Republic of Uzbekistan Ozbekiston Respublikasi O'zbekstan Respublikas Flag Emblem Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan Capital (and largest city) Tashkent 4116N 6913E / 41.267N 69.217E / 41.267; 69.217 Official language(s) Uzbek Recognised regional languages Karakalpak Language for inter-ethnic communication Russian Ethnic groups  80.0% Uzbek 5.5% Russian 5.0%5.5% (Official Uzbek Statistics) (30% Foltz Cordell Jonson) Tajik1234 3.0% Kazakh 2.5% Karakalpak 1.5% Tatar 2.5% Others5 Demonym Uzbekistani;6 also Uzbek Government Presidential Republic  -  President Islam Karimov  -  Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyayev Independence from the Soviet Union   -  Formation 17471   -  Uzbek SSR October 27 1924   -  Declared September 1 1991   -  Recognized December 8 1991   -  Completed December 25 1991  Area  -  Total 447400 km2 (56th) 172742 sq mi   -  Water (%) 4.9 Population  -  2009 estimate 276060077 (45th)  -  Density 61.4/km2 (136th) 159.1/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate  -  Total $85.188 billion8   -  Per capita $30158  GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate  -  Total $37.290 billion8   -  Per capita $13208  Gini (2000) 26.8 0.21 (low) (95th) HDI (2010) 0.6179 (medium) (102nd) Currency Uzbekistan som (O'zbekiston so'mi) (UZS) Time zone UZT (UTC+5)  -  Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+5) Drives on the right ISO 3166 code UZ Internet TLD .uz Calling code 998 1 As Emirate of Bukhara Kokand Khanate Khwarezm.

Uzbekistan (i /zbkstn/) officially the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uzbek: Ozbekiston Respublikasi or zbekiston Respublikasi) is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south. Prior to 1991 it was part of the Soviet Union

Once part of the Persian Samanid and later Timurid empires the region was conquered in the early 16th century by Uzbek nomads who spoke an Eastern Turkic language. Most of Uzbekistans population today belong to the Uzbek ethnic group and speak the Uzbek language one of the family of Turkic languages.

Uzbekistan was incorporated into the Russian Empire in the 19th century and in 1924 became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union known as the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR). It has been an independent republic since December 1991.

Uzbekistan's economy relies mainly on commodity production including cotton gold uranium potassium and natural gas. Despite the declared objective of transition to a market economy Uzbekistan continues to maintain rigid economic controls which often repel foreign investors. The policy of gradual strictly controlled transition has nevertheless produced beneficial results in the form of economic recovery after 1995. Uzbekistan's domestic policies on human rights and individual freedoms are often criticised by international organizations.10 In Uzbekistan about 45% of the population live on less than US$1.25 per day.11 Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Environment 2 History 3 Politics 4 Human rights 5 Provinces and districts 6 Economy 7 Demographics 7.1 Religion 8 Languages 9 Communications 10 Transportation 11 Military 12 Foreign relations 13 Culture 13.1 Music 13.2 Education 13.3 Holidays 13.4 Cuisine 13.5 Sport 14 Gallery 15 See also 16 Notes 17 References 17.1 Online sources 17.2 Printed sources 18 External links Geography Main article: Geography of Uzbekistan See also: List of cities in Uzbekistan Satellite map of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan has an area of 447400 square kilometres (172700 sq mi). It is the 56th largest country in the world by area and the 42nd by population.12 Among the CIS countries it is the 5th largest by area and the 3rd largest by population.13

Uzbekistan lies between latitudes 37 and 46 N and longitudes 56 and 74 E. It stretches 1425 kilometres (885 mi) from west to east and 930 kilometres (580 mi) from north to south. Bordering Kazakhstan and the Aral Sea to the north and northwest Turkmenistan to the southwest Tajikistan to the southeast and Kyrgyzstan to the northeast Uzbekistan is not only one of the larger Central Asian states but also 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 dry landlocked country; it is one of two doubly landlocked countries in the world i.e. a country completely surrounded by landlocked countries  the other being Liechtenstein. Less than 10% of its territory is intensively cultivated irrigated land in river valleys and oases. The rest is vast desert (Kyzyl Kum) and mountains.

The highest point in Uzbekistan is the Khazret Sultan located at 4643 metres (15233 ft) above sea level located in the southern part of the Gissar Range in Surkhandarya Province on the border with Tajikistan just north-west of Dushanbe (formerly called Peak of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party).13

The climate in the Republic of Uzbekistan is continental with little precipitation expected annually (100200 millimeters or 3.97.9 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).14 Major cities include Andijan Bukhara Samarkand Namangan and the capital Tashkent. Environment Comparison of the Aral Sea between 1989 and 2008. Decades of questionable Soviet policies in pursuit of greater cotton production have resulted in a catastrophic scenario. The agricultural industry appears to be the main contributor to the pollution and devastation of the air and water in the country.15 The Aral Sea disaster is a classic example. The Aral Sea used to be the fourth-largest inland sea on Earth acting as an influencing factor in the air moisture.16 Since the 1960s the decade when the misuse of the Aral Sea water began it has shrunk to less than 50% of its former area and decreased in volume threefold. Reliable or even approximate data have not been collected stored or provided by any organisation or official agency. Much of the water was and still continues to be used for the irrigation of cotton fields a crop that requires a large amount of water to grow.17 The numbers of animal deaths and human refugees from the area around the sea can only be guessed at. The question of who is responsible for the crisis remains open  the Soviet scientists and politicians who directed the distribution of water during the 1960s or the post-Soviet politicians who did not allocate sufficient funding for the building of dams and irrigation systems. Due to the virtually insoluble Aral Sea problem high salinity and contamination of the soil with heavy elements are especially widespread in Karakalpakstan the region of Uzbekistan adjacent to the Aral Sea. The bulk of the nation's water resources is used for farming which accounts for nearly 94% of the water usage and contributes to high soil salinity.14 Heavy use of pesticides and fertilisers for cotton growing further aggravates soil pollution.14 History Main article: History of Uzbekistan Female statuette bearing the kaunakes. Chlorite and limestone Bactria beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Alexander at the Battle of Issus. The earliest Bronze Age colonists of the Tarim Basin were people of Caucasoid physical type who entered probably from the north and west and probably spoke languages that could be classified as Pre- or Proto-Tocharian ancestral to the Indo-European Tocharian languages documented later in the Tarim Basin. These early settlers occupied the northern and eastern