Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan (Republic of), independent country in central Asia, surrounded by Kazakhstan (north), Kirghizstan and Tajikistan (east), Afghanistan and Turkmenistan (south), and the Aral Sea (west). The capital is Tashkent.

Land and climate

The major part of the country is flat, there are mountains only in the east. The Aral Sea diminishes every year, as a result of the fact that it does no longer receive any water from rivers such as the Amudarja. The climate is continental, with little precipitation.

People. The inhabitants are mostly Uzbeks (74%), an Islamic people. Russians (6%), Tartars, Kazakhs, and Tajiks are minorities.

Economy. Farming (especially cotton, rice, and fruit), horse breeding, and cattle raising are its chief industries. This country also has rich deposits of coal and oil. Tashkent is the industrial centre of Central Asia.

History. Before the 4th century, it was a province of the Persian Empire. Control of the region then shifted to the Arabs and to other groups, including the Turks, until it finally fell to the Russians toward the end of the 19th century. In 1991 the country gained independence. Since then the government has pursued a policy to liberalize the economy.

See also: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.