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The Republic
of Uzbekistan lies in the heart of Asia, in the territory known since ancient
times as Bactria, Maverannahr, and later on as Turkestan. The powerful
Kushan Empire and the Kingdom of the Seleucids, the Parthian Kingdom and
the Kingdom of Kharazm, the state of the Samanids and Tamerlane, the Bukhara
Emirate and the Qoqand Khanate once flourished in this region. The cities
of Samarkand and Bukhara served as major centers of trade and enlightenment
on the crossroads of the Great Silk Road linking the civilizations of the
East and the West.
Official Name: Republic of Uzbekistan
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: Independence Day, September
1 (1991) Uzbekistan Holidays
AREA: 447,400 sq. km (172,740 sq. miles).
PHYSICAL FEATURES: Located in C and N Middle Asia;
four fifths of area is flat. Sandy plain/desert (W); Turan Plain (NW)
rises near the Aral sea to 90 m/300 ft above sea level;
delta of major river R Amu Darya forms alluvial plain over C Kara-Kalpak;
Sultan-Uizdag Mts rise to 500 m/1600 ft; Kysyl Kum broken by hills in SE;
lowest point, Munbulak, - 12 m/39 ft; Pskem Mts in E rise to 4299 m/14104
ft at Beshtor Peak. Climate: Dry and continental; average annual temperatures
in S, -120C (Jan), 32-400C (Jul.); low rainfall.
POPULATION: 23 667 000 persons
POPULATION DENSITY: 52.8 per sq. km.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: The official language is Uzbek.
AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE: 2.5%
FAMILY SIZE: 5.5 persons
MEDIAN AGE: 23.9. About 50°/o are under age
19
MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS: Uzbek (71%), Russian (8°/o),
Tajik (5%), Kazakh (4%)
RELIGION: Predominant religion - Sunni Muslim.
There are 14 other confessions.
EDUCATION: Years compulsory - 11.
LITERACY: 100%
WORK FORCE: (8.2 mln, 1995); Agriculture - 3.7
mln. Industry - 1.01 mln. Service - 2.5 mln. Other fields - more than 1mln.
TRANSPORTATION: Highways - 80 000 km, Railways
-6700km
TYPE: Republic
LEGAL SYSTEM: Constitution adopted December 8,
1992
CAPITAL: Tashkent
EXECUTIVE BODY: President - the head of State
and Government
HIGHEST LEGISLATIVE BODY: Oliy Majlis - Supreme
Convention (National Parliament)
JUDICAL BODY: Supreme Court
POLITICAL PARTIES: People's Democratic Party,
Social Democratic Party "Adolat" ("Justice"), "Vatan Tarakkiyoti" party
("Progress of Motherland"), "Milliy Ticklanish" party ("National Rebirth").
SUFFRAGE: Universal over 18
ADMINISTRATIVE SUBDIVISIONS: Republic of Karakalpakstan,
12 violoyats (regions), 162 districts and 118 cities and towns.
INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATION
United Nations Organization (1992), International Monetary
Fund (1992), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (1992),
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (1994), United nations
Conference on Trade and Development (1994), World Trade Organization (observer,
1994), International Atomic Energy Agency (1994), United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (1993), United Nations Children Emergency
Fund (1994), World Health Organization (1992), International Labor Organization
(1992), Secretariat of Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (1992), Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (1992),
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (1992)
E-mail: marakand@online.ru
