Incredible beautiful Amazing country Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Officially also the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly
landlocked Central Asian Sovereign state. It is a secular, unitary
constitutional republic, comprising 12 provinces, one autonomous republic, and
a capital city. Uzbekistan is bordered by five landlocked countries: Kazakhstan
to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanistan
to the south; and Turkmenistan to the southwest.
What is now
Uzbekistan was in ancient times part of the Iranian-speaking region of
Transoxiana. The first recorded settlers were Eastern Iranian nomads, known as
Scythians, who founded kingdoms in Khwarezm (8th–6th centuries BC), Bactria
(8th–6th centuries BC), Sogdia (8th–6th centuries BC), Fergana (3rd century BC
– 6th century AD), and Margiana (3rd century BC – 6th century AD).
![State emblem[1] of Uzbekistan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Coat_of_arms_of_Uzbekistan.svg/678px-Coat_of_arms_of_Uzbekistan.svg.png)
The area was
incorporated into the Persian Empire and, after a period of Macedonian Greek
rule, was ruled mostly by Persian dynasties until the Muslim conquest in the
7th century, turning the majority of the population towards Islam. During this
period, cities such as Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara began to grow rich from the
Silk Road.
The local
Khwarezmian dynasty, and Central Asia as
a whole, were decimated by the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. After the
Mongol Conquests, the area became increasingly dominated by Turkic peoples. The
city of Shahrisabz was the birthplace of the Turco-Mongol warlord Timur, also
known as one of Ganges Khan Grandchild, who in the 14th century established the
Timurid Empire and was proclaimed the Supreme Emir of Turan with his capital in
Samarkand. The area was conquered by Uzbek Shaybanids in the 16th century,
moving the centre of power from Samarkand to Bukhara.
The region
was split into three states: Khanate of Khiva, Khanate of Kokand, and Emirate
of Bukhara. It was gradually incorporated into the Russian Empire during the
19th century, with Tashkent becoming the political center of Russian Turkestan.
In 1924, after national delimitation, the constituent republic of the Soviet
Union known as the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was created. Following the
breakup of the Soviet Union, it declared independence as the Republic of
Uzbekistan on 31 August 1991.
Uzbekistan
has a diverse cultural heritage due to its storied history and strategic
location. Its official language is Uzbek, a Turkic language written in the
Latin alphabet and spoken natively by approximately 85% of the population.
Russian has widespread use; it is the most widely taught second language.
Uzbeks constitute 81% of the population, followed by Russians (5.4%), Tajiks
(4.0%), Kazakhs (3.0%), and others (6.5%). Muslims constitute 79% of the
population while 5% of the population follow Russian Orthodox Christianity, and
16% of the population follow other religions or are non-religious. A majority
of Uzbeks are non-denominational MuslimsUzbekistan is a member of the CIS, OSCE,
UN, and the SCO. While officially a democratic republic, by 2008
non-governmental human rights organizations defined Uzbekistan as "an
authoritarian state with limited civil rights".
Following
the death of Islam Karimov in 2016, the second president – Shavkat Mirziyoyev
started a new course, which was described as a A Quiet Revolution and
Revolution from Above. He stated he intended to abolish cotton slavery, systematic
use of child labour, exit visas, to introduce a tax reform, create four new
free economic zones, as well as amnestied some political prisoners.
The
relations with neighboring countries of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan
drastically improved. However, the Amnesty International report on human rights
in the country for 2017/2018 described continued repressive measures, including
forced labour in cotton harvesting, and restrictions on movements of 'freed'
prisoners.
The Uzbek
economy is in a gradual transition to the market economy, with foreign trade
policy being based on import substitution. In September 2017, the country's
currency became fully convertible in the market rates. Uzbekistan is a major
producer and exporter of cotton.
The country also operates the largest open-pit
gold mine in the world. With the gigantic power-generation facilities of the
Soviet era and an ample supply of natural gas, Uzbekistan has become the
largest electricity producer in Central Asia. Renewable energy constitutes more
than 23% of the country's energy sector, with hydroelectricity and solar energy
having 21.4% and 2% respectively.
Map of
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
has an area of 447,400 square kilometres (172,700 sq mi). It is the 56th
largest country in the world by area and the 42nd by population.Among the CIS
countries, it is the 4th largest by area and the 2nd largest by population.
Uzbekistan
lies between latitudes 37° and 46° N, and longitudes 56° and 74° E. It
stretches 1,425 kilometres (885 mi) from west to east and 930 kilometres (580
mi) from north to south. Bordering Kazakhstan and the Aral Sea to the north and
northwest, Turkmenistan to the southwest, Tajikistan to the southeast, and
Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Uzbekistan is one of the largest Central Asian
states and the only Central Asian state to border all the other four.
Uzbekistan also shares a short border (less than 150 km or 93 mi) with
Afghanistan to the south.
Uzbekistan
is a dry, landlocked country. It is one of two doubly landlocked countries in
the world (that is, a country completely surrounded by landlocked countries),
the other being Liechtenstein. In addition, due to its location within a series
of endorheic basins, none of its rivers lead to the sea. Less than 10% of its
territory is intensively cultivated irrigated land in river valleys and oases.
The rest is vast desert (Kyzyl Kum) and mountains.
The highest
point in Uzbekistan is the Khazret Sultan, at 4,643 metres (15,233 ft) above
sea level, in the southern part of the Gissar Range in Surkhandarya Province,
on the border with Tajikistan, just northwest of Dushanbe (formerly called Peak
of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party
The climate
in Uzbekistan is continental, with little precipitation expected annually (100–200
millimetres, or 3.9–7.9 inches). The average summer high temperature tends to
be 40 °C (104 °F), while the average winter low temperature is around −23 °C
(−9 °F).
Environment
Uzbekistan has a rich and diverse natural environment. However, decades of questionable Soviet policies in pursuit of greater cotton production have resulted in a catastrophic scenario with the agricultural industry being the main contributor to the pollution and devastation of both air and water in the country.
The Aral Sea
used to be the fourth-largest inland sea on Earth, acting as an influencing
factor in the air moisture and arid land use. Since the 1960s, the decade when
the overuse 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, have not been collected, stored or provided by any organization or
official agency. Much of the water was and continues to be used for the
irrigation of cotton fields, a crop requiring a large amount of water to grow.
Due to the Aral Sea problem, high salinity and contamination of the soil with heavy elements are especially widespread in Karakalpakstan, the region of Uzbekistan adjacent to the Aral Sea. The bulk of the nation's water resources is used for farming, which accounts for nearly 84% of the water usage and contributes to high soil salinity. Heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers for cotton growing further aggravates soil contamination.
History of
Uzbekistan
The first people known to have inhabited Central Asia were Scythians who came from the northern grasslands of what is now Uzbekistan, sometime in the first millennium BC; when these nomads settled in the region they built an extensive irrigation system along the rivers At this time, cities such as Bukhoro (Bukhara) and Samarqand (Samarkand) emerged as centres of government and high culture.By the fifth century BC, the Bactrian, Soghdian, and Tokharian states dominated the region.
As China
began to develop its silk trade with the West, Persian cities took advantage of
this commerce by becoming centres of trade. Using an extensive network of
cities and rural settlements in the province of Transoxiana, and further east
in what is today China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Sogdian
intermediaries became the wealthiest of these Iranian merchants. As a result of
this trade on what became known as the Silk Route, Bukhara and Samarkand
eventually became extremely wealthy cities, and at times Transoxiana
(Mawarannahr) was one of the most influential and powerful Persian provinces of
antiquity.
In 327 BC
Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire provinces of
Sogdiana and Bactria, which contained the territories of modern Uzbekistan. A
conquest was supposedly of little help to Alexander as popular resistance was
fierce, causing Alexander's army to be bogged down in the region that became
the northern part of the Macedonian Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. The kingdom was
replaced with the Yuezhi dominated Kushan Empire in the 1st century BC. For
many centuries the region of Uzbekistan was ruled by the Persian empires,
including the Parthian and Sassanid Empires, as well as by other empires, for
example those formed by the Turko-Persian Hephthalite and Turkic Gokturk
peoples.
In the 8th
century, Transoxiana, the territory between the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers,
was conquered by the Arabs (Ali ibn Sattor) who enriched the region with the
Early Renaissance. Many notable scientists lived there and contributed to its
development during the Islamic Golden Age. Among the achievements of the
scholars during this period were the development of trigonometry into its modern
form .
, advances in optics, in astronomy, as well as in poetry, philosophy, art, calligraphy and many others, which set the foundation for the Muslim Renaissance.In the 9th and 10th centuries, Transoxiana was included into the Samanid State. Later, Transoxiana saw the incursion of the Turkic-ruled Karakhanids, as well as the Seljuks (Sultan Sanjar) and Kara-Khitans.
The Mongol conquest under Genghis Khan during the 13th century would bring about a change to the region. The Mongol invasion of Central Asia led to the displacement of some of the Iranian-speaking people of the region, their culture and heritage being superseded by that of the Mongolian-Turkic peoples who came thereafter. The invasions of Bukhara, Samarkand, Urgench and others resulted in mass murders and unprecedented destruction, such as portions of Khwarezmia being completely razed.
Following
the death of Genghis Khan in 1227, his empire was divided among his four sons
and his family members. Despite the potential for serious fragmentation, the
Mongol law of the Mongol Empire maintained orderly succession for several more
generations, and control of most of Transoxiana stayed in the hands of the
direct descendants of Chagatai Khan, the second son of Genghis Khan. Orderly
succession, prosperity, and internal peace prevailed in the Chaghatai lands,
and the Mongol Empire as a whole remained a strong and united kingdom (Ulus
Batiy, Sattarkhan).
During this period, most of present Uzbekistan was part of Chagatai Khanate except Khwarezm was part of Golden Horde. After decline of Golden Horde, Khwarezm was briefly ruled by Sufi Dynasty till Timur's conquest of it in 1388. Sufids rules Khwarezm as vassals of alternatively Timurids, Golden Horde and Uzbek Khanate till Persian occupation in 1510.
In the early
14th century, however, as the empire began to break up into its constituent
parts. The Chaghatai territory was disrupted as the princes of various tribal
groups competed for influence. One tribal chieftain, Timur (Tamerlane emerged
from these struggles in the 1380s as the dominant force in Transoxiana.
Although he was not a descendant of Genghis Khan, Timur became the de facto
ruler of Transoxiana and proceeded to conquer all of western Central Asia,
Iran, the Caucasus, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and the southern steppe region
north of the Aral Sea. He also invaded Russia before dying during an invasion
of China in 1405
Timur was
known for his extreme brutality and his conquests were accompanied by genocidal
massacres in the cities he occupied.
Timur
initiated the last flowering of Transoxiana by gathering together numerous
artisans and scholars from the vast lands he had conquered into his capital,
Samarqand. By supporting such people, he imbued his empire with a rich
Perso-Islamic culture. During his reign and the reigns of his immediate
descendants, a wide range of religious and palatial construction masterpieces
were undertaken in Samarqand and other population centres. Amir Timur initiated
an exchange of medical discoveries and patronized physicians, scientists and
artists from the neighbouring countries such as India;
His grandson Ulugh
Beg was one of the world's first great astronomers. It was during the Timurid
dynasty that Turkic, in the form of the Chaghatai dialect, became a literary
language in its own right in Transoxiana, although the Timurids were Persianate
in nature. The greatest Chaghataid writer, Ali-Shir Nava'i, was active in the
city of Herat (now in northwestern Afghanistan) in the second half of the 15th
century.