parts of the Tarim Basin where their graves have yielded mummies dated about 1800 BC. They participated in a cultural world centered on the eastern steppes of central Eurasia including modern northeastern Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. At the eastern end of the Tarim Basin people of Mongoloid physical type began to be buried in cemeteries such as Yanbulaq some centuries later during the later second or early first millennium BC. About the same time Iranian-speaking people moved into the Tarim Basin from the steppes to the west. Their linguistic heritage and perhaps their physical remains are found in the southern and western portions of the Tarim. These three populations interacted as the linguistic and archaeological evidence reviewed by Mallory and Mair makes clear and then Turkic people arrived and were added to the mix.The Tarim Mummies  J.P. Mallory and Victor Mair New York: Thames and Hudson 2000 The first people known to have inhabit Central Asia were Iranian nomads who arrived from the northern grasslands of what is now Uzbekistan sometime in the first millennium BC. These nomads who spoke Iranian dialects settled in Central Asia and began to build an extensive irrigation system along the rivers of the region. At this time cities such as Bukhoro (Bukhara) and Samarqand (Samarkand) began to appear as centers of government and culture. By the 5th century BC the Bactrian Soghdian and Tokharian states dominated the region. As China began to develop its silk trade with the West Iranian cities took advantage of this commerce by becoming centers of trade. Using an extensive network of cities and settlements in the province of Mawarannahr (a name given the region after the Arab conquest) in Uzbekistan and farther east in what is today China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region the Soghdian intermediaries became the wealthiest of these Iranian merchants. Because of this trade on what became known as the Silk Route Bukhoro and Samarqand eventually became extremely wealthy cities and at times Mawarannahr was one of the most influential and powerful Persian provinces of antiquity.18 Map of the Sassanid Empire. The Registan. The Russians taking over the city of Khiva. Alexander the Great conquered Sogdiana and Bactria in 327 BC marrying Roxana daughter of a local Bactrian chieftain. The conquest was supposedly of little help to Alexander as popular resistance was fierce causing Alexander's army to be bogged down in the region that became the northern part of Hellenistic Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. For many centuries the region of Uzbekistan was ruled by Persian empires including the Parthian and Sassanid Empires. In the 8th century Transoxiana (territory between the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers) was conquered by Arabs. In the 9th - 10th centuries Transoxiana was included into Samanid State. The Mongol conquest under Genghis Khan during the 13th century would bring about a dramatic change to the region. The brutal conquest and widespread genocide characteristic of the Mongols almost entirely exterminated the indigenous Indo-Persian (Scythian) people of the region their culture and heritage being superseded by that of the Mongolian-Turkic peoples who settled the region thereafter. Following the death of Genghis Khan in 1227 his empire was divided among his four sons and his family members. Despite the potential for serious fragmentation Mongol law of the Mongol Empire maintained orderly succession for several more generations and control of most of Mawarannahr stayed in the hands of direct descendants of Chagatai Khan the second son of Genghis Khan. Orderly succession prosperity and internal peace prevailed in the Chaghatai lands and the Mongol Empire as a whole remained strong and united.19 In the early fourteenth century however as the empire began to break up into its constituent parts the Chaghatai territory also was disrupted as the princes of various tribal groups competed for influence. One tribal chieftain Timur (Tamerlane)20 emerged from these struggles in the 1380s as the dominant force in Mawarannahr. Although he was not a descendant of Chinggis Timur became the de facto ruler of Mawarannahr and proceeded to conquer all of western Central Asia Iran Asia Minor and the southern steppe region north of the Aral Sea. He also invaded Russia and India before dying during an invasion of China in 1405.19 Timur initiated the last flowering of Mawarannahr by gathering in his capital Samarqand numerous artisans and scholars from the lands he had conquered. By supporting such people Timur imbued his empire with a very rich culture. During Timur's reign and the reigns of his immediate descendants a wide range of religious and palatial construction projects were undertaken in Samarqand and other population centres. Timur also initiated exchange of medical thoughts and patronized physicians scientists and artists from the neighboring countries like India.;21 his grandson Ulugh Beg was one of the world's first great astronomers. It was during the Timurid dynasty that Turkish in the form of the Chaghatai dialect became a literary language in its own right in Mawarannahralthough the Timurids also patronized writing in Persian. Until then only Persian had been used in the region. The greatest Chaghataid writer Ali-Shir Nava'i was active in the city of Herat now in northwestern Afghanistan in the second half of the fifteenth century.19 The Timurid state quickly broke into two halves after the death of Timur. The chronic internal fighting of the Timurids attracted the attention of the Uzbek nomadic tribes living to the north of the Aral Sea. In 1501 the Uzbeks began a wholesale invasion of Mawarannahr.19 The slave trade in the Khanate of Bukhara became prominent and was firmly established.22 Estimates from 1821 suggest that between 25000 and 40000 Persian slaves were working in Bukhara at the time.23 In the nineteenth century the Russian Empire began to expand and spread into Central Asia. By 1912 Russians living in Uzbekistan numbered 210306.24 The "Great Game" period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 a second less intensive phase followed. At the start of the nineteenth century there were some 2000 miles (3200 km) separating British India and the outlying regions of Tsarist Russia. Much of the land in between was unmapped. By the beginning of the twentieth century Central Asia was firmly in the hands of Russia and despite some early resistance to Bolsheviks Uzbekistan and the rest of Central Asia became a part of the Soviet Union. On October 27 1924 the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was created. On August 31 1991 Uzbekistan declared independence marking September 1 as a national holiday. The country is now the world's third-largest exporter of cotton and it is developing its mineral and petroleum reserves.citation needed Politics Main article: Politics of Uzbekistan The Uzbek parliament. Islam Karimov  President of Uzbekistan. The first elections of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament) were held under a resolution adopted by the 16th Supreme Soviet in 1994. In that year the Supreme Soviet was replaced by the Oliy Majlis. Since then Uzbekistan has held presidential and parliamentarian elections on regular basis but no real opposition candidates or parties are able to participate.citation needed The third elections for the bicameral 150-member Oliy Majlis for five-year term comprising of the Legislative Chamber and the 100-member Senate were held on December 27 2009 after the second elections that were held in December 20042005. The Oliy Majlis was unicameral up to 2004. Its strength increased from 69 deputies (members) in 1994 to 120 in 2004-5 and presently to 150. The executive holds a great deal of power and the legislature has little power to shape laws. Under terms of a December 27 1995 referendum Islam Karimov's first term was extended. Another national referendum was held January 27 2002 to extend the Constitutional Presidential term from 5 years to 7 years. The referendum passed and Karimov's term was extended by an act of parliament to December 2007. Most international observers refused to participate in the process and did not recognize the results dismissing them as not meeting basic standards. The 2002 referendum also included a plan to create a bicameral parliament consisting of a lower house (the Oliy Majlis) and an upper house (Senate). Members of the lower house are to be "full time" legislators. Elections for the new bicameral parliament took place on December 26 but no truly independent opposition candidates or parties were able to take part. The OSCE limited observation mission concluded that the elections fell significantly short of OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections. Several political parties have been formed with government approval. Similarly although multiple media outlets (radio TV newspaper) have been established these either remain under government control or rarely broach political topics. Independent political parties were allowed to organise recruit members and hold conventions and press conferences but they have been denied registration under restrictive registration procedures. Human rights Main article: Human rights in Uzbekistan The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan asserts that "democracy in the Republic of Uzbekistan shall be based upon common human principles according to which the highest value shall be the human being his life freedom honour dignity and other inalienable rights." However non-governmental human rights watchdogs such as IHF Human Rights Watch Amnesty International as well as United States Department of State and Council of the European Union define Uzbekistan as "an authoritarian state with limited civil rights"25 and express profound concern about "wide-scale violation of virtually all basic human rights".26 According to the reports the most widespread violations are torture arbitrary arrests and various restrictions of freedoms: of religion of speech and press of free association and assembly.27 The reports maintain that the violations are most often committed against members of religious organizations independent journalists human rights activists and political activists including members of the banned opposition parties. In 2005 Uzbekistan was included into Freedom House's "The Worst of the Worst: The World's Most Repressive Societies." The official position is summarised in a memorandum "The measures taken by the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of providing and encouraging human rights"28 and amounts to the following: the government does everything that is in its power to protect and to guarantee the human rights of Uzbekistan's citizens. Uzbekistan continuously improves its laws and institutions in order to create a more humane society. Over 300 laws regulating the rights and basic freedoms of the people have been passed by the parliament. For instance an office of Ombudsman was established in 1996.29 On August 2 2005 President Islam Karimov signed a decree that was to abolish capital punishment in Uzbekistan on January 1 2008. The 2005 civil unrest in Uzbekistan which resulted in several hundred people being killed is viewed by many as a landmark event in the history of human rights abuse in Uzbekistan303132 A concern has been expressed and a request for an independent investigation of the events has been made by the United States European Union the UN the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The government of Uzbekistan is accused of unlawful termination of human life and of denying its citizens freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. The government vehemently rebuffs the accusations maintaining that it merely conducted an anti-terrorist operation exercising only necessary force.33 In addition some officials claim that "an information war on Uzbekistan has been declared" and the human rights violations in Andijan are invented by the enemies of Uzbekistan as a convenient pretext for intervention into the country's internal affairs.34 Uzbekistan also does not allow Tajiks to teach their youth in their native language. There have been cases of destroying Tajiki (Persian-language) literary works.35 Provinces and districts Main articles: Provinces of Uzbekistan and Districts of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan is divided into twelve provinces (viloyatlar singular viloyat compound noun viloyati e.g. Toshkent viloyati Samarqand viloyati etc.) one autonomous republic (respublika compound noun respublikasi e.g. Qaraqalpaqstan Avtonom Respublikasi Karakalpakistan Autonomous Republic etc.) and one independent city (shahar. compound noun shahri e.g. Toshkent shahri). Names are given below in the Uzbek language although numerous variations of the transliterations of each name exist. Division Capital City Area (km) Population (2008)36 Key Buxoro Viloyati Buxoro (Bukhara) 39400 1576800 3 Jizzax Viloyati Jizzax 20500 1090900 5 Navoiy Viloyati Navoiy 110800 834100 7 Qashqadaryo Viloyati Qarshi 28400 2537600 8 Samarqand Viloyati Samarqand 16400 3032000 9 Sirdaryo Viloyati Guliston 5100 698100 10 Surxondaryo Viloyati Termiz 20800 2012600 11 Toshkent Viloyati Toshkent (Tashkent) 15300 2537500 12 Toshkent Shahri Toshkent (Tashkent)   2192700 1 Fergana Valley Region Farg'ona Viloyati Farg'ona (Fergana) 6800 2997400 4 Andijon Viloyati Andijon 4200 2477900 2 Namangan Viloyati Namangan 7900 2196200 6 Karakalpakstan Region Xorazm Viloyati Urganch 6300 1517600 13 Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi Nukus 160000 1612300 14 The statistics for Toshkent Viloyati also include the statistics for Toshkent Shahri. The provinces are further divided into districts (tuman). Economy Main article: Economy of Uzbekistan Aerial view of Tashkent Tashkent the capital of Uzbekistan. Samarkand Along with many Commonwealth of Independent States economies Uzbekistan's economy declined during the first years of transition and then recovered after 1995 as the cumulative effect of policy reforms began to be felt. It has shown robust growth rising by 4% per year between 1998 and 2003 and accelerating thereafter to 7%8% per year. According to IMF estimates37 the GDP in 2008 will be almost double its value in 1995 (in constant prices). Since 2003 annual inflation rates averaged less than 10%. Uzbekistan has a very low GNI per capita (US$610 in current dollars in 2006 giving a PPP equivalent of US$2250).38 By GNI per capita in PPP equivalents Uzbekistan ranks 169 among 209 countries; among the 12 CIS countries only Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had lower GNI per capita in 2006. Economic production is concentrated in commodities: Uzbekistan is now the