Uzbekistan

Republic of UzbekistanUzbekiston Respublikasi

republicIndependence 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Uzbekistan as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 105 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

24.1 million July 1999 est. · 21.63m in 1992

Population growth% a year

1.32% 1999 est. · 2.17% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

63.91 years 1999 est. · 68.36 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.82 children per woman 1999 est. · 4.2 in 1992

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

71.58 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 65 in 1992

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,500 1998 est. · $2,430 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

1% 1998 est. · -10% in 1993

Geography

Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

18 fields

Land useshare of 447,400 sq km

arable land 9%permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 46%forests and woodland 3%other 41% (1993 est.)irrigated 40,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

447,400sq km

land: 425,400 sq kmwater: 22,000 sq kmslightly larger than California

Coastline

0km

note: Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shorelineMaritime claims: none (doubly landlocked)

Highest point

4,301m

Adelunga Toghilowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m

Land boundaries

6,221km

border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 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, Sirdaryo (Syr Darya), and Zarafshon;
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 salination;
soil contamination from agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Environment--international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography--note

along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world

People

15 fields

Population

24,102,473

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 1.32% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

23.43Death

7.75Net migration

-2.44

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)63.91

60.29 · 67.71

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (yearend 1996)99%

99% · 99%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups(1996 est.)

Uzbek 80%Russian 5.5%Tajik 5%Kazakh 3%Karakalpak 2.5%Tatar 1.5%other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 37% (male 4,556,973; female 4,413,617)
15-64 years:: 58% (male 6,938,090; female 7,068,839)
65 years and over:: 5% (male 443,604; female 681,350) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

71.58 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Uzbekistani(s)
adjective:: Uzbekistani

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); Prime Minister Otkir SULTONOV (since 21 December 1995) and 10 deputy prime ministers

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

86%

-Islom KARIMOV 86%Muhammed SOLIH 12%other 2%election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA January 2000

Legislature, 250 seats, elected 25 December 1994one dot, one seat

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

Country name

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

Government type

republic;
effectively authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch;
executive power concentrated in the presidency

Administrative divisions

12 wiloyatlar (singular--wiloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahri);
Andijon Wiloyati, Bukhoro Wiloyati, Farghona Wiloyati, Jizzakh Wiloyati, Khorazm Wiloyati (Urganch), Namangan Wiloyati, Nawoiy Wiloyati, Qashqadaryo Wiloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpoghiston* (Nukus), Samarqand Wiloyati, Sirdaryo Wiloyati (Guliston), Surkhondaryo Wiloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri**, Toshkent Wiloyati

note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (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)
head of government:: Prime Minister Otkir SULTONOV (since 21 December 1995) and 10 deputy prime ministers
cabinet:: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA January 2000; note--extension of President KARIMOV's term for an additional four years overwhelmingly approved--99.6% of total vote in favor--by national referendum held 26 March 1995);
prime minister and all other ministers appointed by the president
election results:: Islom KARIMOV elected president; percent of vote--Islom KARIMOV 86%, Muhammed SOLIH 12%, other 2%

Legislative branch

unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA December 1999)
election results:: percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--People's Democratic Party 207, Fatherland Progress Party 12, other 31;
note--seating following the final runoff elections were
held 22 January 1995:: People's Democratic Party 69, Fatherland Progress Party 14, Social Democratic Party 47, local government 120

note: all parties in parliament support President KARIMOV

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

People's Democratic Party or NDP YULDASHEV, chairman]; Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Birlik (Unity) Movement

International organization participation

AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Sadyk SAFAYEV
chancery:: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general:: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Joseph A. PRESEL
embassy:: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent 700115
mailing address:: use embassy street address; US Embassy Tashkent, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7110

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon and 12 white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

Economy

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$2,500

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 5% (1998)

Inflation, consumer prices

40%

(1998 est.)

Unemployment rate

plus another 10% underemployed (December 1996 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1996 est.)

agriculture 26%industry 27%services 47% (1996 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$4.4 billionExpenditures

$4.7 billion (1997 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion

Electricity

fossil fuel 84.18%hydro 15.82%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

47.9 billion (1998)Electricity consumption

43.885 billion (1996)Electricity exports

5.6 billion (1996)Electricity imports

6.5 billion (1996)

Economy--overview

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. It was one of the poorest areas of the former Soviet Union with more than 60% of its population living in densely populated rural communities. Uzbekistan is now 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 in December 1991, 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 began to reform in mid-1994, by introducing tighter monetary policies, expanding privatization, slightly 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 bring about much-needed structural changes. The IMF suspended Uzbekistan's $185 million standby arrangement in late 1996 because of governmental steps that made impossible fulfillment of Fund conditions.

Uzbekistan has responded to the negative external conditions generated by the Asian and Russian financial crises by tightening export and currency controls within its already largely closed economy.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$59.2 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force

11.9 million (1998 est.)

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture and forestry 44%, industry 20%, services 36% (1995)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Exports

$3.8 billion (1998)

Exports--commodities

cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products, autos

Exports--partners

Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Western Europe

Imports

$4.1 billion (1998)

Imports--commodities

grain, machinery and parts, consumer durables, other foods

Imports--partners

principally other FSU, Czech Republic, Western Europe

Debt--external

$2.6 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$276.6 million (1995)

Currency

Uzbekistani som (UKS)

Exchange rates

Uzbekistani soms (UKS) per US$1--111.9 (February 1999), 110.95 (December 1998), 75.8 (September 1997), 41.1 (1996), 30.2 (1995), 11.4 (1994), 1.0 (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

1.475 million

(1998 est.)

Telephone system

poorly developed; ambitiously engaged in telecommunications modernization

domestic:: in 1998 there were six cellular networks operating in Uzbekistan; 4 GSM, 1 D-AMPS, 1 AMPS standard
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 (Japan) and Ankara (Turkey) give Uzbekistan international access independent of Russian facilities;
satellite earth stations--NA Orbita and NA Intelsat;
Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note--there are 12 radio broadcast stations including one state-owned broadcast station of NA type and four independent stations

Radios

29,016,870

Television broadcast stations

4 (in addition, there are two repeater stations that relay Russian ORT programs and Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tadzhik programs) (1997)

Televisions

24,497,850

Transportation

7 fields

Networkskm

Highways

81,600Railways

3,380Waterways

1,100 (1990)

Highways: paved: 71,237 km (note--these roads are said to be hard surfaced, meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced) · unpaved: 10,363 km dirt (1996 est.) · Railways: ; does not include industrial lines · broad gauge: 3,380 km 1.520-m gauge (300 km electrified) (1993)

Railways

total:: 3,380 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge:: 3,380 km 1.520-m gauge (300 km electrified) (1993)

Highways

total:: 81,600 km
paved:: 71,237 km (note--these roads are said to be hard surfaced, meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced)
unpaved:: 10,363 km dirt (1996 est.)

total:: 3
over 3,047 m:: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Military

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

7 fields

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

1.4%

(1997)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes--international

none

Illicit drugs

limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and very small amounts of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption, almost entirely eradicated by an effective government eradication program;
increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Afghanistan to Russia and Western Europe and for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan

Central Intelligence Agency. “Uzbekistan.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/uzbekistan/1999.

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