The Timurid
state quickly split in half after the death of Timur. The chronic internal
fighting of the Timurids attracted the attention of the Uzbek nomadic tribes
living to the north of the Aral Sea. In 1501 the Uzbek forces began a wholesale
invasion of Transoxiana. The slave trade in the Khanate of Bukhara became
prominent and was firmly established. Before the arrival of the Russians,
present Uzbekistan was divided between Emirate of Bukhara and khanates of Khiva
and Kokand.
In the 19th
century, the Russian Empire began to expand and spread into Central Asia. There
were 210,306 Russians living in Uzbekistan in 1912.The "Great Game"
period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the
Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. A second, less intensive phase followed the
Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. At the start of the 19th century, there were some
3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) separating British India and the outlying regions
of Tsarist Russia. Much of the land between was unmapped.
By the
beginning of 1920, Central Asia was firmly in the hands of Russia and, despite
some early resistance to the Bolsheviks, Uzbekistan and the rest of the Central
Asia became a part of the Soviet Union.
On 27 October 1924 the Uzbek Soviet
Socialist Republic was created. From 1941 to 1945, during World War II,
1,433,230 people from Uzbekistan fought in the Red Army against Nazi Germany. A
number also fought on the German side. As many as 263,005 Uzbek soldiers died
in the battlefields of the Eastern Front, and 32,670 went missing in action.
On 20 June 1990, Uzbekistan declared its state sovereignty. On 31 August 1991, Uzbekistan declared independence after the failed coup attempt in Moscow. 1 September was proclaimed the National Independence Day. The Soviet Union was dissolved on 26 December of that year.
Islam
Karimov, ruler of Uzbekistan since independence, died on 2 September 2016.He was replaced by his long-time Prime Minister, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on 14
December of the same year.
Politics of Uzbekistan
Islam
Karimov, the first President of Uzbekistan, during a visit to the Pentagon in
2002 After
Uzbekistan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, an election was
held, and Islam Karimov was elected as the first President of Uzbekistan.
The elections
of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament or Supreme Assembly) were held under a
resolution adopted by the 16th Supreme Soviet in 1994. In that year, the
Supreme Soviet was replaced by the Oliy Majlis.
The third
elections for the bicameral 150-member Oliy Majlis, the Legislative Chamber,
and the 100-member Senate for five-year terms, were held on 27 December 2009.
The second elections were held in December 2004 to January 2005. The Oliy
Majlis was unicameral up to 2004. Its size increased from 69 deputies (members)
in 1994 to 120 in 2004–05, and currently stands at 150.
The
referendum passed, and Islam Karimov's term was extended by an act of
parliament to December 2007. Most international observers refused to
participate in the process and did not recognize the results, dismissing them
as not meeting basic standards. The 2002 referendum also included a plan for a
bicameral parliament consisting of a lower house (the Oliy Majlis) and an upper
house (Senate). Members of the lower house are to be "full-time" legislators.
Elections for the new bicameral parliament took place on 26 December.
Human rights
in Uzbekistan
The
Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan asserts that "democracy in the
Republic of Uzbekistan shall be based upon common human principles, according
to which the highest value shall be the human being, his life, freedom, honour,
dignity and other inalienable rights."
The official
position is summarised in a memorandum "The measures taken by the
government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of providing and
encouraging human rights"and amounts to the following: the government does
everything that is in its power to protect and to guarantee the human rights of
Uzbekistan's citizens. Uzbekistan continuously improves its laws and
institutions in order to create a more humane society. Over 300 laws regulating
the rights and basic freedoms of the people have been passed by the parliament.
For instance, an office of Ombudsman was established in 1996. On 2 August 2005,
President Islam Karimov signed a decree that abolished capital punishment in
Uzbekistan on 1 January 2008
Old Uzbek
man from Uzbekistan
However,
non-governmental human rights watchdogs, such as IHF, Human Rights Watch,
Amnesty International, as well as United States Department of State and Council
of the European Union, define Uzbekistan as "an authoritarian state with
limited civil rights"and express profound concern about
"wide-scale violation of virtually all basic human rights".According
to the reports, the most widespread violations are torture, arbitrary arrests,
and various restrictions of freedoms: of religion, of speech and press, of free
association and assembly.
It has also been reported that forced sterilization
of rural Uzbek women has been sanctioned by the government. The reports
maintain that the violations are most often committed against members of
religious organizations, independent journalists, human rights activists and
political activists, including members of the banned opposition parties. As of
2015, reports on violations on human rights in Uzbekistan indicated that
violations were still going on without any improvement .
The Freedom House has
consistently ranked Uzbekistan near the bottom of its Freedom in the World
ranking since the country's founding in 1991. In the 2018 report, Uzbekistan
was one of the 11 worst countries for Political Rights and Civil Liberties.
The 2005
civil unrest in Uzbekistan, which resulted in several hundred people being
killed, is viewed by many as a landmark event in the history of human rights
abuse in Uzbekistan. A concern has been expressed and a request for an
independent investigation of the events has been made by the United States, the
European Union, the United Nations, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the OSCE
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
The
government of Uzbekistan is accused of unlawful termination of human life and
of denying its citizens freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. The
government vehemently rebuffs the accusations, maintaining that it merely
conducted an anti-terrorist operation, exercising only necessary force. In
addition, some officials claim that "an information war on Uzbekistan has
been declared" and the human rights violations in Andijan are invented by
the enemies of Uzbekistan as a convenient pretext for intervention in the
country's internal affairs.
