Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan, is a country located in Central Asia. It is surrounded by five countries: Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Tajikistan to the southeast, Afghanistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest, making it one of only two doubly landlocked countries on Earth, along with Liechtenstein. Uzbekistan is part of the Turkic world, as well as a member of the Organization of Turkic States. Uzbek is the majority language, while Russian is widely spoken and understood. Islam is the predominant religion, and most Uzbeks are Sunni Muslims.
The first recorded settlers in the land of what is modern Uzbekistan were Eastern Iranian nomads, known as Scythians, who founded kingdoms in Khwarazm, Bactria, and Sogdia in the 8th–6th centuries BC, as well as Fergana and Margiana in the 3rd century BC – 6th century AD. The area was incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire and, after a period of Greco-Bactrian rule, was ruled by the Parthian Empire and later by the Sasanian Empire, until the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century. The early Muslim conquests and the subsequent Samanid Empire converted most of the people into adherents of Islam. During this period, cities began to grow rich from the Silk Road, and became a center of the Islamic Golden Age. The local Khwarazmian dynasty was destroyed by the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, leading to a dominance by Turkic peoples. Timur (Tamerlane) in the 14th century established the Timurid Empire. Its capital was Samarkand, which became a centre of science under the rule of Ulugh Beg, giving birth to the Timurid Renaissance. The territories of the Timurid dynasty were conquered by Uzbek Shaybanids in the 16th century. Conquests by Emperor Babur towards the east led to the foundation of the Mughal Empire in India. All of Central Asia was gradually incorporated into the Russian Empire during the 19th century, with Tashkent becoming the political center of Russian Turkestan. In 1924, national delimitation created the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic as a republic of the Soviet Union. It declared independence as the Republic of Uzbekistan in 1991.
Uzbekistan is a secular state, with a presidential constitutional government in place. Uzbekistan comprises 12 regions (vilayats), Tashkent City, and one autonomous republic, Karakalpakstan. While non-governmental organisations have defined Uzbekistan as “an authoritarian state with limited civil rights“, significant reforms under Uzbekistan’s second president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, have been made following the death of the first president, Islam Karimov. Owing to these reforms, relations with the neighbouring countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan have drastically improved. A United Nations report of 2020 found much progress toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The Uzbek economy is in a gradual transition to the market economy, with foreign trade policy being based on import substitution. In September 2017, the country’s currency became fully convertible at market rates. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of cotton. With the gigantic power-generation facilities from the Soviet era and an ample supply of natural gas, Uzbekistan has become the largest electricity producer in Central Asia. From 2018 to 2021, the republic received a BB− sovereign credit rating by both Standard and Poor (S&P) and Fitch Ratings. The Brookings Institution described Uzbekistan as having large liquid assets, high economic growth, low public debt, and a low GDP per capita. Uzbekistan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), United Nations (UN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Etymology
The name “Uzbegistán” appears in the 16th century Tarikh-i Rashidi.
The origin of the word Uzbek remains disputed.
- “free”, “independent” or “own master/leader”, requiring an amalgamationof uz (Turkic: “own”), bek (“master” or “leader”)
- eponymouslynamed after Oghuz Khagan, also known as Oghuz Beg
- A contraction of Uğuz, earlier Oğuz, that is, Oghuz (tribe), amalgamated with bek“oguz-leader”.
All three have the middle syllable/phoneme being cognate with the Turkic title Beg.
The name of the country was often spelled as “Ўзбекистон” in Uzbek Cyrillic or “Узбекистан” in Russian during Soviet rule.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Uzbekistan
Map of Uzbekistan, including the former Oral Dengiz
Uzbekistan has an area of 448,978 square kilometres (173,351 sq mi). It is the 56th largest country in the world by area and the 40th by population. Among the CIS countries, it is the fourth largest by area and the second largest by population.
Uzbekistan lies between latitudes 37° and 46° N, and longitudes 56° and 74° E. It stretches 1,425 kilometres (885 mi) from west to east and 930 kilometres (580 mi) from north to south. Bordering Kazakhstan and the Aralkum Desert (former Aral Sea) to the north and northwest, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to the southwest, Tajikistan to the southeast, and Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Uzbekistan is one of the largest Central Asian states and the only Central Asian state to border all the other four. Uzbekistan also shares a short border (less than 150 km or 93 mi) with Afghanistan to the south.
Uzbekistan is a hot, dry, landlocked country. It is one of two doubly landlocked countries in the world (that is, a landlocked country completely surrounded by other landlocked countries), the other being Liechtenstein. In addition, due to its location within a series of endorheic basins, none of its rivers lead to the sea. Less than 10% of its territory is intensively cultivated irrigated land in river valleys and oases, and formerly in the Aral Sea, which has largely desiccated in one of the world’s worst environmental disasters. The rest is the vast Kyzylkum Desert and mountains.
The highest point in Uzbekistan is Khazret Sultan at 4,643 metres (15,233 ft) above sea level, in the southern part of the Gissar Range in the Surxondaryo Region on the border with Tajikistan, just northwest of Dushanbe (formerly called Peak of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party).[46]
The climate in Uzbekistan is continental, with little precipitation expected annually (100–200 millimetres, or 3.9–7.9 inches). The average summer high temperature tends to be 40 °C (104 °F), while the average winter low temperature is around −23 °C (−9 °F).[48]
Uzbekistan is home to six terrestrial ecoregions: Alai-Western Tian Shan steppe, Gissaro-Alai open woodlands, Badghyz and Karabil semi-desert, Central Asian northern desert, Central Asian riparian woodlands, and Central Asian southern desert.[
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Regions of Uzbekistan and Districts of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is divided into twelve regions (viloyatlar, singular viloyat, compound noun viloyati e.g., Toshkent viloyati, Samarqand viloyati, etc.), one autonomous republic (respublika, compound noun respublikasi e.g. Qoraqalpogʻiston Muxtor Respublikasi, Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic, etc.), and one independent city (shahar, compound noun shahri, e.g., Toshkent shahri). Names are given below in Uzbek, Russian, and Karakalpak languages when applicable, although numerous variations of the transliterations of each name exist.
| Division | Capital City | Area (km2) |
Population (1/1/2024)[95] |
Key |
| Andijan Region Uzbek: Андижон вилояти/Andijon Viloyati |
Andijan Andijon |
4,303 | 3394,4 | 2 |
| Bukhara Region Uzbek: Бухоро вилояти/Buxoro Viloyati |
Bukhara Buxoro |
41,937 | 2044,0 | 3 |
| Fergana Region Uzbek: Фарғона вилояти/Fargʻona Viloyati |
Fergana Fargʻona |
7,005 | 4061,5 | 4 |
| Jizzakh Region Uzbek: Жиззах вилояти/Jizzax Viloyati |
Jizzakh Jizzax |
21,179 | 1507,4 | 5 |
| Republic of Karakalpakstan Karakalpak: Қарақалпақстан Республикасы/Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasiʻ Uzbek: Қорақалпоғистон Республикаси/Qoraqalpogʻiston Respublikasi |
Nukus No‘kis Nukus |
161,358 | 2002,7 | 14 |
| Kashkadarya Region Uzbek: Қашқадарё вилояти/Qashqadaryo Viloyati |
Karshi Qarshi |
28,568 | 3560,6 | 8 |
| Khorezm Region Uzbek: Хоразм вилояти/Xorazm Viloyati |
Urgench Urganch |
6,464 | 1995,6 | 13 |
| Namangan Region Uzbek: Наманган вилояти/Namangan Viloyati |
Namangan Namangan |
7,181 | 3066,1 | 6 |
| Navoiy Region Uzbek: Навоий вилояти/Navoiy Viloyati |
Navoiy Navoiy |
109,375 | 1075,3 | 7 |
| Samarkand Region Uzbek: Самарқанд вилояти/Samarqand Viloyati |
Samarkand Samarqand |
16,773 | 4208,5 | 9 |
| Surkhandarya Region Uzbek: Сурхондарё вилояти/Surxondaryo Viloyati |
Termez Termiz |
20,099 | 2877,1 | 11 |
| Syrdarya Region Uzbek: Сирдарё вилояти/Sirdaryo Viloyati |
Gulistan Guliston |
4,276 | 914,0 | 10 |
| Tashkent City Uzbek:Тошкент/Toshkent Shahri |
Tashkent Toshkent |
327 | 3040,8 | 1 |
| Tashkent Region Uzbek: Тошкент вилояти/Toshkent Viloyati |
Nurafshon Nurafshon |
15,258 | 3051,8 | 12 |
The regions are further divided into districts (tuman).
