Pahlevani and zoorkhaneh rituals and Uzbekistan: Difference between pages
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{{Infobox Country or territory
|native_name = ''O‘zbekiston Respublikasi''<br/>''O‘zbekiston Jumhuriyati''<br/>Ўзбекистон Республикаси
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Uzbekistan
|common_name = Uzbekistan
|image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg
|image_coat = Uzbekistan coa.png
|image_map = LocationUzbekistan.PNG
|national_motto = none
|national_anthem = [[National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan]]
|official_languages = [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]]
|capital = [[Tashkent]]
|latd=41 |latm=16 |latNS=N |longd=69 |longm=13 |longEW=E
|largest_city = Tashkent
|government_type = [[Republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[President of Uzbekistan|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Islom Karimov]]
|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Uzbekistan|Prime Minister]]
|leader_name2 = [[Shavkat Mirziyoyev]]
|sovereignty_type = [[History of Uzbekistan|Independence]]
|sovereignty_note = from the [[Soviet Union]]
|established_event1 = Formation
|established_date1 = [[1747]]{{smallsup|1}}
|established_event2 = Declared
|established_date2 = [[September 1]] [[1991]]
|established_event3 = Recognized
|established_date3 = [[December 8]] [[1991]]
|established_event4 = Completed
|established_date4 = [[December 25]] [[1991]]
|area_rank = 56th
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area = 447,400
|areami² = 172,742 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|percent_water = 4.9
|population_estimate = 26,593,000
|population_estimate_rank = 44th
|population_estimate_year = July 2005
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density = 59
|population_densitymi² = 153 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 136th
|GDP_PPP = $50.395 billion <!--IMF-->
|GDP_PPP_rank = 74th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $2,283
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 145th
|HDI = 0.694
|HDI_rank = 111th
|HDI_year = 2003
|HDI_category = <font color="#ffcc00">medium</font>
|Gini = 26.8
|Gini_year = 2000
|Gini_category = <font color="#009900">low</font>
|currency = [[Uzbekistani Som|Uzbekistan som (Uzbekiston so'mi)]]
|currency_code = UZS
|country_code = UZB
|Main Religion = [[Islam]]
|time_zone = [[Uzbekistan Time|UZT]]
|utc_offset = +5
|time_zone_DST = not observed
|utc_offset_DST = +5
|cctld = [[.uz]]
|calling_code = 998
|footnote1 = As [[Emirate of Bukhara|Bukharian Emirate]], [[Khanate of Kokand|Kokand Khanate]], [[Khwarezm]].
}}
'''Uzbekistan''' (alternately '''Uzbekstan''' or '''Ozbekistan'''), officially the '''Republic of Uzbekistan''' ([[Uzbek language|Uzbek]]: ''O‘zbekiston Respublikasi'' or ''O‘zbekiston Jumhuriyati''; [[Cyrillic]]: Ўзбекистон Республикаси; [[Russian language|Russian]]: Республика Узбекистан), is a [[doubly landlocked]] country in [[Central Asia]], formerly part of the [[Soviet Union]]. It shares borders with [[Kazakhstan]] to the west and to the north, [[Kyrgyzstan]] and [[Tajikistan]] to the east, and [[Afghanistan]] and [[Turkmenistan]] to the south. The only official language, [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]], is a [[Turkic language]], but [[Russia]]n continues to be widely used, a holdover from Soviet rule. About 1 million [[Tajik]]s, an ethnic group closely related to the [[Persian people|Persian]]s, inhabit Uzbekistan,<ref>[http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/World-Leaders-2003/Tajikistan.html - Encylopedia of the Nations - ''Tajikistan''.]</ref> making up approximately 4.8% of the population.<ref>[http://www.mid-continent.org/foreign-projects.htm - Mid-Continent Eye Bank - '' Foreign Project: Operation Restore Sight''.]</ref> The word ''Ozbek'' consists of ''oz'' ("real/original/true") and ''bek'' ("leaders/nobles").
==History==
{{main|History of Uzbekistan}}
The territory of Uzbekistan was populated in the second millennium [[Anno Domini|BC]]. There are findings of early human tools and monuments in [[Ferghana]], [[Tashkent]], [[Bukhara]], [[Khorezm]] (Khwarezm, Chorasmia) and [[Samarkand]] regions.