Uzbekistan
also maintains the world's second-highest rate of modern slavery, 3.97%of the
country's population working as modern slaves. In real terms, this means that
there are 1.2 million modern slaves in Uzbekistan. Most work in the cotton
industry. The government allegedly forces state employees to pick cotton in the
fall months.World Bank loans have been connected to projects that use
child labour and forced labour practices in the cotton industry.
Recent
developments
Islam
Karimov died in 2016 and his successor Shavkat Mirziyoyev is considered by most
to be pursuing a less autocratic path by increasing cooperation with human
rights NGOs, scheduling Soviet-style exit visas to be abolished in 2019and
reducing sentences for certain misdemeanor offenses. However, the
Amnesty International report on the country for 2017/8 details many continued
repressive measures.
Regions of
Uzbekistan and Districts of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
is divided into twelve provinces (viloyatlar, singular viloyat, compound noun
viloyati e.g., Toshkent viloyati, Samarqand viloyati, etc.), one autonomous
republic (respublika, compound noun respublikasi e.g. Qoraqalpogʻiston Muxtor
Respublikasi, Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic, etc.), and one independent
city (shahar, compound noun shahri, e.g., Toshkent shahri). Names are given
below in the Uzbek language, although numerous variations of the
transliterations of each name exist.
Economy of
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
has the fourth-largest gold deposits in the world. The country mines 80 tons of
gold annually, seventh in the world. Uzbekistan's copper deposits rank tenth in
the world and its uranium deposits twelfth. The country's uranium production
ranks seventh globally.The Uzbek national gas company,
Uzbekneftegas, ranks 11th in the world in natural gas production with an annual
output of 60 to 70 billion cubic metres (2.1–2.5 trillion cubic feet). The
country has significant untapped reserves of oil and gas: there are 194
deposits of hydrocarbons in Uzbekistan, including 98 condensate and natural gas
deposits and 96 gas condensate deposits.
The largest corporations involved in Uzbekistan's energy sector are the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Petronas, the Korea National Oil Corporation, Gazprom, Lukoil, and Uzbekneftegas
Along with
many Commonwealth of Independent States or CIS economies, Uzbekistan's economy
declined during the first years of transition and then recovered after 1995, as
the cumulative effect of policy reforms began to be felt.[citation needed
It
has shown robust growth, rising by 4% per year between 1998 and 2003 and
accelerating thereafter to 7%–8% per year. According to IMF estimates the GDP
in 2008 will be almost double its value in 1995 (in constant prices). Since
2003 annual inflation rates averaged less than 10%.
Uzbekistan
has GNI per capita (US$1,900 in current dollars in 2013, giving a PPP equivalent
of US$3,800). Economic production is concentrated in commodities. In 2011,
Uzbekistan was the world's seventh-largest producer and fifth-largest exporter
of cottonas 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.
Agriculture
employs 27% of Uzbekistan's labour force and contributes 17.4% of its GDP (2012
data). Cultivable land is 4.4 million hectares, or about 10% of
Uzbekistan's total area. While official unemployment is very low,
underemployment – especially in rural areas – is estimated to be at least 20%.At
cotton-harvest time, all students and teachers are still mobilized as unpaid
labour to help in the fields .Uzbek cotton is even used to make banknotes in
South KoreaThe use of child labour in Uzbekistan has led several companies,
including Tesco, C&AMarks & Spencer, Gap, and H&M, to boycott Uzbek
cotton.
Facing a
multitude of economic challenges upon acquiring independence, the government
adopted an evolutionary reform strategy, with an emphasis on state control,
reduction of imports and self-sufficiency in energy. Since 1994, the
state-controlled media have repeatedly proclaimed the success of this
"Uzbekistan Economic Modeland suggested that it is a unique example of a
smooth transition to the market economy while avoiding shock, pauperism and
stagnation.
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 and grows
more rampant over time: Uzbekistan's 2005 Corruption Perception Index was 137
out of 159 countries, whereas in 2007 Uzbekistan was 175th out of 179
countries.
A February 2006 report on the country by the International Crisis
Group suggests that revenues earned from key exports, especially cotton, gold,
corn and increasingly gas, are distributed among a very small circle of the
ruling elite, with little or no benefit for the populace at largeThe recent
high-profile corruption scandals involving government contracts and large
international companies, notably TeliaSoneria, have shown that businesses are particularly
vulnerable to corruption when operating in Uzbekistan
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".
The economic
policies have repelled foreign investment, which is the lowest per capita in
the CIS. For years, the largest barrier to foreign companies entering the
Uzbekistan market has been the difficulty of converting currency. In 2003 the
government accepted the obligations of Article VIII under the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict
currency controls and the tightening of borders have lessened the effect of
this measure.
Uzbekistan
experienced rampant inflation of around 1000% per year immediately after
independence (1992–1994). Stabilisation efforts implemented with guidance from
the IMF paid off. The inflation rates were brought down to 50% in 1997 and
then to 22% in 2002. Since 2003 annual inflation rates averaged less than 10%.Tight
economic policies in 2004 resulted in a drastic reduction of inflation to 3.8%
(although alternative estimates based on the price of a true market basket put
it at 15%).The inflation rates moved up to 6.9% in 2006 and 7.6% in 2007 but
have remained in the single-digit range.
The
government of Uzbekistan restricts foreign 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. Import substitution is an officially declared policy and the
government proudly reports 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. Uzbekistan has a Bilateral Investment Treaty with
fifty other countries.
The
Republican Stock Exchange (RSE) opened in 1994. The stocks of all Uzbek joint
stock companies (around 1250) are traded on RSE. The number of listed companies
as of January 2013 exceeds 110. Securities market volume reached 2 trillion in
2012, and the number is rapidly growing due to the rising interest by companies
of attracting necessary resources through the capital market. According to
Central Depository as of January 2013 par value of outstanding shares of Uzbek
emitters exceeded 9 trillion.
Uzbekistan's
external position has been strong since 2003.[citation needed] Thanks in part
to the recovery of world market prices of gold and cotton (the country's key
export commodities), expanded natural gas and some manufacturing exports, and
increasing labour migrant transfers, the current account turned into a large
surplus (between 9% and 11% of GDP from 2003 to 2005) and foreign exchange
reserves, including gold, more than doubled to around US$3 billion.
Uzbek
children
Uzbekistan
is Central Asia's most populous country. Its 32,121,000citizens comprise nearly
half the region's total population. The population of Uzbekistan is very young:
34.1% of its people are younger than 14 (2008 estimate .According to official
sources, Uzbeks comprise a majority (80%) of the total population. Other ethnic
groups include Russians 2%, Tajiks 5%, Kazakhs 3%, Karakalpaks 2.5% and Tatars
1.5% (1996 estimates).
There is
some controversy about the percentage of the Tajik population. While official
state numbers from Uzbekistan put the number at 5%, the number is said to be an
understatement and some Western scholars put the number up to 20%–30%.The
Uzbeks intermixed with Sarts, a Turko-Persian population of Central Asia.
Today, the majority of Uzbeks are admixed and represent varying degrees of
diversity.
Uzbekistan
has an ethnic Korean population that was forcibly relocated to the region by
Stalin from the Soviet Far East in 1937–1938. There are also small groups of
Armenians in Uzbekistan, mostly in Tashkent and Samarkand. The nation is 88%
Muslim (mostly Sunni, with a 5% Shi'a minority), 9% Eastern Orthodox and 3%
other faiths. The U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom
Report 2004 reports that 0.2% of the population are Buddhist (these being
ethnic Koreans).
The Bukharan Jews have lived in Central Asia, mostly in
Uzbekistan, for thousands of years. There were 94,900 Jews in Uzbekistan in
1989 (about 0.5% of the population according to the 1989 census), but now,
since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, most Central Asian Jews left the
region for the United States, Germany, or Israel. Fewer than 5,000 Jews
remained in Uzbekistan in 2007.
Russians in
Uzbekistan represent 5.5% of the total population. During the Soviet period,
Russians and Ukrainians constituted more than half the population of Tashkent.
The country counted nearly 1.5 million Russians, 12.5% of the population, in
the 1970 census. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, significant
emigration of ethnic Russians has taken place, mostly for economic reasons.
In the
1940s, the Crimean Tatars, along with the Volga Germans, Chechens, Pontic[102]
Greeks, Kumaks and many other nationalities were deported to Central Asia.
Approximately 100,000 Crimean Tatars continue to live in Uzbekistan.The number
of Greeks in Tashkent has decreased from 35,000 in 1974 to about 12,000 in 2004
The majority of Meskhetian Turks left the country after the pogroms in the
Fergana valley in June 1989 At least 10%
of Uzbekistan's labour force works abroad (mostly in Russia and Kazakhstan) and
other countries.
Uzbekistan
has a 99.3% literacy rate among adults older than 15 (2003 estimate),which
is attributable to the free and universal education system of the Soviet Union.
Largest
cities or towns in Uzbekistan
2 Namangan
3 Samarkand
4 Andijan
5 Nukus Karakalpakstan
6 Bukhara
7 Qarshi
8 Fergana
9 Kokand
10 Margilan
Religion in
Uzbekistan
Islam is the
dominant religion in Uzbekistan, although religious belief was not allowed
during Soviet rule (1924-1991). Greater population is believed to be
non-religious but spiritual. A 2009 Pew Research Center report stated that
Uzbekistan's population is 93.3% Muslim. For the rest, there might be some
Russian Orthodox Christians. An estimated 93,000 Jews were once present in the
country
Despite its
predominance, the practice of Islam is far from monolithic. Many versions of
the faith have been practised in Uzbekistan. The conflict of Islamic tradition
with various agendas of reform or secularization throughout the 20th century
has left a wide variety of Islamic practices in Central Asia 54% of Muslims are
non-denominational Muslims, 18% are Sunnis and 1% are Shias.
The end of
Soviet power in Uzbekistan did not bring an immediate upsurge of
fundamentalism, as many had predicted, but rather a gradual re-acquaintance
with the precepts of the faith. However, in the latter half of the 2010s there
has been a slight increase in Islamist activity, with organisations such as the
Islamic Movement of Uzkebistan committing allegiance to ISIL and contributing
fighters for terror attacks overseasalthough the terror threat in Uzbekistan
itself remains low
Uzbek Jews and Bukharan Jews
According to
local traditions Jews began to settle in the area 2,500 years ago after the
exile from the kingdom of Israel by the Babylonians. Other traditions focus on
Jewish merchants settling in the area of the silk road.
The Jewish
community flourished for centuries with occasional hardships during the reign
of certain rulers. During the rule of Tamerlane in the 14th century Jews
contributed greatly to his efforts to rebuild Samarkand and a great Jewish
centre was established there.
