Uzbekistan

• 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

• 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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

0-14 years:

37% (male 4,673,501; female 4,520,471)

15-64 years:

58% (male 7,140,215; female 7,283,143)

65 years and over:

5% (male 452,480; female 685,709) (2000 est.)

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:

0.66 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Uzbekistani(s)

adjective:

Uzbekistani

conventional long form:

Republic of Uzbekistan

conventional short form:

Uzbekistan

local long form:

Uzbekiston Respublikasi

local short form:

none

former:

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

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

• 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)

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 9 January 2000 (next to be held NA January 2005);
• note - extension of President KARIMOV's original term for an additional five years overwhelmingly approved - 99.6% of total vote in favor - by national referendum held 26 March 1995);
• prime minister and deputy ministers appointed by the president

election results:

Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of vote - Islom KARIMOV 91.9%, Abdulkhafiz DZHALALOV 4.2%

• Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Turgunpulat DAMINOV, first secretary];
• Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly Tiklanish) or MTP [Ibrahim GAFUROV, chairman];
• Fatherland Progress Party (Vatan Tarakiyoti) or VTP [Anvar YULDASHEV, chairman];
• People's Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Abdulkhafiz JALOLOV, first secretary];
• Self-Sacrificers Party or Fidokorlar [Erkin NORBOTAEV, general secretary]

• Birlik (Unity) Movement [Abdurakhim PULATOV, chairman];
• Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party [Muhamd SOLIH, chairman] was banned 9 December 1992;
• Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Abdumanob PULATOV, chairman];
• Independent Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Mikhail AROZINOV, chairman]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Sadyk SAFAYEV

chancery:

1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 887-5300

FAX:

[1] (202) 293-6804

consulate(s) general:

New York

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

telephone:

[998] (71) 120-5450

FAX:

[998] (71) 120-6335

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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)

total:

81,600 km

paved:

71,237 km (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.)

• 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 [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]