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Uzbekistan Country Guide
Explore Uzbekistan in Asia
The topography includes mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes with 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 and shrinking Aral Sea in west. The average density of population is approximately 63 per km². The notable climate conditions in Uzbekistan can be described as mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters with semiarid grassland in east. Possible natural disasters include NA.
To reach someone in Uzbekistan dial +998 prior to a number. There are 1,857,000 installed telephones. And there are 16,418,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".uz". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Uzbekistan
Three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon (closed side to the hoist) and 12 white stars shifted to the hoist on the top band; blue is the color of the Turkic peoples and of the sky, white signifies peace and the striving for purity in thoughts and deeds, while green represents nature and is the color of Islam; the red stripes are the vital force of all living organisms that links good and pure ideas with the eternal sky and with deeds on earth; the crescent represents Islam and the 12 stars the months and constellations of the Uzbek calendar.
Russia conquered the territory of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after the Bolshevik Revolution was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic established in 1924. 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 degraded and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves and increasing its manufacturing base. Current concerns include terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Asia Neighbours: Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan Capital: Tashkent |
| Size | 447,400 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 172,742 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly larger than California |
| Population | 28,268,000 |
| Currency | Name Som, Currency Code:UZS |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .uz |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +998 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 16,418,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 1,857,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 447,400 (sq km) | 57 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,661,637 | 44 |
| Population growth rate | 0.94 (%) | 121 |
| Birth rate | 17.20 (births/1,000 population) | 110 |
| Death rate | 5.29 (deaths/1,000 population) | 179 |
| Net migration rate | -2.55 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 170 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 28.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 126 |
| Infant mortality rate | 20.51 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 91 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 73.03 (years) | 125 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.83 (children born/woman) | 150 |
| Health expenditures | 5.30 (% of GDP) | 127 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.10 (%) | 109 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 28,000 | 69 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 500 | 97 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 15.10 (%) | 119 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 4.40 (%) | 95 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 106,400,000,000 | 71 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 8.20 (%) | 18 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 3,600 | 171 |
| Labor force | 16,800,000 | 37 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.80 (%) | 44 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 36.80 | 79 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 32.00 (% of GDP) | 84 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -0.20 (% of GDP) | 47 |
| Public debt | 8.80 (% of GDP) | 143 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 12.70 (%) | 207 |
| Stock of narrow money | 5,952,000,000 | 92 |
| Stock of broad money | 8,310,000,000 | 112 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 7,269,000,000 | 108 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 715,300,000 | 109 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 7.70 (%) | 29 |
| Current account balance | 3,284,000,000 | 33 |
| Exports | 16,650,000,000 | 79 |
| Imports | 15,530,000,000 | 87 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 16,000,000,000 | 63 |
| Debt - external | 10,460,000,000 | 95 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 52,530,000,000 (kWh) | 50 |
| Electricity - consumption | 42,900,000,000 (kWh) | 52 |
| Electricity - exports | 11,660,000,000 (kWh) | 19 |
| Electricity - imports | 11,580,000,000 (kWh) | 17 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 12,400,000 (kW) | 49 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 85.20 (% of total installed capacity) | 86 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 14.80 (% of total installed capacity) | 105 |
| Crude oil - production | 104,400 (bbl/day) | 49 |
| Crude oil - imports | 5,000 (bbl/day) | 81 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 594,000,000 (bbl) | 48 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 90,690 (bbl/day) | 77 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 137,100 (bbl/day) | 72 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 5,488 (bbl/day) | 96 |
| Natural gas - production | 62,900,000,000 (cu m) | 15 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 46,800,000,000 (cu m) | 18 |
| Natural gas - exports | 13,400,000,000 (cu m) | 20 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 1,841,000,000,000 (cu m) | 20 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 114,300,000 (Mt) | 37 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 1,928,000 | 59 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 25,442,000 | 40 |
| Internet hosts | 56,075 | 94 |
| Internet users | 4,689,000 | 50 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 53 | 87 |
| Railways | 3,645 (km) | 47 |
| Roadways | 86,496 (km) | 52 |
| Waterways | 1,100 (km) | 63 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 3.50 (% of GDP) | 34 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Historic Centre of Bukhara Bukhara, which is situated on the Silk Route, is more than 2,000 years old. It is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia, with an urban fabric that has remained largely intact. Monuments of particular interest include the famous ... | 1993 |
| Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz The historic centre of Shakhrisyabz contains a collection of exceptional monuments and ancient quarters which bear witness to the city's secular development, and particularly to the period of its apogee, under the rule of Amir Temur and the Temurids, ... | 2000 |
| Itchan Kala Itchan Kala is the inner town (protected by brick walls some 10 m high) of the old Khiva oasis, which was the last resting-place of caravans before crossing the desert to Iran. Although few very old monuments still remain, it is a coherent and well-p ... | 1990 |
| Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures The historic town of Samarkand is a crossroad and melting pot of the world's cultures. Founded in the 7th century B.C. as ancient Afrasiab, Samarkand had its most significant development in the Timurid period from the 14th to the 15th centuries. The ... | 2001 |