After the
area came under Russian rule in 1868, Jews were granted equal rights with the
local population .In that period some 50,000 Jews lived in Samarkand and 20,000
in Bukhara. After the Russian revolution in 1917, and the establishment of the
Soviet regime, Jewish religious life was restricted. By 1935 only one synagogue
out of 30 was left in Samarkand; nevertheless, underground community life
continued during the Soviet era.
During World
War II one million of Jews from the European parts of the Soviet Union arrived
in Uzbekistan as refugees or were exiled by Stalin. By 1970 there were 103,000
Jews registered in the republic
At the late
1980s with the rise of nationalistic riots as a result of the dissolution of
the Soviet Union, damaging, among others, the Jewish quarter in Andijan, most
of the Jews of Uzbekistan emigrated to Israel and to the US. A small community
of several thousand remains today in the country: some 7,000 live in Tashkent,
3,000 in Bukhara and 700 in Samarkand.
Uzbek
language
The Uzbek
language is one of the Turkic languages close to Uyghur language and both of
them belong to the Karluk languages branch of the Turkic language family. Uzbek
language is the only official state language, and since 1992 is officially
written in the Latin alphabet.
Although the
Russian language is not an official language in the country, it is widely used
in all fields, including official documents. Thus, the Russian language is the
de facto second official language in Uzbekistan. Russian is an important
language for interethnic communication, especially in the cities, including
much day-to-day technical, scientific, governmental and business use. The
country is also home to approximately one million people whose native language
is Russian.
The Tajik
language (a variety of Persian) is widespread in the cities of Bukhara and
Samarkand because of their relatively large population of ethnic Tajiks
(official 1,5 million, non-official scholarly estimates are 8–11
million).It is also found in large pockets in Kasansay, Chust,
Rishtan and Sokh in Ferghana Valley, as well as in Burchmulla, Ahangaran,
Baghistan in the middle Syr Darya district, and finally in, Shahrisabz, Qarshi,
Kitab and the river valleys of Kafiringan and Chaganian, forming altogether,
approximately 10–15% of the population of Uzbekistan
Karakalpak,
is also a Turkic language but closer to Kazakh, is spoken in the Republic of
Karakalpakstan and has an official status there. This language is spoken by
half a million people. More than 800,000 people also speak the Kazakh language.
Before the
1920s, the written language of Uzbeks was called Turki (known to Western
scholars as Chagatai) and used the Nastaʿlīq script. In 1926 the Latin alphabet
was introduced and went through several revisions throughout the 1930s.
Finally, in 1940, the Cyrillic alphabet was introduced by Soviet authorities
and was used until the fall of Soviet Union. In 1993 Uzbekistan shifted back to
the Latin script (Uzbek alphabet), which was modified in 1996 and is being
taught in schools since 2000. In schools, colleges and universities teach only
in Latin script. At the same time, in the country for Uzbek language is also
used officially abolished the Cyrillic alphabet. Cyrillic is used in a number
of popular newspapers and websites. Some of the text on the TV on some channels
is duplicated on the Cyrillic alphabet. Cyrillic is popular with the older
generation of Uzbeks who grew up on this alphabet
There are no language requirements for the
citizenship of Uzbekistan
Communications
in Uzbekistan
According to
the official source report, as of 10 March 2008, the number of cellular phone
users in Uzbekistan reached 7 million, up from 3.7 million on 1 July 2007. The largest mobile operator in terms of number of subscribers is MTS-Uzbekistan
(former Uzdunrobita and part of Russian Mobile TeleSystems) and it is followed
by Beeline (part of Russia's Beeline) and UCell (ex Coscom) (originally part of
the U.S. MCT Corp., now a subsidiary of the Nordic/Baltic telecommunication
company TeliaSonera AB).
Internet
Censorship exists in Uzbekistan and in October 2012 the government toughened
internet censorship by blocking access to proxy servers.Reporters Without
Borders has named Uzbekistan's government an "Enemy of the Internet"
and government control over the internet has increased dramatically since the
start of the Arab Spring.
The press in
Uzbekistan practices self-censorship and foreign journalists have been
gradually expelled from the country since the Andijan massacre of 2005 when
government troops fired into crowds of protesters killing 187 according to
official reports and estimates of several hundred by unofficial and witness
accounts.
Transport in
Uzbekistan
Tashkent,
the nation's capital and largest city, has a three-line rapid transit system
built in 1977, and expanded in 2001 after ten years' independence from the
Soviet Union. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are currently the only two countries in
Central Asia with a subway system. It is promoted as one of the cleanest
systems in the former Soviet Union .The stations are exceedingly ornate. For
example, the station Metro Kosmonavtov built in 1984 is decorated using a space
travel theme to recognise the achievements of mankind in space exploration and
to commemorate the role of Vladimir Dzhanibekov, the Soviet cosmonaut of Uzbek
origin. A statue of Vladimir Dzhanibekov stands near a station entrance.
There are
government-operated trams and buses running across the city. There are also
many taxis, registered and unregistered. Uzbekistan has plants that produce
modern cars. The car production is supported by the government and the Korean
auto company Daewoo. The Uzbek government acquired a 50% stake in Daewoo in
2005for an undisclosed sum.
In May 2007 UzDaewooAuto, the car maker, signed a
strategic agreement with General Motors-Daewoo Auto and Technology (GMDAT, see
GM Uzbekistan also). The government bought a stake in Turkey's Koc in
SamKochAvto, a producer of small buses and lorries. Afterward, it signed an
agreement with Isuzu Motors of Japan to produce Isuzu buses and lorries
Train links
connect many towns in Uzbekistan, as well as neighboring former republics of
the Soviet Union. Moreover, after independence two fast-running train systems
were established. Uzbekistan has launched the first high-speed railway in
Central Asia in September 2011 between Tashkent and Samarqand. The new
high-speed electric train Talgo 250, called Afrosiyob, was manufactured by
Patentes Talgo S.L. (Spain) and took its first trip from Tashkent to Samarkand
on 26 August 2011
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 aeroplane production centres in the USSR. With dissolution of the
Soviet Union its manufacturing equipment became outdated; most of the workers
were laid off. Now it produces only a few planes a year, but with interest from
Russian companies growing, there are rumours of production-enhancement plans.
