Uzbekistan
Republic of Uzbekistan conventional short form: Uzbekistan local long form: Uzbekiston Respublikasi local short form: none former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic
republicIndependence 1 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Uzbekistan as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 116 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1925. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include insurgency by Islamic militants based in Tajikistan and Afghanistan, a non-convertible currency, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.
Geography
Central Asia, north of Afghanistan
18 fieldsLand boundaries
total: 6,221 km border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km
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
Land use
arable land: 9% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 3% other: 41% (1993 est.)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Ethnic groups(1996 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 36.32% (male 4,646,341; female 4,489,265) 15-64 years: 59.06% (male 7,351,908; female 7,504,626) 65 years and over: 4.62% (male 466,029; female 696,895) (2001 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: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 63.81 years male: 60.24 years female: 67.56 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (yearend 1996)
Government
Republic
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
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
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)
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) 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 27 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%
Legislative branch
- unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 5 December and 19 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
- seats by party - NDP 48, Self-Sacrificers Party 34, Fatherland Progress Party 20, Adolat Social Democratic Party 11, MTP 10, citizens' groups 16, local government 110, vacant 1 note: not all seats in the last Supreme Assembly election were contested;
- all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President KARIMOV
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly)
Political parties and leaders
- Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Anwar JURABAYEV, first secretary];
- Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly Tiklanish) or MTP [Aziz KAYUMOV, chairman];
- Fatherland Progress Party [Anwar Z. YOLDASHEV];
- People's Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Abdulkhafiz JALOLOV, first secretary];
- Self-Sacrificers Party or Fidokorlar National Democratic Party [Ahtam TURSUNOV, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Birlik (Unity) Movement [Abdurakhim PULAT, chairman];
- Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party [Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] was banned 9 December 1992;
- Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Abdumanob PULAT, chairman];
- Independent Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Mikhail ARDZINOV, chairman]
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 (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Shavkat HAMRAKULOV chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador John Edward HERBST embassy: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent 700115 mailing address: use embassy street address;
- US Embassy Tashkent, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7110 telephone: [998] (71) 120-5444
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
Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of its population lives in densely populated rural communities. Uzbekistan is now the world's third largest cotton exporter, a large producer of gold and oil, 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.
The state continues to be a dominating influence in the economy and has 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. Economic policies that have repelled foreign investment are a major factor in the economy's stagnation.
A growing debt burden, persistent inflation, and a poor business climate led to stagnant growth in 2000, with little improvement predicted for 2001.
Budget
revenues: $4 billion expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Exports - commodities
cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products, automobiles
Exchange rates
Uzbekistani sums per US dollar - 325.0 (January 2001), 141.4 (January 2000), 111.9 (February 1999), 110.95 (December 1998), 75.8 (September 1997), 41.1 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- antiquated and inadequate;
- in serious need of modernization domestic: the domestic telephone system is being expanded and technologically improved, particularly in Tashkent and Samarqand, under contracts with prominent companies in industrialized countries;
- moreover, by 1998, six cellular networks had been placed in operation - four of the GSM type (Global System for Mobile Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System) 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;
- after the completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian facilities for international communications;
- Inmarsat also provides an international connection, albeit an expensive one;
- satellite earth stations - NA (1998)
Television broadcast stations
4 (plus two repeaters that relay Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tadzhik programs) (1997)
Transportation
8 fieldsNetworkskm
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 (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather) unpaved: 10,363 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1996)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 10 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 257 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 222
Military
Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Uzbekistan.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/uzbekistan/2001.