Uzbekistan

• mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes;
• broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon;
• Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan;
• shrinking Aral Sea in west

• shrinkage 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 buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT

party to:

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

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.039 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.979 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.697 male(s)/female

total population:

0.982 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

noun:

Uzbekistani

adjective:

Uzbekistani

conventional long form:

Republic of Uzbekistan

conventional short form:

Uzbekistan

local long form:

Ozbekiston Respublikasi

local short form:

Ozbekiston

former:

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

name:

Tashkent (Toshkent)

geographic coordinates:

41 20 N, 69 18 E

time difference:

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• 12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (respublika), and 1 city** (shahar);
• Andijon Viloyati, Buxoro Viloyati, Farg'ona Viloyati, Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati, Sirdaryo Viloyati (Guliston), Surxondaryo Viloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri**, Toshkent Viloyati, Xorazm Viloyati (Urganch)

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 Shavkat MIRZIYAYEV (since 11 December 2003)

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term; previously was a five-year term, extended by constitutional amendment in 2002);
• election last held 9 January 2000 (next to be held in 2007);
• prime minister, ministers, and deputy ministers appointed by the president

election results:

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

• Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Dilorom TASHMUHAMMEDOVA];
• Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly Tiklanish) or MTP [Hurshid DOSMUHAMMEDOV];
• Fidokorlar National Democratic Party (Self-Sacrificers) [Ahtam TURSUNOV];
• Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan or LDPU [Adham SHADMANOV; People's Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Asliddin RUSTAMOV]

• Agrarian and Entrepreneurs' Party [Marat ZAHIDOV];
• Birlik (Unity) Movement [Abdurakhim POLAT, chairman];
• Committee for the Protection of Human Rights [Marat ZAHIDOV];
• Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party [Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] was banned 9 December 1992;
• Ezgulik Human Rights Society [Vasila INOYATOVA];
• Free Farmers' Party or Ozod Dehqonlar [Nigora KHIDOYATOVA];
• Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Talib YAKUBOV, chairman];
• Independent Human Rights Organization of Uzbekistan [Mikhail ARDZINOV, chairman];
• Mazlum;
• Sunshine Coalition [Sanjar UMAROV, chairman]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Abdulaziz KAMILOV

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 Richard B. NORLAND

embassy:

3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent 100093

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[998] (71) 120-5450

FAX:

[998] (71) 120-6335

agriculture:

44%

industry:

20%

services:

36% (1995)

lowest 10%:

2.8%

highest 10%:

29.6% (2003)

general assessment:

antiquated and inadequate; in serious need of modernization

domestic:

• the main line telecommunications system is dilapidated;
• the state-owned telecom company, Uzbektelecom, is using a US$110 million loan from the Japanese government to improve main line services;
• mobile services are growing swiftly, with the subscriber base doubling in 2005 to 1.1 million;
• there are 6 main cellular providers currently in operation

international:

• country code - 998;
• 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 (2006)

total:

3,950 km

broad gauge:

3,950 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2006)

total:

81,600 km

paved:

71,237 km

unpaved:

10,363 km (1999)

males age 18-49:

6,340,220

females age 18-49:

6,432,072 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

4,609,621

females age 18-49:

5,383,233 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

324,722

females age 18-49:

317,062 (2005 est.)

• prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states;
• field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2004;
• border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas

refugees (country of origin):

39,202 (Tajikistan)

IDPs:

3,400 (forced population transfers by government from villages near Tajikistan border) (2006)

current situation:

• Uzbekistan is a source and, to a lesser extent, a transit country for women trafficked to Asia and the Middle East for the purpose of sexual exploitation;
• women from other Central Asian countries and China are trafficked through Uzbekistan;
• men are trafficked for purposes of forced labor in the construction and agricultural industries to Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan;
• men and women are also trafficked within the country

tier rating:

Tier 3 - Uzbekistan is placed on Tier 3 because it failed to fulfill commitments by the country to take additional steps during 2005, including the adoption of comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation, criminal code amendments to raise trafficking penalties, support to the country's first trafficking shelter, and approval of a national action plan

• transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets;
• limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic consumption;
• poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop eradication program;
• transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan