Uzbekistan

Republic of UzbekistanUzbekiston Respublikasi

republicIndependence 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Uzbekistan as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 81 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalTashkent (Toshkent)

Area447,400 sq km

LocationCentral Asia, north of Afghanistan

Populationas each edition published it

23.09 million July 1995 est. · 21.63m in 1992

Population growth% a year

2.08% 1995 est. · 2.17% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

68.79 years 1995 est. · 68.36 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.67 children per woman 1995 est. · 4.2 in 1992

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

52 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 65 in 1992

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,400 1994 est. · $2,430 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

-4% 1994 est. · -10% in 1993

Geography

Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

14 fields

Land useshare of 447,400 sq km

arable land 10%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 47%forest and woodland 0%other 42%irrigated 41,550 sq km (1990)

Area

447,400sq km

land area: 425,400 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than California

Coastline

0km

note: Uzbekistan borders the Aral Sea (420 km)Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Land boundaries

6,221km

total · Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian States

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 Sirdaryo Rivers;
Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan;
shrinking Aral Sea in west

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

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
natural hazards:: NA
international agreements:: party to - Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection

People

15 fields

Population

23,089,261

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 2.08% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

29.45Death

6.44Net migration

-2.23

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years68.79

65.5 · 72.24

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy97%

98% · 96%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1989)

Ethnic divisions

Uzbek 71.4%Russian 8.3%Tajik 4.7%Kazakh 4.1%Tatar 2.4%Karakalpak 2.1%other 7%

Religions

Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis)Eastern Orthodox 9%other 3%

Labor force

8.234million

by occupation: agriculture and forestry 43%, industry and construction 22%, other 35% (1992)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 40% (female 4,553,432; male 4,670,496)
15-64 years:: 55% (female 6,400,578; male 6,384,862)
65 years and over:: 5% (female 656,933; male 422,960) (July 1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Uzbek(s)
adjective:: Uzbek

Languages

Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

Government

Republic; President Islam KARIMOV (since NA March 1990); Prime Minister Abdulhashim MUTALOV (since 13 January 1992), First Deputy Prime Minister Ismail DJURABEKOV (since NA)

22 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

86%

Islam KARIMOV 86%Mukhammad SOLIKH 12%other 2%

Legislature, 250 seatsone dot, one seat

People's Democratic Party 207Fatherland Progress Party 12other 31

Names

conventional long form:: Republic of Uzbekistan
conventional short form:: Uzbekistan
local long form:: Uzbekiston Respublikasi
local short form:: none
former:: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

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: an administrative division has the same name as its administrative center (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Constitution

new constitution adopted 8 December 1992

Legal system

evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial system

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Islam KARIMOV (since NA March 1990);
election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA);
results - Islam KARIMOV 86%, Mukhammad SOLIKH 12%, other 2%;
note - a 26 March 1995 referendum extended KARIMOV's term until 2000 (99.6% approval)
head of government:: Prime Minister Abdulhashim MUTALOV (since 13 January 1992), First Deputy Prime Minister Ismail DJURABEKOV (since NA);
Deputy Prime Ministers Viktor CHIZHEN, Bakhtiyar HAMIDOV, Kayim KHAKKULOV, Yuriy PAYGIN, Saidmukhtar SAIDKASYMOV, Utkur SULTANOV, Mirabror USMANOV, Murat SHARIFKHOJAYEV (since NA)
cabinet:: Cabinet of Ministers; appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly

Supreme Council

elections last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (250 total) 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

Political parties and leaders

People's Democratic Party (PDP; formerly Communist Party), Islam A. KARIMOV, chairman;
Fatherland Progress Party (FPP), Anwar YULDASHEV, chairman;
Social Democratic Party, Anvar JORABAYEV, chairman;
Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party (EDP), Muhammad SOLIKH, chairman (in exile);
note - EDP was banned 9 December 1992

Other political or pressure groups

Birlik (Unity) People's Movement (BPM), Abdul Rakhim PULATOV, chairman (in exile);
Islamic Rebirth Party (IRP), Abdullah UTAYEV, chairman;
Adolat-94 (formed by former Vice President Shukhrat MIRSAIDOV and Ibragim BURIEV

note: PULATOV (BPM) is in exile in the West; UTAYEV (IRP) is either in prison or in exile

Member of

AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Fatikh TESHABAYEV
chancery:: (temporary) Suites 619 and 623, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:: [1] (202) 638-4266, 4267

FAX

[1] (202) 638-4268; consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Henry L. CLARKE
embassy:: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [7] (3712) 77-14-07, 77-10-81

Flag

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

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% | consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$2,400

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

-4%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 1% (1994 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

14%per month

(1994 est.)

Unemployment rate

0.3%

includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers (December 1994)

Installed generating capacity, 11,690,000 kW

Electricity production

47.5 billionElectricity consumption per capita

2,130 (1994)

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. It is one of the poorest states of the former USSR with 60% of its population living in overpopulated rural communities. Nevertheless, Uzbekistan is the world's third largest cotton exporter, a major producer of gold and natural gas, and a regionally significant producer of chemicals and machinery.

Since independence, the government has sought to prop up the Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on prices and production. Such policies have buffered the economy from the sharp declines in output and high inflation experienced by many other former Soviet republics.

They had become increasingly unsustainable, however, as inflation moves along at 14% per month and as Russia has forced the Uzbek government to introduce its own currency. Faced with mounting economic problems, the government has begun to move on a reform agenda and cooperate with international financial institutions, announced an acceleration of privatization, and stepped up efforts to attract foreign investors. Nevertheless, the regime is likely to find it difficult to sustain its drive for economic reform.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $54.5 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)

Budget

revenues:: $NA
expenditures:: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exports

$943.7 million to outside the FSU countries (1994)

commodities:: cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products
partners:: Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, US

Imports

$1.15 billion from outside the FSU countries (1994)

commodities:: grain, machinery and parts, consumer durables, other foods
partners:: principally other FSU countries, Czech Republic

External debt

$NA

Industries

textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, natural gas

Agriculture

cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain, livestock

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy;
mostly for CIS consumption;
limited government eradication programs;
used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Economic aid

recipient:: the IMF has established a Systemic Transformation Facility of $74 million and the World Bank has made a rehabilitation loan of $160 million with other project loans pending;
estimated annual external financing requirements for 1995-96 of $600 million to $700 million

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

soms per US$1 - 25 (yearend 1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 261 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

216

1,524 to 2,438 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

78,400Railroads

3,460

Highways: paved and graveled: 67,000 km · unpaved: earth 11,400 km (1990) · Railroads: ; does not include industrial lines · broad gauge: 3,460 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Railroads

total:: 3,460 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge:: 3,460 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Highways

total:: 78,400 km
paved and graveled:: 67,000 km
unpaved:: earth 11,400 km (1990)

Pipelines

crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 810 km (1992)

Ports

Termiz

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

1,458,000 telephones;
63 telephones/1,000 persons (1995);
poorly developed

local:: NMT-450 analog cellular network established in Tashkent
intercity:: NA
international:: linked by landline or microwave with CIS member states and by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch to other countries;
new INTELSAT links to Tokyo and Ankara give Uzbekistan international access independent of Russian facilities;
Orbita and INTELSAT earth stations