Republic of Uzbekistan O‘Zbekiston Respublikasi Ўзбекистон Республикаси
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Country in a Box: Republic of Uzbekistan O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Ўзбекистон Республикаси Registan Square in Samarkand; The second biggest city in Uzbekistan and one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world A Teacher’s Guide Compiled by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University http://ceres.georgetown.edu 1 Uzbekistan in a Box: Table of Contents Facts at a Glance 3-6 History of Uzbekistan 7-9 Timeline of Major Events in Uzbekistan’s History 10 Uzbekistan’s Culture 11-13 Folklore: Navoi and the Builder 14 Additional Resources 15 Inside the Mausoleum of Sayid Alauddin in Khiva 2 Uzbekistan: Facts at a Glance _______ Text and map taken directly from Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: Uzbekistan. Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html Country Name: Uzbekistan Capital: Tashkent 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, the country has lessened its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum export capacity and increasing its manufacturing base. However, longserving septuagenarian President Islom KARIMOV, who rose through the ranks of the Soviet-era State Planning Committee (Gosplan), remains wedded to the concepts of a command economy, creating a challenging environment for foreign investment. Current concerns include post-KARIMOV succession, terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization. Location: Central Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan Area: Total: 447,400 sq km Country comparison to the world: 57 Land: 425,400 sq km Water: 22,000 sq km Area - Comparative: Slightly larger than California 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 Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Sariqamish Kuli -12 m Highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m 3 Natural Resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum Environment - Current Issues: shrinkage 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 salination; soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT Population: 28,929,716 (July 2014 est.); Country comparison to the world: 45 Urbanization: Urban population: 36.2% of total population (2011) Life Expectancy at Birth: Total population: 73.29 Country comparison to the world: 125 Male: 70.25 years Female: 76.52 years (2014 est.) Ethnic Groups: Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.) Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3% Government Type: republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch Independence: 1 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union) The Flag of Uzbekistan: Blue is the color of the Turkic peoples and of the sky, Legal System: civil law system white signifies peace and the striving for purity in thoughts and deeds, while green represents nature and is Executive Branch: Chief of state: President the color of Islam; the red stripes are Islom Karimov (since 24 March 1990, when the vital force of all living organisms he was elected president by the then Supreme that links good and pure ideas with Soviet; elected president of independent the eternal sky and with deeds on earth; the crescent represents Islam Uzbekistan in 1991; Head of Government: and the 12 stars the months and Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev (since 11 constellations of the Uzbek calendar. December 2003) Legislative Branch: Bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of an upper house or Senate (100 seats; 84 members elected by 4 regional governing councils and 16 appointed by the president; members to serve five-year terms) and a lower house or Legislative Chamber (150 seats; 135 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, while 15 spots reserved for the new Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan) Judicial Branch: Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly) Political Parties and Leaders: Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Narimon Umarov]; Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan [Boriy Alixonov, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan or LDPU [Sodigion Turdiyev]; People's Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Hotamion Ketmonov] National Anthem: Name: "O'zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi" (National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan); Lyrics/music: Abdulla Aripov/Mutal Burhanov; 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. Economy - Overview: Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country; 11% of the land is intensely cultivated, in irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of the population lives in densely populated rural communities. Export of hydrocarbons, primarily natural gas, provides a significant share of foreign exchange earnings. Other major export earners include gold and cotton. Despite ongoing efforts to diversify crops, Uzbekistani agriculture remains largely centered around cotton, although production has dropped by 35% since 1991. Uzbekistan is now the world's fifth largest cotton exporter and sixth largest producer. The country is addressing international criticism for the use of child labor in its cotton harvest. Following independence in Uzbekistani Som September 1991, the government sought to (http://www.cbu.uz/uz_lat/notes_coins.htm) prop up its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. While aware of the need to improve the investment climate, the government still sponsors measures that often increase, not decrease, its control over business decisions. A sharp increase in the inequality of income distribution has hurt the lower ranks of society since independence. In 2003, the government accepted Article VIII obligations under the IMF, providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened the effects of convertibility and have also led to some shortages that have further stifled economic activity. The Central Bank often delays or restricts convertibility, especially for consumer goods. Uzbekistan's growth has been 5 driven primarily by state-led investments and a favorable export environment. In the past Uzbekistani authorities have accused US and other foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan of violating Uzbekistani laws and have frozen and even seized their assets. At the same time, the Uzbekistani Government has actively courted several major US and international corporations, offering financing and tax advantages. A major US automaker opened a powertrain manufacturing facility in Tashkent in November 2011, but there have been no sizable US investments since then. Diminishing foreign investment and difficulties transporting goods across borders further challenge the economy of Uzbekistan. GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $112.6 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 70 GDP - Real Growth Rate: 7% (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 23 GDP - Per Capita (PPP): $3,800 (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 171 GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 19.1%, Industry: 32.2%; Services: 48.7% (2013 est.) Labor Force: 16.99 million (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 37 Agriculture - Products: Cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock Industries: Textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, gold, petroleum, natural gas, chemicals. Current Account Balance: $1.801 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 43 Exports - Commodities: Energy products, cotton, gold, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and nonferrous metals, textiles, food products, machinery, automobiles Exports - Partners: China 21.2%, Kazakhstan 15.9%, Turkey 15.8%, Russia 14.7%, Bangladesh 9.5%, Kyrgyzstan 4% (2012) Imports - Partners: Russia 20.7%, China 16.6%, South Korea 16.4%, Kazakhstan 12.5%, Germany 4.6%, Turkey 4.2%, Ukraine 4% (2012) Debt - External: $8.773 billion (31 December 2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 103 Exchange Rates: Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar - 2,082.3 (2013 est.) Military Service Age and Obligation: 19-26 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for volunteers; 12-month conscript service obligation; male registration required at age 16 (2009) Military expenditures: 1.2% of GDP (2007 est.); Country