2018 Edition

Background

Russia conquered the territory of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after the Bolshevik Revolution was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic established in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land degraded and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991 upon the dissolution of the USSR, the country has reduced its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum export capacity and increasing its manufacturing base. Uzbekistan’s first president, Islom KARIMOV, led Uzbekistan for 25 years until his death in September 2016. The political transition to his successor, then-Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV was peaceful, but sidelined the constitutional process where the chairman of the Senate would have served as the acting president. MIRZIYOYEV, who won the presidential election in December 2016, has improved relations with Uzbekistan’s neighbors and introduced wide-ranging economic and judicial reforms.

Area

land

425,400 sq km

total

447,400 sq km

water

22,000 sq km

Area Comparative

about four times the size of Virginia; slightly larger than California

Climate

mostly mid-latitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Coastline

0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

Elevation

-12 m lowest point: Sariqamish Kuli

note

4301 highest point: Adelunga Toghi

Environment Current Issues

shrinkage of the Aral Sea has resulted in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification and respiratory health problems; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Environment International Agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

41 00 N, 64 00 E

Geography Note

along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world

Irrigated Land

42,150 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (5)

Afghanistan 144 km, Kazakhstan 2330 km, Kyrgyzstan 1314 km, Tajikistan 1312 km, Turkmenistan 1793 km

total

6,893 km

Land Use

arable land: 10.1% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.8% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 51.7% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

62.6% (2011 est.)

forest

7.7% (2011 est.)

other

29.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Central Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan

Map References

Asia

Maritime Claims

note

none (doubly landlocked)

Natural Hazards

earthquakes; floods; landslides or mudslides; avalanches; droughts

Natural Resources

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

Population Distribution

most of the population is concentrated in the fertile Fergana Valley in the easternmost arm of the country; the south has significant clusters of people, while the central and western deserts are sparsely populated

Terrain

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

Age Structure

0-14 years

23.61% (male 3,631,957 /female 3,457,274)

15-24 years

17.85% (male 2,735,083 /female 2,623,511)

25-54 years

44.95% (male 6,714,567 /female 6,781,485)

55-64 years

8.15% (male 1,156,462 /female 1,289,703)

65 years and over

5.44% (male 698,610 /female 935,057) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

16.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Death Rate

5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.2 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

16 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

47.7 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

41.4 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 98.5% of population

rural: 80.9% of population

total: 87.3% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.5% of population

rural: 19.1% of population

total: 12.7% of population (2012 est.)

Education Expenditures

NA

Ethnic Groups

Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Health Expenditures

5.8% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

0.3% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

1,900 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

52,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

4 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

14 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

20.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

17.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Uzbek (official) 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

note

in the Karakalpakstan Republic, both the Karakalpak language and Uzbek have official status

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

77.5 years (2018 est.)

male

71.2 years (2018 est.)

total population

74.3 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

female

100% (2015 est.)

male

100% (2015 est.)

total population

100% (2015 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

2.464 million TASHKENT (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

36 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

29.7 years (2018 est.)

male

28.5 years

total

29.1 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

23.4 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Uzbekistani

noun

Uzbekistani

Net Migration Rate

-2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

16.6% (2016)

Physicians Density

2.45 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

30,023,709 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.91% (2018 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 100% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 100% of population (2015 est.)

total: 100% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 0% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 0% of population (2015 est.)

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

12 years (2016)

male

13 years (2016)

total

12 years (2016)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.9 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.74 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.75 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.28% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

50.5% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonom respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon Viloyati, Buxoro Viloyati [Bukhara Province], Farg'ona Viloyati [Fergana Province], Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi [Karakalpakstan Republic]* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati [Samarkand Province], Sirdaryo Viloyati (Guliston), Surxondaryo Viloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri [Tashkent City]**, Toshkent Viloyati [Tashkent Province], Xorazm Viloyati (Urganch)

note

administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Capital

geographic coordinates

41 19 N, 69 15 E

name

Tashkent (Toshkent)

time difference

UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Uzbekistan

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the Supreme Assembly or by referendum; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of both houses of the Assembly or passage in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2014 (2017)

history

several previous; latest adopted 8 December 1992 (2017)

Country Name

conventional long form

Republic of Uzbekistan

conventional short form

Uzbekistan

etymology

a combination of the Turkic words "uz" (self) and "bek" (master) with the Persian suffix "-stan" (country) to give the meaning "Land of the Free"

former

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

O'zbekiston Respublikasi

local short form

O'zbekiston

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Pamela L. SPRATLEN (since 27 January 2015)

embassy

3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent 100093

FAX

[998] (71) 120-6335

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[998] (71) 120-5450

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Javlon VAKHABOV (since 29 November 2017)

consulate(s) general

New York

FAX

[1] (202) 293-6804

telephone

[1] (202) 887-5300

Executive Branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with most requiring approval of the Senate chamber of the Supreme Assembly (Oliy Majlis)

chief of state

President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (interim president from 8 September 2016; formally elected president on 4 December 2016 to succeed longtime President Islom KARIMOV, who died on 2 September 2016)

election results

Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV elected president in first round; percent of vote - Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (LDPU) 88.6%, Khatamjon KETMONOV (NDP) 3.7%, Narimon UMAROV (Adolat) 3.5%, Sarvar OTAMURADOV (Milliy Tiklanish/National Revival) 2.4%, other 1.8%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term; previously a 5-year term, extended by a 2002 constitutional amendment to 7 years, and reverted to 5 years in 2011); election last held on 4 December 2016 (next to be held in 2021); prime minister nominated by majority party in legislature since 2011, but appointed along with the ministers and deputy ministers by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Abdulla ARIPOV (since 14 December 2016); First Deputy Prime Minister Achilbay RAMATOV (since 15 December 2016)

Flag Description

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon (closed side to the hoist) and 12 white stars shifted to the hoist on the top band; blue is the color of the Turkic peoples and of the sky, white signifies peace and the striving for purity in thoughts and deeds, while green represents nature and is the color of Islam; the red stripes are the vital force of all living organisms that links good and pure ideas with the eternal sky and with deeds on earth; the crescent represents Islam and the 12 stars the months and constellations of the Uzbek calendar

Government Type

presidential republic; highly authoritarian

Independence

1 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation

ADB, CICA, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Supreme Court (consists of 67 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, economic, and military sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges)

judge selection and term of office

judges of the highest courts nominated by the president and confirmed by the Oliy Majlis; judges appointed for initial 5-year term and can be reappointed for subsequent 10-year and lifetime terms

subordinate courts

regional, district, city, and town courts; economic courts

Legal System

civil law system

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of:Senate (100 seats; 84 members indirectly elected by regional governing councils and 16 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) Legislative Chamber or Qonunchilik Palatasi (150 seats; 135 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round, if needed, and 15 indirectly elected by the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 83, women 17, percent of women 17% Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDPU 52, National Revival Democratic Party 36, NDP 27, Adolat 20, Ecological Movement 15; composition - men 126, women 24, percent of women 16%; note - total Supreme Assembly percent of women 16.4%

elections

Senate - last held 13-14 January 2015 (next to be held in 2020) Legislative Chamber - last held on 21 December 2014 and 4 January 2015 (next to be held in December 2019)

note

all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Abdulla ARIPOV/Mutal BURHANOV

name

"O'zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi" (National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

note

adopted 1992; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet Republic but adopted new lyrics

National Holiday

Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

National Symbol S

khumo (mythical bird); national colors: blue, white, red, green

Political Parties And Leaders

Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Ekologik Harakati) [Boriy ALIKHANOV]Justice (Adolat) Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan [Narimon UMAROV]Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Liberal-Demokratik Partiyasi) or LDPU [Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV]National Revival Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Milliy Tiklanish Demokratik Partiyasi) [Sarvar OTAMURATOV]People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (Xalq Demokratik Partiyas) or NDP [Hotamjon KETMONOV] (formerly Communist Party)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Budget

expenditures

15.08 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

15.22 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

0.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

9% (2016)

9% (2015)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

16% (31 December 2016 est.)

11.2% (31 December 2012 est.)

Current Account Balance

$1.713 billion (2017 est.)

$384 million (2016 est.)

Debt External

$16.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$16.76 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

36.8 (2003)

44.7 (1998)

Economy Overview

Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in which 51% of the population lives in urban settlements; the agriculture-rich Fergana Valley, in which Uzbekistan’s eastern borders are situated, has been counted among the most densely populated parts of Central Asia. Since its independence in September 1991, the government has largely maintained its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production, prices, and access to foreign currency. Despite ongoing efforts to diversify crops, Uzbek agriculture remains largely centered on cotton; Uzbekistan is the world's fifth-largest cotton exporter and seventh-largest producer. Uzbekistan's growth has been driven primarily by state-led investments, and export of natural gas, gold, and cotton provides a significant share of foreign exchange earnings.Recently, lower global commodity prices and economic slowdowns in neighboring Russia and China have hurt Uzbekistan's trade and investment and worsened its foreign currency shortage. Aware of the need to improve the investment climate, the government is taking incremental steps to reform the business sector and address impediments to foreign investment in the country. Since the death of first President Islam KARIMOV and election of President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV, emphasis on such initiatives and government efforts to improve the private sector have increased. In the past, Uzbek authorities accused US and other foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan of violating Uzbek laws and have frozen and seized their assets.As a part of its economic reform efforts, the Uzbek Government is looking to expand opportunities for small and medium enterprises and prioritizes increasing foreign direct investment. In September 2017, the government devalued the official currency rate by almost 50% and announced the loosening of currency restrictions to eliminate the currency black market, increase access to hard currency, and boost investment.

Exchange Rates

Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar -

3,906.1 (2017 est.)

2,966.6 (2016 est.)

2,966.6 (2015 est.)

2,569.6 (2014 est.)

2,311.4 (2013 est.)

Exports

$11.48 billion (2017 est.)

$11.2 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

energy products, cotton, gold, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and nonferrous metals, textiles, foodstuffs, machinery, automobiles

Exports Partners

Switzerland 38.7%, China 15.5%, Russia 10.7%, Turkey 8.6%, Kazakhstan 7.7%, Afghanistan 4.7% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

19% (2017 est.)

government consumption

16.3% (2017 est.)

household consumption

59.5% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-20% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25.3% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

3% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

17.9% (2017 est.)

industry

33.7% (2017 est.)

services

48.5% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$48.83 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$6,900 (2017 est.)

$6,700 (2016 est.)

$6,300 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$223 billion (2017 est.)

$211.8 billion (2016 est.)

$196.5 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

5.3% (2017 est.)

7.8% (2016 est.)

7.9% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

32.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

25.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

27.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

29.6% (2003)

lowest 10%

29.6% (2003)

Imports

$11.42 billion (2017 est.)

$10.92 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, ferrous and nonferrous metals

Imports Partners

China 23.7%, Russia 22.5%, Kazakhstan 10.7%, South Korea 9.8%, Turkey 5.8%, Germany 5.6% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

4.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, mining, hydrocarbon extraction, chemicals

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

12.5% (2017 est.)

8% (2016 est.)

note

official data; based on independent analysis of consumer prices, inflation reached 22% in 2012

Labor Force

18.12 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

25.9%

industry

13.2%

services

60.9% (2012 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$NA (31 December 2012)

$715.3 million (31 December 2006)

Population Below Poverty Line

14% (2016 est.)

Public Debt

24.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

10.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$16 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$14 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$4.173 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$7.729 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

note

NA

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

note

NA

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$5.558 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$11.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$4.173 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$7.729 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

31.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

5% (2017 est.)

5.1% (2016 est.)

note

official data; another 20% are underemployed

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

95.58 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

27,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

420 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

46,070 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

594 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - total population

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

49.07 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

13 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

86% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

14% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

10.84 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

12.96 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

55.55 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

43.07 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

9.401 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

52.1 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

1.841 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

60,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

3,977 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

61,740 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2017 est.)

total

3,320,210 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

government controls media; 18 state-owned broadcasters - 14 TV and 4 radio - provide service to virtually the entire country; about 20 privately owned TV stations, overseen by local officials, broadcast to local markets; privately owned TV stations are required to lease transmitters from the government-owned Republic TV and Radio Industry Corporation; in 2013, the government closed TV and radio broadcasters affiliated with the National Association of Electronic Mass Media (NAEMM) of Uzbekistan, a government-sponsored NGO for private broadcast media; in 2015, the NAEMM relaunched its TV channel under a different name (2017)

Internet Country Code

.uz

Internet Users

percent of population

46.8% (July 2016 est.)

total

13,791,083 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

the state-owned telecommunications company, Uzbektelecom, owner of the fixed-line telecommunications system, has used loans from the Japanese government and the China Development Bank to upgrade fixed-line services including conversion to digital exchanges; mobile-cellular services are provided by 3 private and 2 state-owned operators with a total subscriber base of 22.8 million as of January 2018 (2018)

general assessment

digital exchanges in large cities and in rural areas (2018)

international

country code - 998; linked by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; the country also has a link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; Uzbekistan has supported the national fiber- optic backbone project of Afghanistan since 2008 (2018)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

12 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

3,444,330 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

82 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

24,265,460 (2017 est.)

Airports

53 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

6 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

13 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

4 (2013)

over 3,047 m

6 (2013)

total

33 (2013)

under 914 m

4 (2013)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

2 (2013)

total

20 (2013)

under 914 m

18 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

UK (2016)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

114,334,520 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

2,486,673 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

29 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

2 (2015)

Pipelines

13700 km gas, 944 km oil (2016)

Ports And Terminals

river port(s)

Termiz (Amu Darya)

Railways

broad gauge

4,642 km 1.520-m gauge (1,684 km electrified) (2018)

total

4,642 km (2018)

Roadways

paved

75,511 km (2000)

total

86,496 km (2000)

unpaved

10,985 km (2000)

Waterways

1,100 km (2012)

Military Branches

Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard (2017)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-month or 1-year conscript service obligation for males; moving toward a professional military, but conscription in some form will continue; the military cannot accommodate everyone who wishes to enlist, and competition for entrance into the military is similar to the competition for admission to universities; note - widely considered to have one of the strongest militaries in Central Asia, although it is untested (2016)

Disputes International

prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan created water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river statesfield demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2004border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas

Illicit Drugs

transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop eradication program; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

stateless persons

85,555 (2017)

Trafficking In Persons

current situation

Uzbekistan is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; government-compelled forced labor of adults remained endemic during the 2014 cotton harvest; despite a decree banning the use of persons under 18, children were mobilized to harvest cotton by local officials in some districts; in some regions, local officials forced teachers, students, private business employees, and others to work in construction, agriculture, and cleaning parks; Uzbekistani women and children are victims of sex trafficking domestically and in the Middle East, Eurasia, and Asia; Uzbekistani men and, to a lesser extent, women are subjected to forced labor in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine in the construction, oil, agriculture, retail, and food sectors

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Uzbekistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; law enforcement efforts in 2014 were mixed; the government made efforts to combat sex and transnational labor trafficking, but government-compelled forced labor of adults in the cotton harvest went unaddressed, and the decree prohibiting forced child labor was not applied universally; official complicity in human trafficking in the cotton harvest remained prevalent; authorities made efforts to identify and protect sex and transnational labor victims, although a systematic process is still lacking; minimal efforts were made to assist victims of forced labor in the cotton harvest, as the government does not openly acknowledge the existence of this forced labor; the ILO did not have permission or funding to monitor the 2014 harvest, but the government authorized the UN's International Labour Organization to conduct a survey on recruitment practices and working conditions in agriculture, particularly the cotton sector, and to monitor the 2015-17 cotton harvests for child and forced labor in project areas (2015)