[[Alexander the Great]] conquered Sogdiana and Bactria in 327 BC, marrying [[Roxana]], daughter of a local Bactrian chieftain. However, the conquest was supposedly of little help to Alexander as popular resistance was fierce, causing Alexander's army to be bogged down in the region.
For many centuries the region of Uzbekistan was ruled by Iranian Empires such as the [[Parthian]] and [[Sassanid]] Empires.
In the fourteenth century AD, [[Timur]], known in the west as Tamerlane, overpowered the Mongols and built an empire. In his military campaigns, Tamerlane reached as far as the Middle East. He defeated [[Ottoman Sultan]] [[Bayezid I]]. Bayezid was captured, and died in captivity. Tamerlane sought to build a capital of his empire in Samarkand. Today Tamerlane is considered to be one of the greatest heroes in Uzbekistan who plays a significant role in its national identity and history. Following the fall of the [[Timurids|Timurid Empire]], [[Uzbek people|Uzbek nomads]] conquered the region.
[[Image:OrlatPlaque.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The [[Orlat plaque]], found in Uzbekistan, depicts a battle of warriors in [[cataphract]], thought to be [[Sakas]] or [[Sogdians]].]]
In the [[19th century|nineteenth century]], the [[Russian Empire]] began to expand, and spread into [[Central Asia]]. The "[[Great Game]]" period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the [[Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907]]. Following the [[October Revolution|Bolshevik Revolution]] of 1917 a second less intensive phase followed. At the start of the 19th century, there were some 2,000 [[mile]]s (3,200 km) separating [[British India]] and the outlying regions of the [[Imperial Russia|Tsarist Russia]]. Much of the land in between was unmapped.
By the beginning of the [[20th century|twentieth century]], Central Asia was firmly in the hands of Russia and despite some early resistance to [[Bolsheviks]], Uzbekistan and the rest of Central Asia became a part of the [[Soviet Union]]. On [[August 31]] [[1991]], Uzbekistan reluctantly declared independence, marking [[September 1]] as a national holiday.
The country now seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture - it is the world's second-largest exporter of [[cotton]] - while developing its [[mineral]] and [[petroleum]] reserves.
== Geography ==
{{main|Geography of Uzbekistan}}
{{seealso|List of cities in Uzbekistan}}
[[Image:Uz-map.png|220px|thumb|left|Map of Uzbekistan]]
Uzbekistan is approximately the size of [[Morocco]] and has an [[area]] of 447,400 [[square kilometer]]s (172,700 [[square mile|sq mi]]). It is the 56th-largest country.
Uzbekistan stretches 1,425 kilometers (885 [[mile|mi]]) from west to east and 930 kilometers (578 mi) from north to south. Bordering [[Turkmenistan]] to the southwest, [[Kazakhstan]] and the [[Aral Sea]] to the north, and [[Tajikistan]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]] to the south and east, Uzbekistan is not only one of the larger [[Central Asian]] states but also the only Central Asian state to border all of the other four. Uzbekistan also shares a short border with [[Afghanistan]] to the south.
Uzbekistan is a dry, double-[[landlocked]] country; 10% of its territory is intensely cultivated irrigated river valleys. It is one of two double-landlocked countries in the world - the other being [[Liechtenstein]]; and although in the case of Uzbekistan this is less clear, since it has borders with two countries (Kazakhstan in the north and Turkmenistan in the south) bordering the [[landlocked]] but non-freshwater [[Caspian Sea]] from which ships can reach the [[Sea of Azov]] and thus the [[Black Sea]], the [[Mediterranean Sea]] and the oceans.
The highest point in Uzbekistan is [[Adelunga Toghi]] at 4,301 meters (14,111 [[foot (unit of length)|ft]]).
Major '''cities''' include: [[Bukhara]], [[Samarqand]] and [[Tashkent]].
== Provinces ==
{{main|Provinces of Uzbekistan}}
Uzbekistan is divided into twelve [[province]]s (''viloyatlar'', singular ''[[viloyat]]''; ''viloyati'' in compound, e.g. Toshkent ''viloyati'', Samarqand ''viloyati'', etc.), one [[autonomous republic]] (''respublika''; ''respublikasi'' in compound, e.g. Qaraqalpaqstan Avtonom ''Respublikasi'', Karakalpakistan ''Autonomous Republic'', etc.), and one [[independent city]] (''[[shahar]]''; ''shahri'' in compounds, e.g. the Tashkent city with a K, Toshkent ''shahri''). Names are given below in the [[Uzbek language]], although numerous variations of the transliterations of each name exist.
