Country Information on Uzbekistan

Terrain Uzbekistan consists of a vast flatland, bordered by a high mountain belt in the south-east. The terrain encompasses two unequal sections: the larger north-west area, which is part of the Kyzyl Kum desert; and the smaller south-east area, which has fertile soil and touches on the Tian Shan mountain system. The Aral Sea lies on the north-west frontier. Central Asia's two major rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, pass through Uzbek territory. Climate Temperatures in Uzbekistan vary wildly, with 20°C drops at night and dramatic differences between the deserts and mountains. Except for higher altitudes there is below-average precipitation only, with rainfalls mainly from March to April and October to November. In winter, daytime temperatures hover around -5°C to 10°C. Fauna/Flora In the 1960s, Soviet planners set out to increase Uzbekistan's cotton production through a system of vastly increased irrigation, which meant tapping the rivers flowing into the Aral Sea, in the north of the country. As a result, the sea has lost 75% of its volume and its area was reduced by half. The area's fishing industry has been destroyed, the climate has been perverted (there are four times as many rainless days as there were in the 1950s) and the resulting salinity of soil and water as well as chemical residues from cotton farming have caused serious health problems in the population. History/Politics Uzbekistan was once part of the ancient Persian empire and was later conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. During the 8th century AD, the nomadic Turkic tribes living there were converted to Islam by invading Arab forces that dominated the area. The Mongols under Genghis Khan took over the region from the Seljuk Turks in the 13th century, and it later became part of Tamerlane the Greats' empire. The Uzbeks invaded the territory in the early 16th century and merged with the other inhabitants in the area. Their empire broke up into separate Uzbek principalities, the Khanates of Khiva, Bukhara, and Kokand. These city-states resisted Russian expansion into the area but were conquered by Russian forces in the mid-19th century. Efforts by Uzbek leaders to establish a European-style democratic republic in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917 were unsuccessful. In 1918 the Turkistan Autonomous SSR was organized on Uzbek territory, in 1920 the Khorezm and Bukhara People's Republics were established, and finally, in 1924, the Uzbek-populated areas were integrated into the Uzbek SSR. Tajikistan was part of the Uzbek SSR until 1929, when it became a separate republic. In 1936 the Kara-Kalpak Autonomous SSR was joined with Uzbekistan. In June 1990, Uzbekistan became the first Central Asian republic to declare that its own laws had sovereignty over those of the central Soviet government. Uzbekistan became fully independent and joined 10 other former Soviet republics on 21 December 1991 in the Commonwealth of Independent States. In February 1992, President Karimov, a former Communist Party leader, was elected president by popular vote, and re-elected in 2000. Otkir Sultonov was elected prime minister in December 1995. Economy The unemployment rate was 10% in 1999, but another 20% of the population was considered underemployed. 44% of the active population works in the agricultural sector, 20% in manufacturing and 36% of the population finds employment in the services sector. Uzbekistan's rivers and many irrigation canals furnish water for the cotton crop, the country's main export item. Uzbekistan is also among the world's five largest producers of cotton. Other crops include e.g. cereals, fruits, grapes, tobacco, and sugarcane. Livestock are raised in the more arid western areas; Uzbekistan also produces Karakul sheep pelts. Cotton, silk, and wool provides the basis for the country's textile industry. Traditional crafts such as silk dying and carpet weaving have enjoyed a renaissance since the country became independent. Culture Beautiful Islamic religious buildings are found in Bukhara, Khiva, and Samarkand. Most of the monumental mosques, minarets, mausoleum and monasteries date back to the times of the Timurids. Islam prohibits the depiction of the living, so traditional arts developed in the form of calligraphy, combining Islamic script with arabesques, and the carving of doors and screens. The music of Uzbekistan is similar to that of the Middle East. Complicated rhythms and meters that evoke a richly melodic sound characterize it.