Education
Main article: Education in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has a high literacy rate, with 99.9% of adults above the age of 15 being able to read and write. However, with only 76% of the under-15 population currently enrolled in education (and only 20% of the 3–6 year olds attending pre-school), this figure may drop in the future. Students attend school Monday through Saturday during the school year, and education officially concludes at the end of the 11th grade.
Uzbekistan has encountered severe budget shortfalls in its education program. The education law of 1992 began the process of theoretical reform, but the physical base has deteriorated and curriculum revision has been slow. Corruption within the education system is rampant, with students from wealthier families routinely bribing teachers and school executives to achieve high grades without attending school, or undertaking official examinations.
Several universities, including Westminster University, Turin University, Management University Institute of Singapore, Bucheon University in Tashkent, TEAM University and Inha University Tashkent maintain a campus in Tashkent offering English language courses across several disciplines. The Russian-language high education is provided by most national universities, including foreign Moscow State University and Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, maintaining campuses in Tashkent. As of 2019, Webster University, in partnership with the Ministry of Education (now Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation), has opened a graduate school offering an MBA in Project Management and a MA in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).
There are three Islamic institutes and an academy in Uzbekistan. They are Tashkent islamic institute, Mir Arab high school, School of hadith knowledge, International islamic academy of Uzbekistan.
Holidays
- 1 January: New Year’s Day, “Yangi Yil Bayrami”
- 14 January: Day of Defenders of the Motherland, “Vatan Himoyachilari kuni”
- 8 March: International Women’s Day, “Xalqaro Xotin-Qizlar kuni”
- 21 March: Nowruz, “Navroʻz Bayrami”
- 9 May: Day of Remembrance and Honour, “Xotira va Qadrlash kuni”
- 1 September: Independence Day, “Mustaqillik kuni”
- 1 October: Teachers’ Day, “Oʻqituvchi va Murabbiylar kuni”
- 8 December: Constitution Day, “Konstitutsiya kuni”
Variable date
- End of Ramadan, Ramazon Hayiti (Eid al-Fitr)
- 70 days later, Qurbon Hayiti (Eid al-Adha)
Sport
Main article: Sport in Uzbekistan
See also: Uzbekistan at the Olympics, Football in Uzbekistan, and Rugby union in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is home to former racing cyclist Djamolidine Abdoujaparov. Abdoujaparov has won the green jersey points contest in the Tour de France three times. Abdoujaparov was a specialist at winning stages in tours or one-day races when the bunch or peloton would finish together. He would often ‘sprint’ in the final kilometer and had a reputation as being dangerous in these bunch sprints as he would weave from side to side. This reputation earned him the nickname ‘The Terror of Tashkent’.[216]
Artur Taymazov won Uzbekistan’s inaugural wrestling medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, followed by three Olympic gold medals in Men’s 120 kg in 2004, 2008 and 2012. His 2008 gold was taken away in 2017 after a re-testing of samples from the Beijing Games and Taymazov was later stripped of his London 2012 Olympic gold medal after re-analysis of stored samples in 2019. His London gold had made him the most successful freestyle competitor in Olympic history. He is the 60th athlete to be disqualified from the London Olympics after the event.
Ruslan Chagaev is a former professional boxer representing Uzbekistan in the WBA. He won the WBA champion title in 2007 after defeating Nikolai Valuev. Chagaev defended his title twice before losing it to Vladimir Klitschko in 2009. Another young talented boxer Hasanboy Dusmatov, light flyweight champion at the 2016 Summer Olympics, won the Val Barker Trophy for the outstanding male boxer of Rio 2016 on 21 August 2016. On 21 December 2016 Dusmatov was honoured with the AIBA Boxer of the Year award at a 70-year anniversary event of AIBA.