[[Image:Uzbekistan provinces.png|right|250px|Political Map of Uzbekistan]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Division !! Capital City!! Area<br/>(km²)!! Population !! Key
|-
! [[Andijan Province|Andijon Viloyati]]
| [[Andijon]] ||4,200 || 1,899,000 || 2
|-
! [[Buxoro Province|Buxoro Viloyati]]
| Buxoro ([[Bukhara]]) || 39,400 || 1,384,700 || 3
|-
! [[Fergana Province|Farg'ona Viloyati]]
| Farg'ona ([[Fergana]]) || 6,800 || 2,597,000 || 4
|-
! [[Jizzax Province|Jizzax Viloyati]]
| [[Jizzax]] || 20,500 || 910,500 || 5
|-
! [[Xorazm Province|Xorazm Viloyati]]
| [[Urgench|Urganch]] || 6,300 || 1,200,000 || 13
|-
! [[Namangan Province|Namangan Viloyati]]
| [[Namangan]] ||7,900 || 1,862,000 || 6
|-
! [[Navoiy Province|Navoiy Viloyati]]
| [[Navoiy]] || 110,800 || 767,500 || 7
|-
! [[Qashqadaryo Province|Qashqadaryo Viloyati]]
| [[Qarshi]] || 28,400 || 2,029,000 || 8
|-
! [[Karakalpakstan|Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi]]
| [[Nukus]] || 160,000 || 1,200,000 || 14
|-
! [[Samarqand Province|Samarqand Viloyati]]
| [[Samarqand]] || 16,400 || 2,322,000 || 9
|-
! [[Sirdaryo Province|Sirdaryo Viloyati]]
| [[Guliston]] || 5,100 || 648,100 || 10
|-
! [[Surxondaryo Province|Surxondaryo Viloyati]]
| [[Termez]] || 20,800 || 1,676,000 || 11
|-
! [[Toshkent Province|Toshkent Viloyati]]
| Toshkent ([[Tashkent]])|| 15,300 || 4,450,000 || 12
|-
! [[Toshkent City|Toshkent Shahri]]
| Toshkent (Tashkent)|| No Data || 2,205,000 || 1
|}
The statistics for Toshkent Viloyati also include the statistics for Toshkent Shahri.
== Economy ==
{{main|Economy of Uzbekistan}}
Along with many [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] economies, Uzbekistan's economy has very recently <!--rephrase:-->shifted into high gear, registering 9.1% growth in the first quarter of 2007, along with a low 2.9% inflation. [http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/26.html?menu=2&id_issue=11715240]
Uzbekistan is a country with a [[GNI]] per capita of US$460 and [[Purchasing power parity|PPP]] equivalent of US$1860 [http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GNIPC.pdf]. Economic production is concentrated in commodities: Uzbekistan is now the world's fourth-largest producer and the world's second-largest exporter of cotton and the seventh world major producer of gold. It is also a regionally significant producer of natural gas, coal, copper, oil, silver, and uranium [http://www.irinnews.org/profiles/uzbekistan.asp#info]. [[Agriculture in Uzbekistan|Agriculture]] contributes about 37% of [[GDP]] while employing 44% of the labor force [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html]. Unemployment and underemployment are estimated to be at least 20% [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html].
[[Image:Prince Romanov Palace in Tashkent.jpg|thumb|280px|[[Tashkent]], the capital of Uzbekistan.]]
Facing a multitude of economic challenges upon acquiring independence, the government adopted an evolutionary reform strategy, with emphasis on state control, reduction of import, and self-sufficiency in energy. Since 1994, state controlled media repeatedly proclaimed success of this "Uzbek Economic Model" [http://2004.press-service.uz/rus/knigi/9tom/3tom_12.htm] as a unique example of smooth transition to the market economy while avoiding shock, pauperization, and stagnation.
The gradualist reform strategy has involved postponing significant macroeconomic and structural reforms. The state in the hands of the [[new class|bureaucracy]] has remained a dominant influence in the economy. Corruption permeated the society: Uzbekistan's 2005 [[Index of perception of corruption]] is 137 out of 159. A February 2006 report on the country by the [[International Crisis Group]] illustrates one aspect of this corruption:
:Much of Uzbekistan’s GDP growth comes from favourable prices for certain key exports, especially cotton, gold, and increasingly gas but the revenues from these commodities are distributed among a very small circle of the ruling elite, with little or no benefit for the populace at large. [http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3952&l=1] [http://www.voanews.com/english/New-Report-Paints-Grim-Picture-of-Uzbekistan.cfm].
According to the [[Economist Intelligence Unit]], "the government is hostile to allowing the development of an independent private sector, over which it would have no control" [http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=Uzbekistan]. Thus, the national [[bourgeoisie]] in general, and the [[middle class]] in particular, are marginalized economically, and, consequently, politically.
The economic policies have repelled foreign investment, which is the lowest per capita in the [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] [http://www.state.gov/e/eb/ifd/2005/42196.htm]. For years, the largest barrier to foreign companies entering the Uzbek market has been difficulty in currency conversion. In 2003, the government accepted the obligations of Article VIII under the [[International Monetary Fund]] [http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2003/pr03188.htm], providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened its effects.
Inflation, though lower than in the mid-1990s, remained high up until 2003 (estimated 50% in 2002, 21.9% in 2003, [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2924.htm]). Tight economic policies in 2004 resulted in drastic reduction of inflation, to 3.8% (while alternative estimates [http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/ADO/2005/uzb.asp] based on price of true [[market basket]], put it at 15%).
However, the relief appears to be transient, as [[IMF]] estimate of [[consumer price index|CPI]]-based inflation in Uzbekistan in 2005 is 14.1% [http://www.imf.org/external/country/UZB/index.htm].
The government of Uzbekistan restricts imports in many ways, including high import duties. Excise taxes are applied in a highly discriminatory manner to protect locally produced goods. Official tariffs are combined with unofficial, discriminatory charges resulting in total charges amounting to as much as 100 to 150 percent of the actual value of the product, making imported products virtually unaffordable [http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2004/2004_National_Trade_Estimate/2004_NTE_Report/asset_upload_file327_4803.pdf]. Import substitution is an officially declared policy and the government proudly reports [http://www.mfa.uz/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=59&page=1] reduction in the consumer goods import by a factor of two. A number of the CIS countries are officially exempt from Uzbekistan import duties.
Doing business in Uzbekistan is not easy. It requires a lot of investment and connection with ruling class. However, the annual profit which you can have is around 30-40%. The most profitable investment currently is real estate. In 2006, the real estate rose almost by 80%. [http://www.fainvestment.com]
== Demographics ==
<!--Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Uzbek_boys.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Uzbek boys in [[Tashkent]].]]-->
<!--Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Uzbek_children.jpg|right|200px|thumb]]-->
{{main|Demographics of Uzbekistan}}
Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country. Its 26 million people, concentrated in the south and east of the country, comprise nearly half the region's total population. Uzbekistan had been one of the poorest republics of the Soviet Union; much of its population was engaged in cotton farming in small rural collective farms ([[kolkhoz]]y). In the recent years, the fraction of the rural population has continued to increase [http://www.unescap.org/stat/data/apif/uzbekistan_apif2004.pdf] now reaching 63.5%. The population of Uzbekistan is very young: 34.1% of it are people younger than 14.
Uzbekistan is predominantly [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]] in ethnic composition. According to [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html Uzbekistan's CIA World Factbook entry], Uzbeks comprise 80% of the total population. Other ethnic groups include [[Russians|Russian]] 5.5%, [[Tajiks|Tajik]] 5%, [[Kazakhs]] 3%, [[Karakalpaks|Karakalpak]] 2.5%, and [[Tatars|Tatar]] 1.5%. There is also a large ethnic Korean population that was forcibly relocated to Uzbekistan by Stalin during World War II{{Fact|date=April 2007}}. The nation is 88% Muslim (mostly [[Sunnis|Sunni]], with a 5% [[Shi'a]] minority), 9% [[Eastern Orthodox]] and 3% following other faiths. The US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2004 reports 0.2% of the population are [[Buddhist]] (these being amongst the ethnic Koreans). Also, an estimated 93,000 [[Jew]]s were present in Uzbekistan in the early 1990s (source Library of Congress Country Studies).
