Uzbekistan

• mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes;
• broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zaravshan;
• Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan;
• shrinking Aral Sea in west

• Syr Darya (shared with Kyrgyzstan [s], Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan [m]) - 3,078 km;
• Amu Darya river mouth (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan) - 2,620 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

• most of the population is concentrated in the fertile Fergana Valley in the easternmost arm of the country;
• the south has significant clusters of people, but the central and western deserts are sparsely populated

• earthquakes;
• floods;
• landslides or mudslides;
• avalanches;
• droughts

noun:

Uzbekistani

adjective:

Uzbekistani

total:

29.2 years (2025 est.)

male:

28.1 years

female:

29.8 years

• most of the population is concentrated in the fertile Fergana Valley in the easternmost arm of the country;
• the south has significant clusters of people, but the central and western deserts are sparsely populated

at birth:

1.08 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.79 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

17.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

21.1 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

15.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.2 years (2024 est.)

male:

73.6 years

female:

79 years

total:

2.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

15.4% (2025 est.)

male:

30.2% (2025 est.)

female:

1% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

0.2% (2022)

women married by age 18:

3.4% (2022)

• growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts in the shrinking Aral Sea;
• desertification;
• water pollution and soil salination from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides;
• soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

urban population:

50.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

1.25% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

848.1 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

868.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

261.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

4.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

4 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

31.6% (2022 est.)

municipal:

2.3 billion cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

1.2 billion cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

41 billion cubic meters (2022)

conventional long form:

Republic of Uzbekistan

conventional short form:

Uzbekistan

local long form:

O'zbekiston Respublikasi

local short form:

O'zbekiston

former:

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

• the name comes from the local people, the Uzbeks, whose name is said to have originated with Mongol leader Ghiyath ad-Din Muhammad UZBEK;
• the Persian suffix - stan means "country"

name:

Tashkent (Toshkent)

geographic coordinates:

41 19 N, 69 15 E

time difference:

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

• the current name of the ancient city was first used in the 11th century and comes from the Sogdian (Turkic) words tash ( stone) and kent (town);
• the city was first recorded in the 5th or 4th century B.C. with the name of Chach or Shash

history:

several previous; latest adopted 8 December 1992

amendment process:

proposed by the Supreme Assembly or by referendum; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of both houses of the Assembly or passage in a referendum

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Uzbekistan

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (since 14 December 2016)

head of government:

Prime Minister Abdulla ARIPOV (since 14 December 2016)

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with most requiring approval of the Senate chamber of the Supreme Assembly (Oliy Majlis)

election/appointment process:

• president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term);
• prime minister nominated by majority party in the Supreme Assembly but appointed along with the ministers and deputy ministers by the president

most recent election date:

9 July 2023

election results:

• 2023: Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV reelected president in snap election;
• percent of vote - Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (LDPU) 87. 7 %, Robaxon Maxmudova (Adolat) 4.5%, Ulugbek Inoyatov (PDP) 4%, Abdushukur Xamzayev (Ecological Party) 3.8%

;

• 2021: Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV reelected president in first round;
• percent of vote - Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (LDPU) 80.3%, Maqsuda VORISOVA (PDP) 6.7%, Alisher QODIROV (National Revival Democratic Party) 5.5%, Narzullo OBLOMURODOV (Ecological Party) 4.1%, Bahrom ABDUHALIMOV (Adolat) 3.4%

expected date of next election:

2030

legislature name:

Supreme Assembly (Oliy Majlis)

legislative structure:

bicameral

chamber name:

Legislative Chamber (Qonunchilik palatasi)

number of seats:

150 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

mixed system

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

11/7/2024 to 11/12/2024

parties elected and seats per party:

• Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businesspeople - Liberal Democratic Party (UzLiDeP) (64);
• Milliy Tiklanish Democratic Party (O'zMTDP) (29);
• Social Democratic Party ("Adolat" SDP) (21);
• People's Democratic Party (XDP) (20);
• Ecological Party (O'EP) (16)

percentage of women in chamber:

38%

expected date of next election:

October 2029

chamber name:

Senate (Senat)

number of seats:

65 (56 indirectly elected; 9 appointed)

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

10/27/2024

percentage of women in chamber:

24.6%

expected date of next election:

November 2029

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of 67 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and economic sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• judges of the highest courts nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis;
• judges appointed for a single 10-year term;
• the court chairman and deputies appointed for 10-year terms without the right to reelection. (Article 132 of the constitution)

subordinate courts:

regional, district, city, and town courts

• Ecological Party of Uzbekistan or EPU
• Justice Social Democratic Party or ASDP
• People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan or PDP
• Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party or UzLiDep
• Uzbekistan National Revival Democratic Party or UzMTDP

chief of mission:

Ambassador Furqat SIDIKOV (since 19 April 2023)

chancery:

1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 887-5300

FAX:

[1] (202) 293-6804

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.uzbekistan.org/

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Jonathan HENICK (since 14 October 2022)

embassy:

3 Moyqorghon, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, 100093 Tashkent

mailing address:

7110 Tashkent Place, Washington DC 20521-7110

telephone:

[998] 78-120-5450

FAX:

[998] 78-120-6335

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://uz.usembassy.gov/

description:

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by narrow red stripes with a vertical white crescent moon and 12 five-pointed white stars in the left corner of the top band

meaning:

• blue stands for the Turkic peoples and the sky, white for peace and the striving for purity in thoughts and deeds, and green for nature and Islam;
• the red stripes represent the vital force of all living organisms;
• the crescent stands for Islam, and the 12 stars for the months and constellations of the Uzbek calendar

title:

"O'zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi" (National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

lyrics/music:

Abdulla ARIPOV/Mutal BURHANOV

history:

adopted 1992; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan kept the music of its Soviet-era anthem but adopted new lyrics

total World Heritage Sites:

7 (5 cultural, 2 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Itchan Kala (c);
• Historic Bukhara (c);
• Historic Shakhrisyabz (c);
• Samarkand - Crossroad of Cultures (c);
• Western Tien Shan (n);
• Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (n);
• Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (c)

• lower-middle income Central Asian economy;
• key exporter of natural gas, cotton, and gold;
• ongoing reform efforts to reduce state-owned sector dominance, attract foreign investment, and improve sustainability of cotton production

total:

10.9% (2024 est.)

male:

7.2% (2024 est.)

female:

18.1% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

46.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.1% (2023 est.)

highest 10%:

25.3% (2023 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

production:

6.379 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

8.941 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

4,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

3.521 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

1.375 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

64,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

111,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

594 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

43.249 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

44.455 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

1.308 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

2.514 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

1.841 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• state-controlled media;
• 17 state-owned broadcasters, including 13 TV and 4 radio, with national service;
• about 20 privately owned TV stations, overseen by local officials, broadcast locally;
• privately owned TV stations required to lease transmitters from state-owned Republic TV and Radio Industry Corporation (2019)

total:

4,642 km (2018)

broad gauge:

4,642 km (2018) 1.520-m gauge (1,684 km electrified)

• the Uzbek Armed Forces use mainly Russian or Soviet-era armaments with smaller quantities of items from suppliers such as China, Türkiye, and the US;
• Uzbekistan has a small defense industry, which is involved in repairing and maintaining aircraft and armored vehicles, as well as producing light armored vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles/drones, and other military items (2025)

• the military’s responsibilities include ensuring the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing its borders, and assisting with internal security;
• regional security and international terrorism are areas of concern;
• Uzbekistan joined the Russian-sponsored Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the 1990s but withdrew in 1999;
• it returned in 2006 but left again in 2012;
• although not part of CSTO, Uzbekistan continues to maintain defense ties with Russia, including joint military exercises and defense industrial cooperation;
• it also has defense ties with other regional countries, including
  • Azerbaijan,
  • China,
  • India,
  • Kazakhstan,
  • Pakistan,
  • and Turkey
  ;
• it is part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and participates in SCO training exercises (2025)

• has a small but growing space effort focused on acquiring satellites and developing the country’s space industries and technologies in key sectors, including cartography, data processing, environmental and disaster monitoring, land use, resource management, and telecommunications;
• recognized for its astronomy program;
• member of international space organizations;
• cooperates with foreign space agencies or commercial companies from a variety of countries, including those of Canada, China, France, India, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, and the UAE (2025)

• 2018 - signed space cooperation agreements with France and India
• 2022 - signed space cooperation agreement with Kazakhstan
• 2025 - Uzbek engineers began two-year satellite development training program in Japan with goal of building country's first satellite; signed space cooperation agreement with South Korea; announced development of 10-year national space program

refugees:

8,505 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

20,000 (2024 est.)