Michael Kolganov, an Uzbek–born sprint canoer, was world champion and won an Olympic bronze in Sydney in the K1 500-meter in 2000 on behalf of Israel. In 2009 and 2011, another Uzbek émigré, gymnast Alexander Shatilov, won a world bronze medal as an artistic gymnast in floor exercise, though he lives in and represents Israel in international competitions. Oksana Chusovitina has attended eight Olympic games, and won five world medals in artistic gymnastics including an Olympic gold. Some of those medals were won while representing Germany and the Soviet Union, though she currently competes for Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan is the home of the International Kurash Association. Kurash is an internationalised and modernised form of traditional Uzbek wrestling.
Football is the most popular sport in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan’s premier football league is the Uzbek Super League, which has consisted of 16 teams since 2015. The current champions (2022) are FC Pakhtakor. Pakhtakor holds the record for the most Uzbekistan champion titles, having won the league ten times. Uzbekistan’s football clubs regularly participate in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup. FC Nasaf Qarashi won the AFC Cup in 2011, the first international club cup for Uzbek football.
Humo Tashkent, a professional ice hockey team was established in 2019 with the aim of joining Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), a top level Eurasian league in the future. Humo will join the second-tier Supreme Hockey League (VHL) for the 2019–20 season. Humo play their games at the Humo Ice Dome which cost over €175 million in construction; both the team and arena derive their name from the mythical Huma bird, a symbol of happiness and freedom. Uzbekistan Hockey Federation (UHF) began preparation for forming national ice hockey team in joining IIHF competitions.
Before Uzbekistan’s independence in 1991, the country was part of the Soviet Union football, rugby union, basketball, ice hockey, and handball national teams. After independence, Uzbekistan created its own football, rugby union, basketball and futsal national teams.
Tennis is a very popular sport in Uzbekistan, especially after Uzbekistan’s sovereignty in 1991. Uzbekistan has its own Tennis Federation called the “UTF” (Uzbekistan Tennis Federation), created in 2002. Uzbekistan also hosts an International WTA tennis tournament, the “Tashkent Open”, held in Uzbekistan’s capital city. This tournament has been held since 1999, and is played on outdoor hard courts. The most notable active players from Uzbekistan are Denis Istomin and Akgul Amanmuradova.
Chess is quite popular in Uzbekistan. The country boasts Rustam Kasimdzhanov, who was the FIDE World Chess Champion in 2004, and many junior players like Nodirbek Abdusattorov, the 2021 World Rapid Chess Champion. The Uzbek team – consisting of GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, GM Nodirbek Yakubboev, GM Javokhir Sindarov, GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov and GM Jahongir Vakhidov won gold at the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai.
Other popular sports in Uzbekistan include basketball, judo, team handball, baseball, taekwondo, and futsal.
Ulugbek Rashitov, won the country’s first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo, at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021.
In 2022, the World Judo Championships were held in Tashkent.
In 2024, the FIFA Futsal World Cup will be held in Uzbekistan.
Health in Uzbekistan
In the post-Soviet era, the quality of Uzbekistan’s health care has declined. Between 1992 and 2003, spending on health care and the ratio of hospital beds to population both decreased by nearly 50 percent, and Russian emigration in that decade deprived the health system of many practitioners. In 2004 Uzbekistan had 53 hospital beds per 10,000 population. Basic medical supplies such as disposable needles, anesthetics, and antibiotics are in very short supply. Although all citizens nominally are entitled to free health care, in the post-Soviet era bribery has become a common way to bypass the slow and limited service of the state system. In the early 2000s, policy has focused on improving primary health care facilities and cutting the cost of inpatient facilities. The state budget for 2006 allotted 11.1 percent to health expenditures, compared with 10.9 percent in 2005.
References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistan#cite_note-229