Uzbek is the only official state language. However, Russian is the de facto language for interethnic communication, including much day-to-day technical, scientific, governmental and business use. According to Ethnologue, 49% of the population of Uzbekistan can speak Russian.
[[Tajik language]] is widely spoken in the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara. There is some controversy about the percentage of the Tajik population. While official numbers from Uzbekistan put the number at 5%, some Western scholars believe the number to be much higher, going as far as 40%.<ref>D. Carlson, "Uzbekistan: Ethnic Composition and Discriminations", [[Harvard University]], August [[2003]]</ref>.
According to government figures about 817,000 disabled people were registered in Uzbekistan in 2003. This figure only shows how many disabled people have been registered according to Uzbek law. As many disabled people do not have the chance to get registered (due to knowledge about the legislation and difficulties to go through the registration procedure) it can be assumed that many more people are disabled. The World Health Organisation estimates that about 10% of each population have a disability. According to the WHO estimations the number of 2.5 million disabled people is more realistic.
The name "Uzbek", both for the people and for the nation itself, is said to be self-referential from the period the Russians first encountered the people, parsing as ''ozum bek'', or "I am the lord (ruler)".
Uzbekistan enjoys 99.3% literacy rate (among adults older than 15) which, in part, is attributable to the free and universal education system of the Soviet Union.
== Communications ==
{{main|Communications in Uzbekistan}}
According to the official source report, by the end of 2004, there were 544,100 users of cellular phones in Uzbekistan (an increase of 168% since the beginning of the year).{{Fact|date=March 2007}} An independent source, Ferghana.Ru, claims, however, that the users of cellular phones in Uzbekistan was only 450,000.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
The number of Internet providers and operators by the end of 2004 was 477 (+181.4%). There were 675,000 Internet users in the country (+137%). 96.4% cities and 72.5% district centers have digital telecommunications systems.
== Transportation ==
{{sect-stub}}
{{main|Transportation in Uzbekistan}}
[[Tashkent]], the nation's capital and largest city, has a three-line subway built in 1977, and expanded in 2001 after ten years' independence from the [[Soviet Union]]. Uzbekistan is considered as the only country in Central Asia with subway system which is considered as one of the cleanest subway systems in the world. There are government operated trams, buses and trolleybuses (buses connected to the electric cables above them) running across the city. Also there are many taxis, both registered and not registered. Uzbekistan has car-producing plants which produce modern cars. The car production is supported by the government and Korean auto company [[Daewoo]].
The train links are good. They connect many towns within Uzbekistan as well as with neighbouring ex-republics of the [[Soviet Union]]. Moreover, after independence two fast running train systems have been established. Also, there is a large plane plant that was built during Soviet era, Tashkent Chkalov Aviation Manufacturing Plant, or ТАПОиЧ in Russian. The plant originated during the World War II, when production facilities were evacuated south and east to avoid capture by advancing Nazi forces. Up until late 1980s, the plant was one of the leading plane production centers in USSR, but with collapse of Soviet Union its manufacturing equipment became out-of-date, and most of the workers were laid off. Now it produces only several planes a year, but with interest from Russian companies growing to it, there are rumors of production enhancement plans.
== Military ==
{{main|Military of Uzbekistan}}
Uzbekistan possesses the largest military force in the Central Asian region, having around 65,000 people in uniform. Its structure is inherited from the Soviet armed forces, although it is moving rapidly toward a fully restructured organization, which will eventually be built around light and Special Forces. The Uzbek Armed Forces' equipment is not modern, and training, while improving, is neither uniform nor adequate for its new mission of territorial security. The government has accepted the arms control obligations of the former Soviet Union, acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (as a non-nuclear state), and supported an active program by the U.S. [[Defense Threat Reduction Agency]] (DTRA) in western Uzbekistan ([[Nukus]] and [[Vozrozhdeniye Island]]). The Government of Uzbekistan spends about 3.7% of GDP on the military but has received a growing infusion of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and other security assistance funds since 1998. Uzbekistan approved the U.S. Central Command's request for access to a vital military air base, [[Karshi-Khanabad|Karshi-Khanabad Airbase]], in southern Uzbekistan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. After the [[Andijan massacre]] and subsequent U.S. reaction, Uzbekistan demanded that the U.S. withdraw from the airbases. The last US troops left Uzbekistan in November 2005.
== Foreign relations ==
{{main|Foreign relations of Uzbekistan}}
Uzbekistan joined the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] in December 1991 . However, it is opposed to reintegration and withdrew from the CIS collective security arrangement in 1999 . Since that time, Uzbekistan has participated in the CIS peacekeeping force in Tajikistan and in UN-organized groups to help resolve the Tajik and Afghan conflicts, both of which it sees as posing threats to its own stability.
Previously close to Washington (which gave Uzbekistan half a billion dollars in aid in 2004, about a quarter of it military), the government of Uzbekistan has restricted American military use of the airbase at [[Karshi-Khanabad]] which is used for air operations in neighboring Afghanistan (see [http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-eur/2005/jun/15/061505239.html AP article]).
Uzbekistan was an active supporter of U.S. efforts against worldwide terrorism and joined the coalitions that have dealt with both Afghanistan and Iraq. The relationship between Uzbekistan and the United States began to deteriorate after the so-called "[[color revolutions]]" in Georgia and Ukraine (and to a lesser extent Kyrgystan). When the U.S. joined in a call for an independent international investigation of the bloody events at Andijon, the relationship took an additional nosedive and President Islam Karimov changed the political alignment of the country closer to Russia and China, countries which chose not to criticize Uzbekistan's leaders for the alleged human rights violations.
In late July 2005 , the government of Uzbekistan ordered the United States to vacate an air base in Karshi-Kanabad (near the Uzbek border with Afghanistan) within 180 days. Karimov had offered use of the base to the U.S. shortly after [[9/11]]. It is also believed by some Uzbeks that the protests in Andijan were inspired seclusively by the UK and US influences in the area of Andijan. So far, this is another reason for the hostility between Uzbekistan and the West.
Uzbekistan is a member of the United Nations (since March 2, 1992), the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Partnership for Peace, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It belongs to the [[Organization of the Islamic Conference]] (OIC) and the [[Economic Cooperation Organization]] (comprised of the five Central Asian countries, [[Azerbaijan]], [[Turkey]], [[Iran]], Afghanistan, and [[Pakistan]]). In 1999 , Uzbekistan joined the [[GUAM]] alliance ([[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Ukraine]], Azerbaijan and [[Moldova]]), which was formed in 1997 (making it GUUAM), but pulled out of the organization in 2005 . Uzbekistan is also a member of the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organization]] (SCO) and hosts the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent. Uzbekistan also joined the new [[Central Asian Cooperation Organization]] (CACO) in 2002. The CACO consists of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is a founding member of and remains involved in the Central Asian Union, formed with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, joined in March, [[1998]], by Tajikistan.
In September, the [[UNESCO]] presented Islam Karimov an award for Uzbekistan's preservation of its rich culture and traditions. Despite the fact that the former received criticism, this seems to be a sign of ameliorating relationships between Uzbekistan and the West.
The month of October 2006 tends to decrease the isolation of Uzbekistan from the West. The [[EU]] recently announced that it was planning to send its delegation to Uzbekistan to talk about human rights and liberties after a long time of hostile relations between the two. Although it is not completely decisive on whether the official or unofficial version about the Andijan Massacre is true, the EU showed concern at easing its economic sanctions against Uzbekistan. Nevertheless, it is highly assumed among the Uzbek population that the Uzbek government will stand firm in maintaining its close ties with the [[Russian Federation]] and in its critique that the 2004-2005 protests in Uzbekistan were promoted by the [[United States|USA]] and [[UK]].
== Culture ==
{{main|Culture of Uzbekistan}}
{{seealso|Music of Uzbekistan|Kurash|Islam in Uzbekistan|Scout Association of Uzbekistan}}
==Environment==
{{Unreferenced|date=May 2007}}
[[Climate]] in the Republic of [[Uzbekistan]] is continental, without much [[precipitation]] expected annually (100-200 milimeters). Average summer [[temperature]] tends to be 40<sup>0</sup>C, during the winter-around -23<sup>0</sup>C. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+uz0029)]
Uzbekistan's environmental situation ought to be a major concern among the international society. Decades of ill-thought [[Soviet]] policies in chase of squeezing out the production of [[cotton]] has resulted in a catastrophic scenario.