world's sixth-largest producer and second-largest exporter of cotton39 as well as the seventh largest world producer of gold. It is also a regionally significant producer of natural gas coal copper oil silver and uranium.40 Agriculture employs 28% of Uzbekistan's labour force and contributes 24% of its GDP (2006 data).13 While official unemployment is very low underemployment  especially in rural areas  is estimated to be at least 20%.6 Still at cotton-harvest time all students and teachers are mobilized and enslaved as unpaid labour to help in the fields.41 The use of child labour in Uzbekistan has led several companies including Tesco42 C&A43 Marks & Spencer Gap and H&M to boycott Uzbek cotton.44 Facing a multitude of economic challenges upon acquiring independence the government adopted an evolutionary reform strategy with an emphasis on state control reduction of imports and self-sufficiency in energy. Since 1994 the state-controlled media have repeatedly proclaimed the success of this "Uzbekistan Economic Model"45 and suggested that it is a unique example of a smooth transition to the market economy while avoiding shock pauperism and stagnation. The gradualist reform strategy has involved postponing significant macroeconomic and structural reforms. The state in the hands of the bureaucracy has remained a dominant influence in the economy. Corruption permeates the society and grows more rampant over time: Uzbekistan's 2005 Corruption Perception Index was 137 out of 159 countries whereas in 2007 Uzbekistan was 175th out of 179 countries. A February 2006 report on the country by the International Crisis Group suggests that revenues earned from key exports especially cotton gold corn and increasingly gas are distributed among a very small circle of the ruling elite with little or no benefit for the populace at large.4647 According to the Economist Intelligence Unit "the government is hostile to allowing the development of an independent private sector over which it would have no control".48 Thus the middle class is marginalised economically and consequently politically. The economic policies have repelled foreign investment which is the lowest per capita in the CIS.49 For years the largest barrier to foreign companies entering the Uzbekistan market has been the difficulty of converting currency. In 2003 the government accepted the obligations of Article VIII under the International Monetary Fund.50 providing for full currency convertibility. However strict currency controls and the tightening of borders have lessened the effect of this measure. Uzbekistan experienced rampant inflation of around 1000% per year immediately after independence (19921994). Stabilisation efforts implemented with guidance from the IMF51 paid off. The inflation rates were brought down to 50% in 1997 and then to 22% in 2002. Since 2003 annual inflation rates averaged less than 10%.37 Tight economic policies in 2004 resulted in a drastic reduction of inflation to 3.8% (although alternative estimates based on the price of a true market basket put it at 15%).52 The inflation rates moved up to 6.9% in 2006 and 7.6% in 2007 but have remained in the single-digit range.53 Uzbek women in Termez market. The government of Uzbekistan restricts foreign imports in many ways including high import duties. Excise taxes are applied in a highly discriminatory manner to protect locally produced goods. Official tariffs are combined with unofficial discriminatory charges resulting in total charges amounting to as much as 100 to 150% of the actual value of the product making imported products virtually unaffordable.54 Import substitution is an officially declared policy and the government proudly reports a reduction by a factor of two in the volume of consumer goods imported.55 A number of CIS countries are officially exempt from Uzbekistan import duties. The Republican Stock Exchange (RSE) 'Tashkent' opened in 1994. It houses a securities exchange real estate traders the national investment fund and the national securities depositary. It does not trade all joint-stock companies each month and therefore market capitalisation varies widely.citation needed Uzbekistan's external position has been strong since 2003. Thanks in part to the recovery of world market prices of gold and cotton (the country's key export commodities) expanded natural gas and some manufacturing exports and increasing labour migrant transfers the current account turned into a large surplus (between 9% and 11% of GDP from 2003 to 2005) and foreign exchange reserves including gold more than doubled to around US$3 billion.citation needed Demographics Main article: Demographics of Uzbekistan Uzbek children. Shakh-i Zindeh mosque Samarkand. Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country. Its 28.1 million people (July 2011 estimate)6 comprise nearly half the region's total population. The population of Uzbekistan is very young: 34.1% of its people are younger than 14 (2008 estimate).6 According to official sources Uzbeks comprise a majority (80%) of the total population. Other ethnic groups include Russians 5.5% Tajiks 5%(official estimate and disputed) Kazakhs 3% Karakalpaks 2.5% and Tatars 1.5% (1996 estimates).6 There is some controversy about the percentage of the Tajik population. While official state numbers from Uzbekistan put the number at 5% the number is said to be an understatement and some Western scholars put the number up to 20%30%.1234 The Uzbeks absorbed among others the Sarts a Turko-Persian population of Central Asian peasants and merchants. According to recent genetic genealogy testing from a University of Oxford study the genetic admixture of the Uzbeks clusters somewhere between the Mongols and the Iranian peoples.56 Uzbekistan has an ethnic Korean population that was forcibly relocated to the region by Stalin from the Soviet Far East in 19371938. There are also small groups of Armenians in Uzbekistan mostly in Tashkent and Samarkand. The nation is 88% Muslim (mostly Sunni with a 5% Shi'a minority) 9% Eastern Orthodox and 3% other faiths. The U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2004 reports that 0.2% of the population are Buddhist (these being ethnic Koreans). The Bukharan Jews have lived in Central Asia mostly in Uzbekistan for thousands of years. There were 94900 Jews in Uzbekistan in 198957 (about 0.5% of the population according to the 1989 census) but now since the dissolution of the Soviet Union most Central Asian Jews left the region for the United States or Israel. Fewer than 5000 Jews remained in Uzbekistan in 2007.58 During the Soviet period Russians and Ukrainians constituted more than half the population of Tashkent.59 The country counted nearly 1.5 million Russians 12.5% of the population in the 1970 census.60 After the dissolution of the Soviet Union significant emigration of ethnic Russians has taken place mostly for economic reasons.61 In the 1940s the Crimean Tatars along with the Germans Chechens Greeks Turks Kurds and many other nationalities were deported to Central Asia.62 Approximately 100000 Crimean Tatars continue to live in Uzbekistan.63 The number of Greeks in Tashkent has decreased from 35000 in 1974 to about 12000 today.64 The majority of Meskhetian Turks left Uzbekistan after 1989.65 At least 10% of Uzbekistan's labour force works abroad (mostly in Russia and Kazakhstan).66 Uzbekistan has a 99.3% literacy rate among adults older than 