Uzbekistan

Republic of UzbekistanUzbekiston Respublikasi

republicIndependence 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Uzbekistan as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 87 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)

Position41 00 N, 64 00 E

Area447,400 sq km

LocationCentral Asia, north of Afghanistan

Populationas each edition published it

23.42 million July 1996 est. · 21.63m in 1992

Population growth% a year

1.87% 1996 est. · 2.17% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

64.6 years 1996 est. · 68.36 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.69 children per woman 1996 est. · 4.2 in 1992

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

79.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 65 in 1992

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,370 1995 est. · $2,430 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

-1% 1995 est. · -10% in 1993

Geography

Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

15 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

border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

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

lowest point:: Saryqamish 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

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, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

People

15 fields

Population

23,418,381

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 1.87% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

29.86Death

8.02Net migration

-3.13

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years64.6

60.44 · 68.97

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy97%

98% · 96%

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

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 40% (male 4,732,585; female 4,618,503)
15-64 years:: 55% (male 6,441,052; female 6,540,479)
65 years and over:: 5% (male 416,571; female 669,191) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.62 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

79.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Uzbek(s)
adjective:: Uzbek

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet) was elected for a five-year term by popular vote

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

Name of country

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 Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet) was elected for a five-year term by popular vote;
election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000);
results - Islam KARIMOV 86%, Mukhammad SOLIKH 12%, other 2%;
note - the 26 March 1995 referendum extended KARIMOV's term until 2000 (99.6% approval)
head of government:: Prime Minister Otkir SULTONOV (since December 1995), First Deputy Prime Minister Ismoil JURABEKOV (since NA), Deputy Prime Ministers Viktor CHIZHEN (since NA), Bakhtiyor HAMIDOV (since NA), Kayim HAQQULOV (since NA), Rim GINIYATULLIN (since NA), Saidmukhtor SAIDQOSIMOV (since NA), Mirabror USMONOV (since NA), Murat SHARIFKHOJAYEV (since NA), Uktam ISMAILOV (since NA), Rustam YUNUSOV (since NA) were appointed by the president
cabinet:: Cabinet of Ministers was appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly

Supreme Assembly (Oliy Majlis)

elections last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly

Political parties and leaders

People's Democratic Party (PDP; formerly Communist Party), Islom A. KARIMOV, chairman;
Fatherland Progress Party (FPP), Anwar YULDASHEV, chairman;
Social Democratic Party, Anvar JORABAYEV, chairman

Other political or pressure groups

Birlik (Unity) People's Movement (BPM), Ibrahim BURIYEV, chairman;
Islamic Rebirth Party (IRP), Abdullah UTAYEV, chairman;
Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party was banned 9 December 1992

note: UTAYEV (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 (observer), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Fatiq 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

US diplomatic representation

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) 89-13-35

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

21 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$2,370

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

-1%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 0% (1995 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

7.7%monthly average

(January-October 1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

0.4%

includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers (December 1995)

Installed generating capacity, 11,690,000 kW

Electricity production

47.5 billionElectricity consumption per capita

2,130 (1994)

Economic overview

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. It was one of the poorest republics of the former Soviet Union with more than 60% of its population living in overpopulated rural communities. At the same time, 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.

Following independence, 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, 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 induce far-reaching structural changes.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $54.7 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture:: NA%
industry:: NA%
services:: NA%

Labor force

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

Budget

revenues:: $NA
expenditures:: $NA, including capital expenditures of $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;
government eradication programs;
used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Exports

$3.1 billion (1995)

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

Imports

$2.9 billion (1995)

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

External debt

$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

soms per US$1 - 35.8 (end December 1995), 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

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

78,400Railways

3,460

Highways: paved: NA km · unpaved: NA km (1990 est.) · Railways: ; does not include industrial lines · broad gauge: 3,460 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Railways

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:: NA km
unpaved:: NA km (1990 est.)

Pipelines

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

Ports

Termiz

Communications

Army, Air and Air Defense, Security Forces (internal and | border troops), National Guard

9 fields

Fixed lines

1.458 million

(1995 est.)

Defense expenditures

164million soms

3.7% of GDP (1993); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

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

males age 15-49:: 5,672,621
males fit for military service:: 4,623,960
males reach military age (18) annually:: 231,293 (1996 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Uzbekistan.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/uzbekistan/1996.

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