The agricultural industry appears to be the main factor to contribute to the pollution and devastation of the air and water in the country. [http://countrystudies.us/uzbekistan/17.htm]
The [[Aral Sea]] disaster is a classic example. A question remains of who is responsible for the crisis: the Soviet scientists and politicians who directed the distribution of water to initiate the crisis during the sixties, or the Post-Soviet policies when a lack of funding of the building of dams and irrigation systems is the common case.The Aral Sea used to be the fourth largest inland [[sea]] on [[Earth]], acting as an influencing factor in the air moisture. [http://www.msf.org/msfinternational/invoke.cfm?objectid=6589D208-DC2C-11D4-B2010060084A6370&component=toolkit.article&method=full_html]
Since the 1960s, the decade the misusage of the Aral Sea water began, the Aral Sea shrunk to less than 50% of the geographical size and area, and decreased in volume threefold. Reliable and even approximate data hasn't been collected, stored or provided by any organization or official agency. The number of animal or human deaths and refugees of the area around the sea is only left to guess.
Due to the almost impossible Aral Sea problem, high [[salinity]] concentration is natural in Uzbekistan. The vast majority of the nation's water resources is used for [[farming]], which is nearly 94% of the water usage. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+uz0029)] This results in heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers, causing the child mortality rate to remain at 10%. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+uz0029)]
== Bibliography ==
* ''Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia'' by Tom Bissell
* ''A Historical Atlas of Uzbekistan'' by Aisha Khan
* ''The Modern Uzbeks From the 14th Century to the Present: A Cultural History'' by Edward A. Allworth
* ''Nationalism in Uzbekistan: Soviet Republic's Road to Sovereignty'' by James Critchlow
* ''Odyssey Guide: Uzbekistan'' by Calcum Macleod and Bradley Mayhew
* ''Uzbekistan: Heirs to the Silk Road'' by Johannes Kalter and Margareta Pavaloi
* "Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?" by Ted Rall
* ''Murder in Samarkand - A British Ambassador's Controversial Defiance of Tyranny in the War on Terror'' by [[Craig Murray]]
== References ==
<div class="references-small">
<references/>
* Anora Mahmudova, [[AlterNet]], [[May 27]], [[2005]], [http://www.alternet.org/story/22097/ Uzbekistan’s Growing Police State] (checked [[2005-11-08]])
* [[Manfred Nowak]], [[Radio Free Europe]], [[2005-06-23]], [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/06/b478ffa5-9143-4750-9680-9a523ef039c2.html UN Charges Uzbekistan With Post-Andijon Torture],
* Gulnoza Saidazimova, Radio Free Europe, [[2005-06-22]], [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/06/ef3297ac-38ed-4eab-a8d2-4dcb2418ca07.html Uzbekistan: Tashkent reveals findings on Andijon uprising as victims mourned]
* [[BBC News]], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/asia-pacific/4380166.stm 'Harassed' BBC shuts Uzbek office], [[2005-10-26]] (checked [[2005-11-15]])
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html CIA - The World Factbook — Uzbekistan]
* [http://www.omct.org/pdf/omct_europe/2005/omct-las_uzb_report_04_05.pdf Denial of Justice in Uzbekistan, report to [[OMCT]] ]
* [http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/mrr2005.pdf The worst of the worst, the world's most repressive societies, 2005].