Armed Forces
of the Republic of Uzbekistan
With close
to 65,000 servicemen, Uzbekistan possesses the largest armed forces in Central
Asia. The military structure is largely inherited from the Turkestan Military
District of the Soviet Army, although it is going through a reform to be based
mainly on motorized infantry with some light and special forces[citation
needed]. The Uzbek Armed Forces' equipment is not modern, and training, while
improving, is neither uniform nor adequate for its new mission of territorial
security
The
government has accepted the arms control obligations of the former Soviet
Union, acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (as a non-nuclear
state), and supported an active program by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction
Agency (DTRA) in western Uzbekistan (Nukus and Vozrozhdeniye Island). The
Government of Uzbekistan spends about 3.7% of GDP on the military but has
received a growing infusion of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and other
security assistance funds since 1998.
Following 11
September 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., Uzbekistan approved the U.S.
Central Command's request for access to an air base, the Karshi-Khanabad
airfield, in southern Uzbekistan. However, Uzbekistan demanded that the U.S.
withdraw from the airbases after the Andijan massacre and the U.S. reaction to this
massacre. The last US troops left Uzbekistan in November 2005.
Foreign relations
Uzbekistan
joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991. However, it is
opposed to reintegration and withdrew from the CIS collective security
arrangement in 1999. Since that time, Uzbekistan has participated in the CIS
peacekeeping force in Tajikistan and in UN-organized groups to help resolve the
Tajikistan and Afghanistan conflicts, both of which it sees as posing threats
to its own stability.
Previously
close to Washington (which gave Uzbekistan half a billion dollars in aid in
2004, about a quarter of its military budget), the government of Uzbekistan has
recently restricted American military use of the airbase at Karshi-Khanabad for
air operations in neighbouring Afghanistan. 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 "colour revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine (and
to a lesser extent Kyrgyzstan). When the U.S. joined in a call for an
independent international investigation of the bloody events at Andijan, the
relationship further declined, and President Islam Karimov changed the
political alignment of the country to bring it closer to Russia and China.
In late July
2005, the government of Uzbekistan ordered the United States to vacate an air
base in Karshi-Kanabad (near Uzbekistan's 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 U.K. and U.S. 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 (UN) (since 2 March 1992), the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council (EAPC), Partnership for Peace (PfP), and the Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It belongs to the Organisation
of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO)
(comprising the five Central Asian countries, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey,
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 Organisation (SCO) and hosts the
SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent. Uzbekistan joined
the new Central Asian Cooperation Organisation (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 Uzbekistan's population that the 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.
In January 2008, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva was appointed to her current role as Uzbekistan’s ambassador to UNESCO. Karimova-Tillyaeva and her team have been instrumental in promoting inter-cultural dialogue by increasing European society’s awareness of Uzbekistan's cultural and historical heritage.
Culture of
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has a wide mix of ethnic groups and cultures, with the Uzbek being the majority group. In 1995 about 71% of Uzbekistan's population was Uzbek. The chief minority groups were Russians (8%), Tajiks (5–30%), Kazakhs (4%), Tatars (2.5%) and Karakalpaks (2%). It is said, however, that the number of non-Uzbek people living in Uzbekistan is decreasing as Russians and other minority groups slowly leave and Uzbeks return from other parts of the former Soviet Union.
When
Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991, there was concern that Muslim
fundamentalism would spread across the region. The expectation was that a
country long denied freedom of religious practice would undergo a very rapid
increase in the expression of its dominant faith. As of 1994, over half of
Uzbekistan's population was 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, Islamic observance is increasing in the region.
Music
Central
Asian classical music is called Shashmaqam, which arose in Bukhara in the late
16th century when that city was a regional capital. Shashmaqam is closely
related to Azerbaijani Mugam and Uyghur muqam. The name, which translates as
six maqams refers to the structure of the music, which contains six sections in
six different Musical modes, similar to classical Persian traditional music.
Interludes of spoken Sufi poetry interrupt the music, typically beginning at a
lower register and gradually ascending to a climax before calming back down to
the beginning tone.
Education
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 76% of the under-15 population
currently enrolled in education (and only 20% of the 3–6 year olds attending
pre-school), this figure may drop in the future. Students attend school Monday
through Saturday during the school year, and education officially concludes at
the end of the 12th grade. There are two international schools operating in
Uzbekistan, both in Tashkent: The British School catering for elementary
students only, and Tashkent International School, a K-12 international
curriculum school.
Uzbekistan
has encountered severe budget 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. A large
contributor to this decline is the low level of wages received by teachers and
the lack of spending on infrastructure, buildings and resources on behalf of
the government.
Corruption within the education system is also rampant, with
students from wealthier families routinely bribing teachers and school
executives to achieve high grades without attending school, or undertaking
official examinations
Uzbekistan's
universities create almost 600,000 graduates annually, though the general
standard of university graduates, and the overall level of education within the
tertiary system, is low. Several universities, including Westminster
University, Turin University, Management University Institute of Singapore and
Inha University Tashkent maintain a campus in Tashkent offering English
language courses across several disciplines. The Russian-language high
education is provided by most national universities, including foreign Moscow
State University and Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas,
maintaining campuses in Tashkent.