15 (2003 estimate)6 which is attributable to the free and universal education system of the Soviet Union. Mosque of Bukhara. Religion Main article: Islam in Uzbekistan Islam is by far the dominant religion in Uzbekistan as Muslims constitute 90% of the population while 5% of the population follow Russian Orthodox Christianity and 5% of the population follow other religion according to a 2009 US State Department release.67 However a 2009 Pew Research Center report stated that Uzbekistan's population is 96.3% Muslim.68 An estimated 93000 Jews were once present in the country. Despite its predominance the practice of Islam is far from monolithic. Many versions of the faith have been practiced in Uzbekistan. The conflict of Islamic tradition with various agendas of reform or secularisation throughout the 20th century has left the outside world with a confused notion of Islamic practices in Central Asia. In Uzbekistan the end of Soviet power did not bring an upsurge of fundamentalism as many had predicted but rather a gradual reacquaintance with the precepts of the faith. However after 2000 there seems to be a rise of support in favour of the Islamists. Although constitutionally maintaining rights to freedom of religion Uzbekistan maintains a ban on all religious activities not approved by that state. See: Human Rights; Freedom of Religion Uzbekistan Languages Main article: Uzbek language The Uzbek language is the only official state language69 and since 1992 is officially written in latin alphabet. The Tajik language is widespread in the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand because of their relatively large population of ethnic Tajiks.2 Russian is an important language for interethnic communication especially in the cities including much day-to-day technical scientific governmental and business use. Russian is the main language of over 14% of the population and is spoken as a second language by many more. The use of Russian in remote rural areas has always been limited and today school children have no proficiency in Russian even in urban centres. However it was reported in 2003 that over half of the population could speak Russian and a renewed close political relationship between Russia and Uzbekistan have meant that official discouragement of Russian has dropped off sharply.70 In 1992 Uzbekistan officially shifted back to Latin scriptcitation needed but many signs and notices (including official government boards in the streets) are still written in Uzbek Cyrillic script that had been used in Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic since 1940. Computers as a rule operate using the "Uzbek Cyrillic" keyboard and Latin script is reportedly composed using the standard English keyboard. Communications Main article: Communications in Uzbekistan According to the official source report as of March 10 2008 the number of cellular phone users in Uzbekistan reached 7 million up from 3.7 million on July 1 2007.71 The largest mobile operator in terms of number of subscribers is MTS-Uzbekistan (former Uzdunrobita and part of Russian Mobile TeleSystems) and it is followed by Beeline (part of Russia's Beeline) and UCell (ex Coscom) (originally part of the U.S. MCT Corp. now a subsidiary of the Nordic/Baltic telecommunication company TeliaSonera AB).72 As of July 1 2007 the estimated number of internet users was 1.8 million according to UzACI. Transportation Main article: Transportation in Uzbekistan Central Station of Tashkent Tashkent the nation's capital and largest city has a three-line rapid transit system built in 1977 and expanded in 2001 after ten years' independence from the Soviet Union. Uzbekistan is currently the only country in Central Asia with a subway system which is promoted as one of the cleanest systems in the former Soviet Union. The stations are exceedingly ornate. For example the station Metro Kosmonavtov built in 1984 is decorated using a space travel theme to recognise the achievements of mankind in space exploration and to commemorate the role of Vladimir Dzhanibekov the Soviet cosmonaut of Uzbek origin. A statue of Vladimir Dzhanibekov stands near one of the station's entrances. There are government-operated trams buses and trolley buses running across the city. There are also many taxis both registered and unregistered. Uzbekistan has car-producing plants which produce modern cars. The car production is supported by the government and the Korean auto company Daewoo. The Uzbek government acquired a 50% stake in Daewoo in 2005citation needed for an undisclosed sum and in May 2007 UzDaewooAuto the car maker signed a strategic agreement with General Motors-Daewoo Auto and Technology (GMDAT see: GM Uzbekistan also).73 The government also bought a stake in Turkey's Koc in SamKochAvto a producer of small buses and lorries. Afterwards it signed an agreement with Isuzu Motors of Japan to produce Isuzu buses and lorries.74 Train links connect many towns within Uzbekistan as well as neighboring former republics of the Soviet Union. Moreover after independence two fast-running train systems were established. There is also a large airplane plant that was built during the Soviet era  Tashkent Chkalov Aviation Manufacturing Plant or in Russian. The plant originated during World War II when production facilities were evacuated south and east to avoid capture by advancing Nazi forces. Until the late 1980s the plant was one of the leading airplane production centers in the USSR but with dissolution of the Soviet Union its manufacturing equipment became outdated and most of the workers were laid off. Now it produces only a few planes a year but with interest from Russian companies growing in it there are rumours of production-enhancement plans. Military Main article: Military of Uzbekistan Uzbek troop during a cooperative operation exercise. Uzbekistan possesses the largest military force in the Central Asian region having around 65000 people in uniform. Its structure was inherited from the Soviet Armed Forces' Turkestan Military District although it is moving toward a fully restructured organisation which is to be based on motor rifle troops (motorised infantry) with some light and Special Forces. The Uzbek Armed Forces' equipment is not modern and training while improving is neither uniform nor adequate for its new mission of territorial security. The government has accepted the arms control obligations of the former Soviet Union acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (as a non-nuclear state) and supported an active program by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in western Uzbekistan (Nukus and Vozrozhdeniye Island). The Government of Uzbekistan spends about 3.7% of GDP on the military but has received a growing infusion of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and other security assistance funds since 1998. Following the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. Uzbekistan approved the U.S. Central Command's request for access to an air base the Karshi-Khanabad airfield in southern Uzbekistan. However Uzbekistan demanded that the U.S. withdraw from the airbases after the Andijan massacre and the U.S. reaction to this massacre. The last US troops left Uzbekistan in November 2005. Foreign relations Main articles: Foreign relations of Uzbekistan and International organization membership of Uzbekistan Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington D.C.. Uzbekistan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991. However it is opposed to reintegration and withdrew from the CIS collective security arrangement in 1999. Since that time Uzbekistan has participated in the CIS peacekeeping force in Tajikistan and in UN-organized groups to help resolve the Tajikistan and Afghanistan conflicts both of which it sees as posing threats to its own stability. Previously close to Washington (which gave Uzbekistan half a billion dollars in aid in 2004 about a quarter of its military budget) the government of Uzbekistan has recently restricted American military use of the airbase at Karshi-Khanabad for air operations in neighboring Afghanistan.75 Uzbekistan was an active supporter of U.S. efforts against worldwide terrorism and joined the coalitions that have dealt with both Afghanistan and Iraq. The relationship between Uzbekistan and the United States began to deteriorate after the so-called "colour revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine (and to a lesser extent Kyrgyzstan). When the U.S. joined in a call for an independent international investigation of the bloody events at Andijon the relationship took an additional nosedive and President Islam Karimov changed the political alignment of the country to bring it closer to Russia and China countries which chose not to criticise Uzbekistan's leaders for their alleged human rights violations. In late July 2005 the government of Uzbekistan ordered the United States to vacate an air base in Karshi-Kanabad (near Uzbekistan's border with Afghanistan) within 180 days. Karimov had offered use of the base to the U.S. shortly after 9/11. It is also believed by some Uzbeks that the protests in Andijan were brought about by the U.K. and U.S. influences in the area of Andijan. This is another reason for the hostility between Uzbekistan and the West. Uzbekistan is a member of the United Nations (UN) (since March 2 1992) the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Partnership for Peace (PfP) and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It belongs to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) (comprising the five Central Asian countries Azerbaijan Turkey Iran Afghanistan and Pakistan). In 1999 Uzbekistan joined the GUAM alliance (Georgia Ukraine Azerbaijan and Moldova) which was formed in 1997 (making it GUUAM) but pulled out of the organization in 2005. Uzbekistan is also a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and hosts the SCOs Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent. Uzbekistan joined the new Central Asian Cooperation Organisation (CACO) in 2002. The CACO consists of Uzbekistan Tajikistan Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is a founding member of and remains involved in the Central Asian Union formed with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and joined in March 1998 by Tajikistan. In September 2006 UNESCO presented Islam Karimov an award for Uzbekistan's preservation of its rich culture and traditions. Despite criticism this seems to be a sign of improving relationships between Uzbekistan and the West. The month of October 2006 also saw a decrease in the isolation of Uzbekistan from the West. The EU announced that it was planning to send a delegation to Uzbekistan to talk about human rights and liberties after a long period of hostile relations between the two. Although it is equivocal about whether the official or unofficial version of the Andijan Massacre is true the EU is evidently willing to ease its economic sanctions against Uzbekistan. Nevertheless it is generally assumed among Uzbekistan's population that the government will stand firm in maintaining its close ties with the Russian Federation and in its theory that the 20042005 protests in Uzbekistan were promoted by the USA and UK. Culture Main article: Culture of Uzbekistan See also: Kurash Islam in Uzbekistan and Scout Association of Uzbekistan Traditional Uzbek pottery. Old Uzbek man from central Uzbekistan. Navoi Opera in Tashkent Uzbekistan has a wide mix of ethnic groups and cultures with the Uzbek being the majority group. In 1995 about 71% of Uzbekistan's population was Uzbek. The chief minority groups were Russians (8%) Tajiks (530%)12376 Kazaks (4%) Tatars (2.5%) and Karakalpaks (2%). It is said however that the number of non-Uzbek people living in Uzbekistan is decreasing as Russians and other minority groups slowly leave and Uzbeks return from other parts of the former Soviet Union. When Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991 there was concern that Muslim fundamentalism would spread across the region. The expectation was that a country long denied freedom of religious practice would undergo a very rapid increase in the expression of its dominant faith. As of 1994 well over half of Uzbekistan's population was said to be Muslim though in an official survey few of that number had any real knowledge of the religion or knew how to practice it. However Islamic observance is increasing in the region. Uzbekistan has a high literacy rate with about 99.3% of adults above the age of 15 being able to read and write. However with only 88% of the under-15 population currently enrolled in education this figure may drop in the futurecitation needed. Uzbekistan has encountered severe budgeting 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. Uzbekistan's universities create almost 600000 graduates annually. Music Dance of a Bacha in Samarkand between 1905 and 1915 Main article: Music of Uzbekistan Central Asian classical music is called Shashmaqam which arose in Bukhara in the late 16th century when that city was a regional capital. Shashmaqam is closely related to Azerbaijani Mugam and Uyghur muqam. The name which translates as six maqams refers to the structure of the music which contains six sections in six different Musical modes similar to classical Persian traditional music. Interludes of spoken Sufi poetry interrupt the music typically beginning at a lower register and gradually ascending to a climax before calming back down to the beginning tone. Endurance of listening and continual audiences that attend events such as Bazms or Weddings is what makes the Folk-pop style of music so popular. The classical music in Uzbekistan is very different than that of the pop music. Mostly men listen to Solo or Duo shows during a morning or evening meeting amongst men. Shash maqam which is the main component of the classical genre of music. The large support of the musicians from high class families which meant the Patronage was to be paid to the Shash maqam above all things. Poetry is where some of the music is drawn from. In some instances of the music the 2 languages are even mixed in the same song. In the 1950s the folk music became less popular and the genre was barred from the radio stations. They did not completely dispel the music all together although the name changed to Feudal music. Although banned the folk musical groups continued to play their music in their own ways and spread it individually as well. Many say that it was the most liberated musical experience in their lives. Education Uzbekistan has a high Literacy rate with about 88% 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 this figure may drop in the future. Uzbekistan has encountered severe budgeting 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. Holidays See also: Public holidays in Uzbekistan January 1  New Year "Yangi Yil Bayrami" January 14  Vatan Himoyachilari kuni March 8  International Women's Day - "Xalqaro Xotin-Qizlar kuni" March 21  Navrooz - "Navro'z Bayrami" May 9  Remembrance Day - "Xotira va Qadirlash kuni" September 1  Independence Day - "Mustaqillik kuni" October 1  Teacher's Day - "O'qituvchi va Murabbiylar" December 8  "Constitution Day" - Konstitutsiya kuni Variable date End of Ramazon Ramazon Hayit Eid al-Fitr 70 days later Qurbon Hayit Eid al-Adha Cuisine Palov Main article: Uzbek cuisine Uzbek Cuisine is influenced by local agriculture as in most nations. There is a great deal of grain farming in Uzbekistan so breads and noodles are of importance and Uzbek cuisine has been characterized as noodle rich. Mutton is a popular variety of meat due to the abundance of sheep in the country and it is part of various Uzbek dishes. Uzbekistan's signature dish is Palov (Plov or Osh) a main course typically made with rice pieces of meat and grated carrots and onions. Oshi Nahor or morning Plov is served in the early morning (between 6 and 9 am) to large gatherings of guests typically as part of an ongoing wedding celebration. Other notable national dishes include: Shurpa (Shurva or Shorva) a soup made of large pieces of fatty meat (usually mutton) and fresh vegetables; Norin and Langman noodle-based dishes that may be served as a soup or a main course; Manti Chuchvara and Somsa stuffed pockets of dough served as an appetizer or a main course; Dimlama (a meat and vegetable stew) and various Kebabs usually served as a main course. Green tea is the national hot beverage taken throughout the day; teahouses (Chaikhanas) are of cultural importance. The more usual black tea is preferred in Tashkent both green and black teas are taken daily without milk or sugar. Tea always accompanies a meal but it is also a drink of hospitality automatically offered-green or black-to every guest. Ayran a chilled yogurt drink is popular in summer but does not replace hot tea. The use of alcohol is less widespread than in the west but wine is comparatively popular for a Muslim nation as Uzbekistan is largely secular. Uzbekistan has 14 wineries the oldest and most famous being the Khovrenko Winery in Samarkand (est. 1927). The Samarkand Winery produces a range of dessert wines from local grape varieties: Gulyakandoz Shirin Aleatiko and Kabernet likernoe (literally Cabernet dessert wine in Russian). Uzbek wines have received international awards and are exported to Russia and other countries. Sport Djamolidine Abdoujaparov is the most famous Cyclist in Uzbekistan winning 3 Tour de France point contests. Abdoujaparov is also one of the world's fastest Cyclists. Main article: Sport in Uzbekistan Uzbekistan is home to former racing Cyclist Djamolidine Abdoujaparov. Abdoujaparov has won the points contest in the Tour de France 3 times each time winning the coveted green jersey. The green jersey is second only to the yellow jersey. 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 kilometre 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'. Artur Taymazov won Uzbekistan's first Wrestling medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games as well as 2 gold medals at both the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Men's 120 kg. Ruslan Chagaev is a professional Boxer representing Uzbekistan in the WBA. He won the WBA champion title in 2007 after defeating Russian Nikolai Valuev. Chagaev defended his title twice before losing it to Vladimir Klitschko in 2009. Michael Kolganov sprint canoer was world champion and won an Olympic bronze in K-1 500-meter. Gymnast Alexander Shatilov won a world bronze as an artistic gymnast in floor exercise. Uzbekistan is also the home of the International Kurash Association. Kurash is an internationalized and modernized form of the traditional Uzbek fighting art of Kurash. Football is the most popular Sport in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan's premier Football league is the Uzbek League which features 16 teams. The current champions are FC Bunyodkor and the team with the most championships is FC Pakhtakor Tashkent with 8. The current Player of the Year is Odil Ahmedov. Uzbekistan also regularly participates in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup. Before Uzbekistan's independence in 1991 the country used to be part of the Soviet Union national Football Rugby Ice Hockey Basketball and Handball national teams. After Uzbekistan got split up from the Soviet Union Uzbekistan created its own Rugby Football and Futsal national teams. Rugby Handball Baseball Ice Hockey Basketball and Futsal are becoming popular Sports in Uzbekistan. Gallery See also Asia portal Uzbekistan portal Main article: Outline of Uzbekistan Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge Agriculture in Uzbekistan Central Asian Union Cuisine of Uzbekistan Economy of Uzbekistan Human rights in Uzbekistan Politics of Uzbekistan President of Uzbekistan Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Public holidays in Uzbekistan Senate of Uzbekistan Supreme Court of Uzbekistan Tourism in Uzbekistan Transport in Uzbekistan Trans-Caspian railway Tajiks Women in Uzbekistan Notes a b c Svante E. Cornell "Uzbekistan: A Regional Player in Eurasian Geopolitics" European Security vol. 20 no. 2 Summer 2000. a b c d Richard Foltz "The Tajiks of Uzbekistan" Central Asian Survey 15(2) 213216 (1996). a b c Karl Cordell "Ethnicity and Democratisation in the New Europe" Published by Routledge 1999. Excerpt from pg 201: "Consequently the number of citizens who regard themselves as Tajiks is difficult to determine. Tajikis within and outside of the republic Samarkand State University (SamGU) academic and international commentators suggest that there may be between six and seven million Tajiks in Uzbekistan constituting 30% of the republic's 22 million population rather than the official figure of 4.7%(Foltz 1996;213; Carlisle 1995:88). a b Lena Jonson "Tajikistan in the New Central Asia" Published by I.B.Tauris 2006. pg 108: "According to official Uzbek statistics there are slightly over 1 million Tajiks in Uzbekistan or about 3% of the population. The unofficial figure is over 6 million Tajiks. They are concentrated in the Sukhandarya Samarqand and Bukhara regions." "CIA  The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html. Retrieved January 28 2011.  a b c d e f CIA World Factbook Uzbekistan Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division (2009) (PDF). World Population Prospects Table A.1. 2008 revision. United Nations. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008texttables.pdf. Retrieved March 12 2009.  a b c d "Uzbekistan". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspxsy2007&ey2010&scsm1&ssd1&sortcountry&ds.&br1&c927&sNGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp0&a&pr.x31&pr.y5. Retrieved April 21 2010.  "Human Development Report 2010". United Nations. 2010. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR2010ENTable1.pdf. Retrieved November 5 2010.  Human rights in Uzbekistan: Amnesty International report 2008. 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References Online sources Environmental Justice Foundation February 2010 Slave Nation  A report exposing the continued use of state-sponsored forced child labour in the cotton fields of Uzbekistan Anora Mahmudova AlterNet May 27 2005 Uzbekistans Growing Police State (checked 2005-11-08) Manfred Nowak Radio Free Europe 2005-06-23 UN Charges Uzbekistan With Post-Andijon Torture Gulnoza Saidazimova Radio Free Europe 2005-06-22 Uzbekistan: Tashkent reveals findings on Andijon uprising as victims mourned BBC News 'Harassed' BBC shuts Uzbek office 2005-10-26 (checked 2005-11-15) CIA  The World Factbook  Uzbekistan Denial of Justice in Uzbekistan report to OMCT The worst of the worst the world's most repressive societies 2005. The measures taken by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of providing and encouraging human rights Uzbekistan's Ombudsman reports on 2002 results Jeffrey Thomas US Government Info September 26 2005 Freedom of Assembly Association Needed in Eurasia U.S. Says Robert McMahon Radio Free Europe 2005-06-07 Uzbekistan: Report Cites Evidence Of Government 'Massacre' In Andijon Amnesty International public statement "Uzbekistan: Independent international investigation needed into Andizhan events" People's Voice 2005-05-17 Andijan events: truth and lies Interview with Akmal Saidov kreml.org 2005-10-17 Andijon events are used as a pretext for putting an unprecedented pressure on Uzbekistan Worldbank per-country data on GNI and PPP per capita UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country Report on Uzbekistan Islam Karimov's interview to Rossijskaya Gazeta 1995-07-07 Principles of Our Reform 2005 Index of Economic Freedom Uzbekistan US Department of State Uzbekistan: 2005 Investment Climate Statement The Republic of Uzbekistan Accepts Article VIII Obligations UNDP/CER/CCI's Public-Private Partnership in Uzbekistan: Problems Opportunities and Ways of Introduction UNDP & Chamber of Commerce and Industry Export Guide for Uzbekistan US Department of State 200507 Background Note: Uzbekistan Asian Development Outlook for 2005 report on Uzbekistan IMF 2005-09-24 Republic of Uzbekistan and the IMF Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan report on International Trade Uzbekistan: In for the Long Haul: report on the international response to Uzbekistan by the International Crisis Group On results of socio-economic development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the first half of 2009 Aral Sea Foundation Printed sources Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia by Tom Bissell A Historical Atlas of Uzbekistan by Aisha Khan The Modern Uzbeks From the 14th century to the Present: A Cultural History by Edward A. Allworth Nationalism in Uzbekistan: Soviet Republic's Road to Sovereignty by James Critchlow Odyssey Guide: Uzbekistan by Calcum Macleod and Bradley Mayhew Uzbekistan: Heirs to the Silk Road by Johannes Kalter and Margareta Pavaloi Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East by Ted Rall Murder in Samarkand  A British Ambassador's Controversial Defiance of Tyranny in the War on Terror by Craig Murray Tamerlane's Children  Dispatches from contemporary Uzbekistan by Robert Rand White Gold  the true cost of cotton Still in the Fields Slave Nation printed reports documenting environmental and social abuses in Uzbekistan's cotton fields by the Environmental Justice Foundation External links Tashkent directory Lower House of Uzbekistan parliament Upper House of Uzbekistan parliament Chief of State and Cabinet Members General information Uzbekistan entry at The World Factbook Uzbekistan from the U.S. Library of Congress includes Background Notes Country Study and major reports Uzbek Publishing and National Bibliography from the University of Illinois Slavic and East European Library Uzbekistan at UCB Libraries GovPubs Uzbekistan at the Open Directory Project Wikimedia Atlas of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan travel guide from Wikitravel  International membership v d eEconomic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Members Afghanistan  Azerbaijan  Iran  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan  Pakistan  Tajikistan  Turkey  Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan v d eCommonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Armenia  Azerbaijan  Belarus  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan  Russia  Tajikistan  Uzbekistan  Moldova Associate member: Turkmenistan  Ukraine  Former member: Georgia (1993-2009) v d eOrganisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Members Afghanistan  Albania  Algeria  Azerbaijan  Bahrain  Bangladesh  Benin  Burkina Faso  Brunei  Cameroon  Chad  Comoros  Cte d'Ivoire  Djibouti  Egypt  Gabon  Gambia  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Guyana  Indonesia  Iran  Iraq  Jordan  Kuwait  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan  Lebanon  Libya  Maldives  Malaysia  Mali  Mauritania  Morocco  Mozambique  Niger  Nigeria  Oman  Pakistan  Palestine  Qatar  Saudi Arabia  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Somalia  Sudan  Suriname  Syria  Tajikistan  Turkey  Tunisia  Togo  Turkmenistan  Uganda  Uzbekistan  United Arab Emirates  Yemen Observers Countries and territories Bosnia and Herzegovina  Central African Republic  Russia  Thailand  Northern Cyprus (as Turkish Cypriot State) Muslim communities Moro National Liberation Front International organizations Economic Cooperation Organization  African Union  Arab League  Non-Aligned Movement  United Nations v d eEurasian Economic Community (EURASEC) Belarus  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan  Russia  Tajikistan  Uzbekistan v d eShanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member states  China   Kazakhstan   Kyrgyzstan   Russia   Tajikistan   Uzbekistan Observer states  India   Iran   Mongolia   Pakistan Dialogue partners  Belarus   Sri Lanka Guests  Afghanistan  ASEAN   CIS Working languages Chinese  Russian  Other associations v d eTurkic-speaking regions Federal subjects of Russia shown in italics.     Western Turkic  Azerbaijan1  Bashkortostan  Chuvashia  Northern Cyprus Eastern Turkic  Altai Republic  Khakassia  Kyrgyzstan  Gagauzia (Moldova)  Kabardino-Balkaria  Karachay-Cherkessia  Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan)  Sakha Republic  Tuva  Kazakhstan  Tatarstan  Turkey  Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan  Xinjiang (China)  Bayan Olgiy (Mongolia) 1 Includes the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. v d eModern sovereign Turkic states      Azerbaijan  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan  Northern Cyprus1  Turkey  Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan 1 Limited recognition (recognized only by Turkey see Cyprus dispute). v d e Uzbekistan topics History Transoxiana  Samanid dynasty  Kara-Khanid Khanate  Timurid dynasty  Khanate of Kokand  Until 1876  Basmachi  Uzbek Soviet Social Republic  1876-1991  Present History Politics and government Constitution  Foreign relations  Elections  Political parties  Parliament  Law enforcement  Supreme Court  Human rights (LGBT rights) Geography Provinces  Districts  Lakes  Rivers  Mountains  Extreme points  National Parks   Forests Economy Uzbekistani som  Companies  Taxation  Transport  Communications   Tourism Military History  Air Force  Army  Navy  Military Ranks Demographics Education  Ethnic groups  Languages  Religion  Cities   People   Healthcare Media Internet domain  Newspapers   Radio  Television Culture Cinema  Cuisine  Literature  Music  Public holidays  Scouts  Sport Symbols Coat of arms  Flag  National anthem Portal