* [http://www.uzbekistan.org/press/archive/283/ The measures, taken by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of providing and encouraging human rights]
* [http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/uzbekistan/hypermail/200304/0029.shtml Uzbekistan' s Ombudsman reports on 2002 results]
* Jeffrey Thomas, US Government Info [[September 26]], [[2005]] [http://usinfo.state.gov/eur/Archive/2005/Sep/26-966275.html Freedom of Assembly, Association Needed in Eurasia, U.S. Says],
* Robert McMahon, [[Radio Free Europe]], [[2005-06-07]] [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/06/53b15c1e-995c-4339-819c-8090fbc94736.html Uzbekistan: Report Cites Evidence Of Government 'Massacre' In Andijon ]
* [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR620152005?open&of=ENG-UZB Amnesty International, public statement "Uzbekistan: Independent international investigation needed into Andizhan events"]
* People's Voice, [[2005-05-17]] [http://www.press-service.uz/en/gsection.scm?groupId=5203&contentId=8868 Andijan events: truth and lies]
* Interview with Akmal Saidov, kreml.org, [[2005-10-17]] [http://www.kreml.org/interview/100931204 Andijon events are used as a pretext for putting an unprecedented pressure on Uzbekistan]
* [http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GNIPC.pdf Worldbank per-country data on GNI and PPP per capita]
* [http://www.irinnews.org/profiles/uzbekistan.asp#info UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country Report on Uzbekistan]
* Islam Karimov's interview to Rossijskaya Gazeta, [[1995-07-07]] [http://2004.press-service.uz/rus/knigi/9tom/3tom_12.htm Principles of Our Reform]
* [http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=Uzbekistan 2005 Index of Economic Freedom, Uzbekistan]
* US Department of State, [http://www.state.gov/e/eb/ifd/2005/42196.htm Uzbekistan: 2005 Investment Climate Statement]
* [http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2003/pr03188.htm The Republic of Uzbekistan Accepts Article VIII Obligations]
* US Department of State, [[2005-07]] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2924.htm Background Note: Uzbekistan]
* [http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/ADO/2005/uzb.asp Asian Development Outlook for 2005, report on Uzbekistan]
* IMF , [[2005-09-24]] [http://www.imf.org/external/country/UZB/index.htm Republic of Uzbekistan and the IMF]
* [http://www.mfa.uz/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=59&page=1 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan report on International Trade]
* [http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3952&l=1 Uzbekistan: In for the Long Haul]: report on the international response to Uzbekistan by the [[International Crisis Group]]
</div>
== See also ==
{{columns |width=200px
|col1width=270px
|col1 =
* [[Agriculture in Uzbekistan]]
* [[Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge]]
* [[Companies of Uzbekistan]]
* [[Economy of Uzbekistan]]
* [[Uzbek cuisine]]
|col2 =
* [[Human rights in Uzbekistan]]
* [[President of Uzbekistan]]
* [[Prime Minister of Uzbekistan]]
* [[Politics of Uzbekistan]]
* [[Senate of Uzbekistan]]
|col3 =
* [[Supreme Court of Uzbekistan]]
* [[Trade unions of Uzbekistan]]
* [[Transport in Uzbekistan]]
* [[Trans-Caspian railway]]
}}
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Uzbekistan}}
*[http://www.visituzbekistan.eu Discover Uzbekistan]
*
*[http://dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/Uzbekistan Open Directory Project - ''Uzbekistan''] directory category
*[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/uztoc.html Library of Congress - A Country Study: Uzbekistan]
*[http://www.uztrade.com/gallery Uzbekistan Photo Gallery]
*[http://www.justsaygo.com/destinations/arounduzbekistan.html Travel story about Uzbekistan by Ira Spitzer]
*[http://www.cookbookwiki.com/Uzbekistanian_Cuisine Lots of Uzbekistanian Recipes on www.CookBookWiki.com]
*[http://www.ismanov.com/ Uzbek English online dictionary]
*[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarchive/country/uzbekistan.html Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] News and Features on Uzbekistan in English.
*[http://www.oezbekistan.startpagina.nl Startpage Uzbekistan]
*[http://www.swpictures.co.uk/archive/0489.html Undercover in Uzbekistan Documentary]
*[http://parliament.gov.uz/ombudsman/index.htm Uzbekistan's Ombudsman - Authorized Person for Human Rights of Uzbekistan's Parliament (Oliy Majlis)]
*[http://parliament.gov.uz/ Lower House of Uzbek parliament]
*[http://www.senat.gov.uz/aparat.htm Upper House of Uzbek parliament]
*[http://www.uzreport.com Uzbek news web site]
*[http://www.uzdaily.com Uzbekistan Daily, news on Uzbekistan]
* {{wikitravel|Uzbekistan}}
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{{Countries of Asia}}
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{{Template group
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{{Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)|state=collapsed}}
{{Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)|state=collapsed}}
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