Holidays
1 January:
New Year, "Yangi Yil Bayrami"
14 January:
Day of Defenders of the Motherland, "Vatan Himoyachilari kuni"
8 March:
International Women's Day, "Xalqaro Xotin-Qizlar kuni"
21 March:
Nowruz, "Navroʻz Bayrami"
9 May:
Remembrance Day, "Xotira va Qadirlash kuni"
1 September:
Independence Day, "Mustaqillik kuni"
1 October:
Teacher's Day, "Oʻqituvchi va Murabbiylar"
8 December:
Constitution Day, "Konstitutsiya kuni"
Variable
date
End of
Ramazon Ramazon Hayit Eid al-Fitr
70 days
later Qurbon Hayit Eid al-Adha
Uzbek manti
Uzbek
cuisine is influenced by local agriculture, as in most nations. There is a
great deal of grain farming in Uzbekistan, so breads and noodles are of
importance and Uzbek cuisine has been characterized as "noodle-rich".
Mutton is a popular variety of meat due to the abundance of sheep in the
country and it is part of various Uzbek dishes.
Uzbekistan's
signature dish is palov (plov or osh), a main course typically made with rice,
pieces of meat, and grated carrots and onions. Oshi nahor, or morning plov, is
served in the early morning (between 6 am and 9 am) to large gatherings of
guests, typically as part of an ongoing wedding celebration.
Other notable
national dishes include shurpa (shurva or shorva), a soup made of large pieces
of fatty meat (usually mutton), and fresh vegetables; norin and laghman,
noodle-based dishes that may be served as a soup or a main course; manti,
chuchvara, and somsa, stuffed pockets of dough served as an appetizer or a main
course; dimlama, a meat and vegetable stew; and various kebabs, usually served
as a main course.
Green tea is the national hot beverage taken throughout the day; teahouses (chaikhanas) are of cultural importance. Black tea is preferred in Tashkent, but both green and black teas are taken daily, without milk or sugar. Tea always accompanies a meal, but it is also a drink of hospitality that is automatically offered: green or black to every guest. Ayran, a chilled yogurt drink, is popular in summer, but does not replace hot tea.
The use of
alcohol is less widespread than in the West, but wine is comparatively popular
for a Muslim nation as Uzbekistan is largely secular. Uzbekistan has 14
wineries, the oldest and most famous being the Khovrenko Winery in Samarkand
(established in 1927). The Samarkand Winery produces a range of dessert wines
from local grape varieties: Gulyakandoz, Shirin, Aleatiko, and Kabernet
likernoe (literally Cabernet dessert wine in Russian). Uzbek wines have
received international awards and are exported to Russia and other countries.
Sport
Uzbekistan
is home to former racing cyclist Djamolidine Abdoujaparov. Abdoujaparov has won
the green jersey points contest in the Tour de France three times. Abdoujaparov was a specialist at winning stages in tours or one-day races when
the bunch or peloton would finish together. He would often 'sprint' in the
final kilometre and had a reputation as being dangerous in these bunch sprints
as he would weave from side to side. This reputation earned him the nickname
'The Terror of Tashkent'.
Artur
Taymazov won Uzbekistan's first wrestling medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic
Games, as well as three gold medals at the 2004, 2008 Summer Olympic Games and
2012 Summer Olympic Games in Men's 120 kg.
Ruslan
Chagaev is a former professional boxer representing Uzbekistan in the WBA. He
won the WBA champion title in 2007 after defeating Nikolai Valuev. Chagaev
defended his title twice before losing it to Vladimir Klitschko in 2009.
Another young talented boxer Hasanboy Dusmatov, light flyweight champion at the
2016 Summer Olympics, won the Val Barker Trophy for the outstanding male boxer
of Rio 2016 on 21 August 2016. On 21 December 2016 Dusmatov was honoured with
the AIBA Boxer of the Year award at a 70-year anniversary event of AIBA.
Michael
Kolganov, a sprint canoer, was world champion and won an Olympic bronze in the
K-1 500-meter. Gymnast Alexander Shatilov won a world bronze as an artistic
gymnast in floor exercise, and gymnast Oksana Chusovitina has amassed over 70
medals for the country.
Uzbekistan
is the home of the International Kurash Association. Kurash is an
internationalized and modernized form of traditional Uzbek wrestling.
Football is
the most popular sport in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan's premier football league is
the Uzbek League, which has consisted of 16 teams since 2015. The current
champions (2016) are Lokomotiv Tashkent. Pakhtakor holds the record for the
most Uzbekistan champion titles, having won the league 10 times. The current
Player of the Year (2015) is Odil Akhmedov. Uzbekistan's football clubs
regularly participate in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup. Nasaf won
AFC Cup in 2011, the first international club cup for Uzbek football.
Before
Uzbekistan's independence in 1991, the country used to be part of the Soviet
Union football, rugby union, basketball, ice hockey, and handball national
teams. After independence, Uzbekistan created its own football, rugby union,
basketball and futsal national teams.
Tennis is
also a very popular sport in Uzbekistan, especially after Uzbekistan's
independence in 1991. Uzbekistan has its own Tennis Federation called the
"UTF" (Uzbekistan Tennis Federation), created in 2002. Uzbekistan
also hosts an International WTA tennis tournament, the "Tashkent
Open", held in Uzbekistan's capital city. This tournament has been held
since 1999, and is played on outdoor hard courts. The most notable active
players from Uzbekistan are Denis Istomin and Akgul Amanmuradova.
Chess is
quite popular in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan-born Rustam Kasimdzhanov was the FIDE
World Chess Champion in 2004.
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