1996 Edition

Description

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a crescent moon and 12 stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

Location

41 00 N, 64 00 E -- Central Asia, north of Afghanistan Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than California

land area

425,400 sq km

total area

447,400 sq km

Climate

mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Coastline

0 km

note

Uzbekistan borders the Aral Sea (420 km)

Environment

current issues

drying up of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salinization; soil contamination from agricultural chemicals, including DDT

international agreements

party to - Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

natural hazards

NA

Geographic coordinates

41 00 N, 64 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

41,550 sq km (1990)

Land boundaries

border countries

Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

total

6,221 km

Land use

arable land

10%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

47%

other

42%

permanent crops

1%

Location

Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Terrain

mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya and Sirdaryo; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

highest point

Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

lowest point

Saryqamish Kuli -12 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 40% (male 4,732,585; female 4,618,503) 15-64 years: 55% (male 6,441,052; female 6,540,479) 65 years and over: 5% (male 416,571; female 669,191) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

29.86 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

8.02 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Uzbek 71.4%, Russian 8.3%, Tajik 4.7%, Kazak 4.1%, Tatar 2.4%, Karakalpak 2.1%, other 7%

Infant mortality rate

79.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

Life expectancy at birth

female

68.97 years (1996 est.)

male

60.44 years

total population

64.6 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)

female

96%

male

98%

total population

97%

Nationality

adjective

Uzbek

noun

Uzbek(s)

Net migration rate

-3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

23,418,381 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.87% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

3.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

12 wiloyatlar (singular - wiloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahri); Andijon Wiloyati, Bukhoro Wiloyati, Jizzakh Wiloyati, Farghona Wiloyati, Qoraqalpoghiston* (Nukus), Qashqadaryo Wiloyati (Qarshi), Khorazm Wiloyati (Urganch), Namangan Wiloyati, Nawoiy Wiloyati, Samarqand Wiloyati, Sirdaryo Wiloyati (Guliston), Surkhondaryo Wiloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri**, Toshkent Wiloyati

note

an administrative division has the same name as its administrative center (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Capital

Tashkent (Toshkent)

Constitution

new constitution adopted 8 December 1992

Data code

UZ

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

(temporary) Suites 619 and 623, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Fatiq TESHABAYEV

telephone

[1] (202) 638-4266, 4267

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers was appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly

chief of state

President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet) was elected for a five-year term by popular vote; election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000); results - Islam KARIMOV 86%, Mukhammad SOLIKH 12%, other 2%; note - the 26 March 1995 referendum extended KARIMOV's term until 2000 (99.6% approval)

head of government

Prime Minister Otkir SULTONOV (since December 1995), First Deputy Prime Minister Ismoil JURABEKOV (since NA), Deputy Prime Ministers Viktor CHIZHEN (since NA), Bakhtiyor HAMIDOV (since NA), Kayim HAQQULOV (since NA), Rim GINIYATULLIN (since NA), Saidmukhtor SAIDQOSIMOV (since NA), Mirabror USMONOV (since NA), Murat SHARIFKHOJAYEV (since NA), Uktam ISMAILOV (since NA), Rustam YUNUSOV (since NA) were appointed by the president

FAX

[1] (202) 638-4268

[7] (3712) 89-13-35

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a crescent moon and 12 stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

Independence

31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

International organization participation

AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM, OIC (observer), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly

Legal system

evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial system

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Uzbekistan

conventional short form

Uzbekistan

former

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

Uzbekiston Respublikasi

local short form

none

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

Other political or pressure groups

Birlik (Unity) People's Movement (BPM), Ibrahim BURIYEV, chairman; Islamic Rebirth Party (IRP), Abdullah UTAYEV, chairman; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party was banned 9 December 1992

note

UTAYEV (IRP) is either in prison or in exile

Political parties and leaders

People's Democratic Party (PDP; formerly Communist Party), Islom A. KARIMOV, chairman; Fatherland Progress Party (FPP), Anwar YULDASHEV, chairman; Social Democratic Party, Anvar JORABAYEV, chairman

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Supreme Assembly (Oliy Majlis)

elections last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (250 total) People's Democratic Party 207, Fatherland Progress Party 12, other 31; note - final runoffs were held 22 January 1995; seating was as follows: People's Democratic Party 69, Fatherland Progress Party 14, Social Democratic Party 47, local government 120

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Stanley T. ESCUDERO

embassy

82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[7] (3712) 77-14-07, 77-10-81, 77-69-86

Agriculture

cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Budget

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

revenues

$NA

Currency

introduced provisional som-coupons 10 November 1993 which circulated parallel to the Russian rubles; became the sole legal currency 31 January 1994; was replaced in July 1994 by the som currency

Economic aid

note

commitments, $2,915 million ($135 million in disbursements) (1992-95)

recipient

ODA, $71 million (1993)

Economic overview

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. It was one of the poorest republics of the former Soviet Union with more than 60% of its population living in overpopulated rural communities. At the same time, Uzbekistan is the world's third largest cotton exporter, a major producer of gold and natural gas, and a regionally significant producer of chemicals and machinery. Following independence, the government sought to prop up its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. Faced with high rates of inflation, however, the government stepped up the pace of reform in mid-1994, by introducing tighter monetary policies, expanding privatization, reducing the role of the state in the economy, and improving the environment for foreign investors. Nevertheless, the state continues to be a dominating influence in the economy, and reforms have so far failed to induce far-reaching structural changes.

Electricity

capacity

11,690,000 kW

consumption per capita

2,130 kWh (1994)

production

47.5 billion kWh

Exchange rates

soms per US$1 - 35.8 (end December 1995), 25 (yearend 1994)

Exports

$3.1 billion (1995)

commodities

cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products

partners

Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, US

External debt

$1.285 billion (of which $510 million to Russia)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $54.7 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$2,370 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

-1% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; government eradication programs; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Imports

$2.9 billion (1995)

commodities

grain, machinery and parts, consumer durables, other foods

partners

principally other FSU countries, Czech Republic

Industrial production growth rate

0% (1995 est.)

Industries

textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, natural gas

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.7% monthly average (January-October 1995 est.)

Labor force

8.234 million

by occupation

agriculture and forestry 43%, industry and construction 22%, other 35% (1992)

Unemployment rate

0.4% includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers (December 1995)

Branches

Army, Air and Air Defense, Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard

Defense expenditures

164 million soms, 3.7% of GDP (1993); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

5,672,621

males fit for military service

4,623,960

males reach military age (18) annually

231,293 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note - there is at least one state-owned broadcast station of NA type

Radios

NA

Telephone system

poorly developed

domestic

NMT-450 analog cellular network established in Tashkent

international

linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; new Intelsat links to Tokyo and Ankara give Uzbekistan international access independent of Russian facilities; satellite earth stations - NA Orbita and NA Intelsat

Telephones

1.458 million (1995 est.)

Television broadcast stations

2

Televisions

NA Defense

Airports

total

261

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

14

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

8

with paved runways over 3 047 m

6

with paved runways under 914 m

5

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

2

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

7

with unpaved runways under 914 m

216 (1994 est.)

Highways

paved

NA km

total

78,400 km

unpaved

NA km (1990 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 810 km (1992)

Ports

Termiz

Railways

broad gauge

3,460 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

total

3,460 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines