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General Information about Uzbekistan
Geography
Location: Central Asia, north of Afghanistan
Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 64 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total: 447,400 sq km
land: 425,400 sq km
water: 22,000 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 6,221 km
border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km
Coastline: 0 km
note : Uzbekistan borders the Aral Sea (420 km)
Maritime claims: none (doubly landlocked)
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 and Syr Darya; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m
highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops : 1%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 41% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 40,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: drying up 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 the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salinization; soil contamination from agricultural chemicals, including DDT
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein are the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world
People
Population: 23,467,724 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 4,609,766; female 4,474,481)
15-64 years: 57% (male 6,593,525; female 6,703,482)
65 years and over : 4% (male 421,609; female 664,861) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.35% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 24.02 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 7.63 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 70.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.31 years
male : 60.69 years
female: 68.11 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.92 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Uzbekistani(s)
adjective: Uzbekistani
Ethnic groups: Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazak 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
Languages: Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 96% (1989 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form : Republic of Uzbekistan
conventional short form: Uzbekistan
local long form: Uzbekiston Respublikasi
local short form: none
former : Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: UZ
Government type: republic
National capital: Tashkent (Toshkent)
Administrative divisions: 12 wiloyatlar (singular - wiloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahri); Andijon Wiloyati, Bukhoro Wiloyati, Jizzakh Wiloyati, Farghona Wiloyati, Qoraqalpoghiston* (Nukus), Qashqadaryo Wiloyati (Qarshi), Khorazm Wiloyati (Urganch), Namangan Wiloyati, Nawoiy Wiloyati, Samarqand Wiloyati, Sirdaryo Wiloyati (Guliston), Surkhondaryo Wiloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri**, Toshkent Wiloyati
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 September (1991)
Constitution: new constitution adopted 8 December 1992
Legal system: evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet)
head of government: Prime Minister Utkur SULTONOV (since December 1995); First Deputy Prime Minister Ismoil JURABEKOV (since NA); First Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture Qobiljon OBIDOV (since NA); Deputy Prime Ministers Viktor CHIZHEN (since NA), Bakhtiyor HAMIDOV (since NA), Kayim HAQQULOV (since NA), Dilbar GHOLOMOVA (since NA), Alisher AZIZKHOJAYEV (since NA), Mirabror USMONOV (since NA), Murat SHARIFKHOJAYEV (since NA), Rustam YUNUSOV (since NA)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000; note - extension of President KARIMOV's term for an additional four years overwhelmingly approved - 99.6% of total vote in favor - by national referendum held 26 March 1995); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: Islom KARIMOV elected president; percent of vote - Islom KARIMOV 86%, Mukhammad SOLIKH 12%, other 2%
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis (250 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Democratic Party 207, Fatherland Progress Party 12, other 31; note - final runoffs were held 22 January 1995; seating was as follows: People's Democratic Party 69, Fatherland Progress Party 14, Social Democratic Party 47, local government 120
note: all parties in parliament support President KARIMOV
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly
Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Party or PDP (formerly Communist Party) [Islom A. KARIMOV, chairman]; Fatherland Progress Party or FPP [Anwar YULDASHEV, chairman]; Social Democratic Party [Anvar JORABAYEV, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Birlik (Unity) People's Movement or BPM [Ibrahim BURIYEV, chairman]; Islamic Rebirth Party or IRP [Abdullah UTAYEV, chairman]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party was banned 9 December 1992
note: UTAYEV or IRP is either in prison or in exile
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sodyk SAFAYEV
chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300
FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804
consulate(s) general : New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley T. ESCUDERO
embassy: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone : [7] (3712) 77-14-07, 77-10-81, 77-69-86
FAX: [7] (3712) 40-63-35
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a crescent moon and 12 stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant
Economy
Economy - overview: Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. It was one of the poorest areas of the former Soviet Union with more than 60% of its population living in overpopulated rural communities. Uzbekistan is now the world's third largest cotton exporter, a major producer of gold and natural gas, and a regionally significant producer of chemicals and machinery. Following independence in December 1991, the government sought to prop up its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. Faced with high rates of inflation, however, the government stepped up the pace of reform in mid-1994, by introducing tighter monetary policies, expanding privatization, slightly reducing the role of the state in the economy, and improving the environment for foreign investors. Nevertheless, the state continues to be a dominating influence in the economy, and reforms have so far failed to bring about much-needed structural changes. The IMF suspended Uzbekistan's $185 million standby arrangement in late 1996 because of governmental steps that made impossible fulfillment of Fund conditions.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $57 billion (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.6% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,430 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29%
industry: 24%
services: 47% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 55% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 8.2 million
by occupation: agriculture and forestry 44%, industry and construction 20%, other 36% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 0.3% includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers (December 1996)
Budget:
revenues : $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, natural gas
Industrial production growth rate: 6% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 11.82 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 45.15 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 1,970 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock
Exports:
total value: $3.2 billion (1996)
commodities: cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products, autos
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Western Europe
Imports:
total value: $3.2 billion (1996)
commodities : grain, machinery and parts, consumer durables, other foods
partners: principally other FSU, Czech Republic, Western Europe
Debt - external: $1.285 billion (of which $510 million to Russia)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $71 million (1993)
note: commitments, $2,915 million ($135 million in disbursements) (1992-95)
Currency: introduced provisional som-coupons 10 November 1993 which circulated parallel to the Russian rubles; became the sole legal currency 31 January 1994; was replaced in July 1994 by the som currency
Exchange rates: Uzbekistani soms (UKS) per US$1 - 51.1 (January 1997), 35.8 (end December 1995), 25 (yearend 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1.458 million (1995 est.)
Telephone system: poorly developed
domestic: NMT-450 analog cellular network established in Tashkent
international: linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; new Intelsat links to Tokyo and Ankara give Uzbekistan international access independent of Russian facilities; satellite earth stations - NA Orbita and NA Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note - there is at least one state-owned broadcast station of NA type
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2 national, many local
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,380 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge: 3,380 km 1.520-m gauge (300 km electrified) (1993)
Highways:
total: 80,000 km
paved : 69,760 km (note - these roads are said to be hard surfaced, meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced)
unpaved: 10,240 km dirt (1995 est.)
Waterways: 1,100 (1990)
Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 810 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Termiz (Amu Darya river)
Airports: 261 (1994 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 35
over 3,047 m : 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 14
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 5 (1994 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 226
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m : 216 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense, Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : 5,833,862 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 4,748,539 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 239,978 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: 164 million soms (1993); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.7% (1993)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy; mostly for domestic consumption; limited government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia and Western Europe
Source: The CIA World Handbook, 1997
Return to SAPE's Guide to Uzbekistan
SAPE, P.O. Box 319, Monroe, CT 06468-0319, USA