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Uzbekistan is a Central Asian country. It is bordered by
Kazakhstan to the north and west, Kyrgyzstan to the
east, Tajikistan to the southeast, Afghanistan to the
south and Turkmenistan to the southwest and west. It
covers an area of 447 400 km2. Its main
cities are Tashkent, with 2 299 400 inhabitants (2004),
Namangan (442 400 inhab.), Samarkand (419 700 inhab.),
Andijon (362 600 inhab.) And Bukhara (284 300 inhab.).
The Republic of Uzbekistan is a land of contrasts: it
includes the fertile irrigated region of Fergana, the
Tien Shan mountain range, where the cities of Tashkent,
the capital, and Samarkand, the desert of Kyzyl Kum, the
plains of Turan, the oasis and the irrigated areas of
the lower Amudária and the rocky desert of the Ustyurt
plateau.
Climate
The climate is continental, with marked aridity in
certain areas of the country.
Economy
Modern irrigation systems installed since the
mid-twenties have made Uzbekistan the main cotton
producer in the former Soviet Union. This, with the help
of the application of fertilizers and pesticides, and
hydraulic works for irrigation, which came to cause
serious environmental and health problems to the
populations. Sheep are raised, snails for the production
of wool and meat. It has natural gas and rare metals,
namely gold. The main industrial products are coal,
copper, chemicals, agricultural machinery and
textiles. It exports a large volume of natural gas and
cotton. Uzbekistan's main trading partners are Russia,
South Korea, Germany and Italy. Environmental indicator:
the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric
tons, 1999), is 4.8.
Population
The population is 27 307 134 inhabitants (2006), which
corresponds to a population density of 60.02 inhab./km2. The
birth and death rates are, respectively, 26.36% and
7.84%. Average life expectancy is 64.58 years. The value
of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.729 and the
value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is
0.727 (2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the
population will be 36 947 000 inhabitants. Uzbekistan's
natives make up 76% of the population, followed by
Russians (6%), Tajiks (5%) and Kazakhs (4%). Sunni
Muslims make up 88% of the population. The official
language is Uzbek, a language of Turkish origin.
History
Its name derives from Khan Usbek (1312-1342), one of the
chiefs of the Mongol army that devastated Central Asia
and Eastern Europe in the 14th century, founding the
Mongol state in that region.
The country became one of the Soviet republics in 1924
with a communist government, like the entire Soviet
Union. In 1991, it regained independence following the
breakdown of the USSR.
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| 1UpTravel.com - Maps of Uzbekistan |
| Browse a collection of political, country, topographic,
thematic, and historical maps of this central Asian
country, north of Afghanistan. |
| http://www.1uptravel.com/worldmaps/uzbekistan.html |
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| Map of Uzbekistan |
| Interactive map of Uzbekistan provides detailed maps of
the country, containing small towns, and roads. |
| http://www.advantour.com/uzbekistan/information/map.htm |
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| Physical Map of Kazakhstan - Geopedia.com |
| Image map of central Asia shows the physical
characteristics of Uzbekistan and surrounding countries. |
| http://www.geopedia.com/online/maps/physical/Kazakh_etc.htm |
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| Political Map of Kazakhstan - Geopedia.com |
| Excellent, user-friendly map of this central Asian
country shows major cities, surrounding nations and land
features. |
| http://www.geopedia.com/online/maps/political/Kazakh_etc.htm |
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| Uzbekistan - Geography.com |
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| Political map of this former Soviet Union satellite
shows major cities and bordering countries. |
| http://geography.about.com/science/geography/library/cia/ncu |
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| Uzbekistan - Maps.com |
| Choose from several versions of Uzbekistan digital maps
for sale. Maps feature the major cities of this former
Soviet republic. |
| http://media.maps.com/magellan/Images/UZBEKI-W1.gif |
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| Uzbekistan - University of Texas Library |
| Peruse CIA-produced maps of Uzbekistan. Includes
political, historical, regional and thematic maps. |
| http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/uzbekistan... |
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