14,111 ft). The Climate in the Republic of Uzbekistan is continental, with little precipitation expected annually (100-200 milimeters, or 3.9-7.9 inches). The average summer temperature tends to be 400C, while the average winter temperature is around -230C. [1] Major cities include: Bukhara, Samarqand and Tashkent. Provinces) Political Map of Uzbekistan
The statistics for Toshkent Viloyati also include the statistics for Toshkent Shahri. EconomyUzbekistan has a very low GNI per capita (US$460 giving a PPP equivalent of US$1860) [4]. Economic production is concentrated in commodities: Uzbekistan is now the world's fourth-largest producer and the world's second-largest exporter of cotton, 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 [5]. Agriculture contributes about 37% of GDP while employing 44% of the labor force [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html]. Unemployment and underemployment are estimated to be at least 20% [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html]. ) Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. 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 permeates the society: Uzbekistan's 2005 Index of perception of corruption is 137 out of 159 countries. A February 2006 report on the country by the International Crisis Group illustrates one aspect of this corruption:
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 the difficulty of converting currency. 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 the tightening of borders have lessened the effect of this measure. Inflation, although lower than in the mid-1990s, remained high until 2003 (an estimated 50% in 2002 and 21.9% in 2003, [12]). Tight economic policies in 2004 resulted in a drastic reduction of inflation, to 3.8% (althgouh alternative estimates, [13] based on the price of a true market basket, put it at 15%). However, the relief appears to be transient, as the 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% 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] a reduction by a factor of two in the volume of consumer goods imported. A number of CIS countries are officially exempt from Uzbekistan import duties. Demographics) Uzbek police officers and young men pose in front of a historic Mosque in Samarkand as most Uzbeks follow Sunni Islam. Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country. Its 27.7 million people[1], and concentrated in the south and east of the country, comprise nearly half the region's total population. Uzbekistan was 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 recent years, the fraction of the rural population has continued to increase [17] and now stands at 63.5%. 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. Other ethnic groups include Russians 5.5%, Tajiks 5%, Kazakhs 3%, Karakalpaks 2.5%, and Tatars 1.5%.[2] 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%.[3]. There is also an ethnic Korean population that was forcibly relocated to Uzbekistan by Stalin in the 1930s. There are also small groups of Armenians in Uzbekistan, mostly in Tashkent and Smararkand. The nation is 88% Muslim (mostly Sunni, with a 5% Shi'a minority), 9% Eastern Orthodox and 3% other faiths. The US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2004 reports that 0.2% of the population are Buddhist (these being mostly the ethnic Koreans). There were also an estimated 93,000 Jews in Uzbekistan in the early 1990s (source Library of Congress Country Studies). 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. The Persian language is widely spoken in the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara. At least 10 percent of the Uzbekistan's labour force works abroad (mostly in Russia and Kazakhstan).[4] Uzbekistan has a 99.3% literacy rate among adults older than 15,[5] which is, in part, attributable to the free and universal education system of the Soviet Union. CommunicationsAs of 1 July 2007, the estimated number of internet users was 1.8 million, according to UzACI. TransportationTrain links connect many towns within Uzbekistan, as well as neighbouring ex-republics of the Soviet Union. Moreover, after independence two fast-running train systems were established. Also, there is 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. MilitaryForeign relationsPreviously 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 (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 to bring it closer to Russia and China, countries which chose not to criticize Uzbekistan's leaders for their 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 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). 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 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, and joined in March 1998 by Tajikistan. In September 2006, UNESCO presented Islam Karimov an award for Uzbekistan's preservation of its rich culture and traditions. 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. 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. Nevertheless, it is generally assumed among the Uzbek population that the Uzbek 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. Culture
When Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991 it was widely believed that Muslim fundamentalism would spread across the region. The expectation was that an Islamic country long denied freedom of religious practice would undergo a very rapid increase in the expression of its dominant faith. As of 1994 about half of Uzbeks were 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 Islam is increasing in the region. Uzbekistan has a high literacy rate with about 99.3% 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. Uzbek universities churn out almost 600,000 skilled graduates annually.
EnvironmentUzbekistan's environmental situation ought to be a major concern among the international community. Decades of badly thought-out Soviet policies in pursuit of greater cotton production has resulted in a catastrophic scenario. The agricultural industry appears to be the main contributor to the pollution and devastation of the air and water in the country. [27]The Aral Sea disaster is a classic example. The Aral Sea used to be the fourth largest inland sea on Earth, acting as an influencing factor in the air moisture. [28] Since the 1960s, the decade 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. The vast majority of the nation's water resources are used for farming, which consumes nearly 94% of the water usage. [29] This results in a heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers. [30] Bibliography
References1. ^ July 2007 estimate; CIA World factbook, [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html#People Uzbekistan]
2. ^ 1996 data; CIA World factbook, [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html#People Uzbekistan] 3. ^ D. Carlson, "Uzbekistan: Ethnic Composition and Discriminations", Harvard University, August 2003 4. ^ International Crisis Group, Uzbekistan: Stagnation and Uncertainty, Asia Briefing N°67, 22 August 2007 (free registration needed to view full report) 5. ^ 2003 data; CIA World Factbook, [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/uz.html Uzbekistan]
See also
External linksOfficial sites
..... Click the link for more information. The National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uzbek: O`zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi) came into being when Uzbekistan was a republic of the Soviet Union. ..... Click the link for more information. capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of "capital") is the center of government. ..... Click the link for more information. Tashkent Uzbek: Toshkent, Тошкент Russian: Ташкент ..... Click the link for more information. Uzbekistani, while the ethnic Uzbek majority simply call themselves Uzbeks. Figures and Age StructurePopulation: 27,780,059 (July 2007 est.)Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.4% (male 4,587,338; female 4,416,014) 15-64 years: 62. ..... Click the link for more information. An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. It is typically the language used in a nation's legislative bodies, though the law in many nations requires that government documents be produced in other ..... Click the link for more information. Uzbek (O‘zbek tili in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script; أۇزبېك ﺗﻴﻠی in Arabic script) is an Eastern Turkic language and ..... Click the link for more information. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. In English, the name of a people's language is often the same as this word, e.g., the "French" (language or people). ..... Click the link for more information. Uzbeks (Self designation sg. O‘zbek, pl. O‘zbeklar) are a Turkic people of Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, ..... Click the link for more information. government is a body that has the power to make and the authority to enforce rules and laws within a civil, corporate, religious, academic, or other organization or group.[1] ..... Click the link for more information. republic, for all other uses see: republic (disambiguation) List of forms of government
Uzbekistan This article is part of the series: Politics of Uzbekistan
..... Click the link for more information. Islom Abdug‘aniyevich Karimov (Russian: Ислам Абдуганиевич Каримов Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov ..... Click the link for more information. Uzbekistan This article is part of the series: Politics of Uzbekistan
..... Click the link for more information. Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev (Russified form Shavkat Miramanovich Mirziyayev is also used) (born 1957) is the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan[1]. He was nominated by the President, Islom Karimov on December 12, 2003 and agreed by the Uzbek parliament. ..... Click the link for more information. Uzbekistan has a long and interesting heritage. The leading cities of the Silk Road - Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva - are located in Uzbekistan. As Russia extended its empire into Central Asia in the second half of the nineteenth century, Uzbekistan became part of Tsarist Russia ..... Click the link for more information. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (abbreviated USSR, Russian: (help info ) ; tr. ..... Click the link for more information. Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church, the new Liturgical Year (Indiction) also begins. ..... Click the link for more information. 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s 1988 1989 1990 - 1991 - 1992 1993 1994 Year 1991 (MCMXCI ..... Click the link for more information. December 8 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining. Events..... Click the link for more information. 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s 1988 1989 1990 - 1991 - 1992 1993 1994 Year 1991 (MCMXCI ..... Click the link for more information. December 25 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining. Events..... Click the link for more information. 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s 1988 1989 1990 - 1991 - 1992 1993 1994 Year 1991 (MCMXCI ..... Click the link for more information. Water is a common chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life.[1] In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or state, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor. ..... Click the link for more information. In mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100 (per cent meaning "per hundred"). It is often denoted using the percent sign, "%". For example, 45 % (read as "forty-five percent") is equal to 45 / 100, or 0.45. ..... Click the link for more information. population is the collection of people or organisms of a particular species living in a given geographic area or mortality, and migration, though the field encompasses many dimensions of population change including the family (marriage and divorce), public health, work and the ..... Click the link for more information. list of countries ordered according to population. The list includes and ranks sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories. Figures are based on the most recent estimate or projection by the national census authority where available and generally rounded off. ..... Click the link for more information. gross domestic product, or GDP, is one of the ways for measuring the size of its economy. The GDP of a country is defined as the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time (usually a calendar year). ..... Click the link for more information. The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. It is the method of using the long-run equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize the currencies' purchasing power. ..... Click the link for more information. 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 in a given year). The GDP dollar estimates given on this page are derived from Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) calculations. ..... Click the link for more information. This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| In the first phase of the project, completed in 2002, NEC installed the trunk line of a 2,500km-long fiber optical network linking the major cities of Uzbekistan with microwave communications system and public digital switching systems. Outside of China, multiple bomb blasts occurred in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan during 1998 and 1999, with the Kyrgyz government convicting three Uighurs for the blasts in Osh. The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights warns the persecution of activists in Uzbekistan has worsened since May 2005 when security forces sprayed machine gun fire on unarmed demonstrators in Andijan. |
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