Uzbekistan

Broadcast media

government controls media; 8 state-owned broadcasters - 4 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 and are prohibited from broadcasting live; about 15 privately-owned radio broadcasters; programming content includes news updates, music, call-in talk shows, and other entertainment in a half-Russian, half-Uzbek format mandated for private radio (2007)

Internet country code

.uz

Internet hosts

47,718 (2010) country comparison to the world: 89

Internet users

4.689 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 50

Telephone system

general assessment: digital exchanges in large cities but still antiquated and inadequate in rural areas 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 growing rapidly, with the subscriber base exceeding 16 million in 2009 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; after the completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan plans to establish a fiber-optic connection to Afghanistan (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.864 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 61

Telephones - mobile cellular

20.952 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 42

Agriculture - products

cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Budget

revenues: $12.7 billion expenditures: $12.57 billion (2010 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.3% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 38

Current account balance

$5.843 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 $3.58 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$4.221 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 121 $4.109 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.8 (2003) country comparison to the world: 82 44.7 (1998)

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, including natural gas and petroleum, provided about 40% of foreign exchange earnings in 2009. Other major export earners include gold and cotton. Uzbekistan is now the world's second-largest cotton exporter and fifth largest producer; it has come under increasing international criticism for the use of child labor in its annual cotton harvest. Nevertheless, Uzbekistan enjoyed a bumper cotton crop in 2010 amidst record high prices. Following independence in September 1991, the government sought to 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. Potential investment by Russia and China in Uzbekistan's gas and oil industry, as well as increased cooperation with South Korea in the realm of civil aviation, may boost growth prospects. However, decreased demand for natural gas in Europe and Russia in the wake of the global financial crisis could reduce energy-related revenues in the near term. In November 2005, Russian President Vladimir PUTIN and Uzbekistan President KARIMOV signed an "alliance," which included provisions for economic and business cooperation. Russian businesses have shown increased interest in Uzbekistan, especially in mining, telecom, and oil and gas. In 2006, Uzbekistan took steps to rejoin the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Community (EurASEC), which it subsequently left in 2008, both organizations dominated by Russia. In the past Uzbek authorities had accused US and other foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan of violating Uzbek tax laws and have frozen their assets, but no new expropriations occurred in 2008-09. Instead, the Uzbek Government has actively courted several major U.S. and international corporations, offering attractive financing and tax advantages, and has landed a significant US investment in the automotive industry. Although growth slowed in 2009-10, Uzbekistan has seen few other effects from the global economic downturn, primarily due to its relative isolation from the global financial markets.

Electricity - consumption

40.1 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 52

Electricity - exports

11.52 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

11.44 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

47.42 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 50

Exchange rates

Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar - 1,588.1 (2010) 1,466.7 (2009) 1,317 (2008) 1,263.8 (2007) 1,219.8 (2006)

Exports

$12.01 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $10.74 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

China 21.8%, Russia 18.1%, Turkey 14.5%, Kazakhstan 8.5%, Bangladesh 8.5% (2010)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$38.99 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$85.85 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $79.12 billion (2009 est.) $73.19 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 22.3% industry: 38.4% services: 39.3% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,100 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 167 $2,900 (2009 est.) $2,700 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

8.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 8.1% (2009 est.) 9% (2008 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 29.6% (2003)

Imports

$8.06 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 $9.023 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Russia 25.4%, South Korea 17.3%, China 13.9%, Germany 8.3%, Kazakhstan 5.3%, Ukraine 4.2% (2010)

Industrial production growth rate

8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41

Industries

textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, gold, petroleum, natural gas, chemicals

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 216 14.1% (2009 est.) note: official data; based on independent analysis of consumer prices, inflation reached 38% in 2008

Labor force

16 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 37

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 44% industry: 20% services: 36% (1995)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 107 $715.3 million (#REF!)

Natural gas - consumption

46.21 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17

Natural gas - exports

15.2 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 197

Natural gas - production

61.41 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 14

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.841 trillion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 20

Oil - consumption

144,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 69

Oil - exports

2,078 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 113

Oil - imports

9,013 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 142

Oil - production

58,650 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59

Oil - proved reserves

594 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 47

Population below poverty line

26% (2008 est.)

Public debt

8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 9.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$9.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$7.197 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 $5.648 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$5.995 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108 $5.256 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$4.448 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 $3.651 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

32.6% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 81

Unemployment rate

1.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 1.1% (2009 est.) note: officially measured by the Ministry of Labor, plus another 20% underemployed

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

Climate

mostly midlatitude 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 extremes

lowest point: Sariqamish Kuli -12 m highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

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

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 58.34 cu km/yr (5%/2%/93%) per capita: 2,194 cu m/yr (2000)

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

42,230 sq km (2008)

Land boundaries

total: 6,221 km border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

Land use

arable land: 10.51% permanent crops: 0.76% other: 88.73% (2005)

Location

Central Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (doubly landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

72.2 cu km (2003)

Administrative divisions

12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (respublika), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon Viloyati, Buxoro Viloyati, Farg'ona Viloyati, Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi [Karakalpakstan Republic]* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati, 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

name: Tashkent (Toshkent) geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 69 18 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

adopted 8 December 1992

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan conventional short form: Uzbekistan local long form: Ozbekiston Respublikasi local short form: Ozbekiston former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador George KROL embassy: 3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent 100093 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [998] (71) 120-5450 FAX: [998] (71) 120-6335

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Ilxamdjan NEMATOV chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet; elected president of independent Uzbekistan in 1991) head of government: Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (since 11 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam AZIMOV (since 2 January 2008) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term; previously was a five-year term, extended by constitutional amendment in 2002); election last held on 23 December 2007 (next to be held in 2014); prime minister, ministers, and deputy ministers appointed by the president election results: Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of vote - Islom KARIMOV 88.1%, Asliddin RUSTAMOV 3.2%, Dilorom T0SHMUHAMEDOVA 2.9%, