Uzbekistan

Republic of Uzbekistan O‘zbekiston Respublikasi, Ўзбекистон Республикаси (Uzbek)
Flag Emblem
Anthem:  O‘zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi, Ўзбекистон Республикасининг Давлат Мадҳияси "State Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan"
Location of Uzbekistan (green)
Capital and largest city	Tashkent 41°19′N 69°16′E / 41.317°N 69.267°E / 41.317; 69.267
Official languages	Uzbek[1][2]
Recognized languages	Karakalpak
Official script	Latin[3] • Cyrillic[4]
Ethnic groups (2021)[5]	84.6% Uzbeks 4.8% Tajiks 2.3% Kazakhs 2.2% Karakalpaks 2.1% Russians 4.0% others
Demonym(s)	Uzbek[1][7] • Uzbekistani
Government	Unitary semi-presidential republic
• President	Shavkat Mirziyoyev
• Prime Minister	Abdulla Aripov
Legislature	Oliy Majlis
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Legislative Chamber
Formation
• Uzbek Khanate	1428–1471
• Uzbek khanates	1500–1920
• Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic	30 April 1918
• Uzbek SSR	27 October 1924
• Declaration of Independence	31 August 1991
• Republic of Uzbekistan	1 September 1991
• Independence recognized	26 December 1991
• Current constitution	1 May 2023
Area
• Total	447,400[8] km2 (172,700 sq mi) (55th)
• Water (%)	4.9
Population
• 2024 estimate	37,535,605[9] (36th)
• Density	80.2/km2 (207.7/sq mi) (138th)
GDP (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$425.238 billion[10] (57th)
• Per capita	$11,572[10] (122th)
GDP (nominal)	2024 estimate
• Total	$112.6 billion[11] (67th)
• Per capita	$3010[10] (138th)
Gini (2022)	31.2[12] medium inequality
HDI (2022)	0.727[13] high (106th)
Currency	Uzbek sum (UZS)
Time zone	UTC+5 (UZT)
Date format	dd/mm yyyyc
Drives on	Right
Calling code	+998
ISO 3166 code	UZ
Internet TLD	.uz
Website gov.uz
Co-official in Karakalpakstan.[1] On 31 August 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Uzbek SSR voted to declare the country independent from the Soviet Union. The next day was declared a national holiday by the Uzbek government, and became an Independence Day. dd.mm.yyyy format is used in Cyrillic scripts, including Russian.

Uzbekistan,^[a] officially the Republic of Uzbekistan,^[b] is a doubly landlocked country located in Central Asia. It is surrounded by five countries: Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Tajikistan to the southeast, Afghanistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest, making it one of only two doubly landlocked countries on Earth, the other being Liechtenstein. Uzbekistan is part of the Turkic world, as well as a member of the Organization of Turkic States. Uzbek, spoken by the Uzbek people, is the official language and spoken by the majority of its inhabitants, while Russian and Tajik are significant minority languages. Islam is the predominant religion, and most Uzbeks are Sunni Muslims.^[16]

The first recorded settlers in the land of what is modern Uzbekistan were Eastern Iranian nomads, known as Scythians, who founded kingdoms in Khwarazm, Bactria, and Sogdia in the 8th–6th centuries BC, as well as Fergana and Margiana in the 3rd century BC – 6th century AD.^[17] The area was incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire and, after a period of Greco-Bactrian rule and later by the Sasanian Empire, until the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century. The early Muslim conquests and the subsequent Samanid Empire converted most of the people into adherents of Islam. During this period, cities began to grow rich from the Silk Road, and became a centre of the Islamic Golden Age. The local Khwarazmian dynasty was destroyed by the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, leading to a dominance by Mongol peoples. Timur (Tamerlane) in the 14th century established the Timurid Empire. Its capital was Samarkand, which became a centre of science under the rule of Ulugh Beg, giving birth to the Timurid Renaissance. The territories of the Timurid dynasty were conquered by Kipchak Shaybanids in the 16th century. Conquests by Emperor Babur towards the east led to the foundation of the Mughal Empire in India. Most of Central Asia was gradually incorporated into the Russian Empire during the 19th century, with Tashkent becoming the political centre of Russian Turkestan. In 1924, national delimitation created the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic as a republic of the Soviet Union. It declared independence as the Republic of Uzbekistan in 1991.

Uzbekistan is a secular state, with a semi-presidential constitutional government. Uzbekistan comprises 12 regions (vilayats), Tashkent City, and one autonomous republic, Karakalpakstan. While non-governmental organisations have defined Uzbekistan as "an authoritarian state with limited civil rights",^[18][7] significant reforms under Uzbekistan's second president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, have been made following the death of the first president, Islam Karimov. Owing to these reforms, relations with the neighbouring countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan have drastically improved.^{[19][20][21][22]} A United Nations report of 2020 found much progress toward achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.^[23]

The Uzbek economy is in a gradual transition to the market economy, with foreign trade policy being based on import substitution. In September 2017, the country's currency became fully convertible at market rates. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of cotton. With the gigantic power-generation facilities from the Soviet era and an ample supply of natural gas, Uzbekistan has become the largest electricity producer in Central Asia.^[24] From 2018 to 2021, the republic received a BB− sovereign credit rating by both Standard and Poor (S&P) and Fitch Ratings.^[25] The Brookings Institution described Uzbekistan as having large liquid assets, high economic growth, low public debt, and a low GDP per capita.^[26] Uzbekistan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), United Nations (UN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

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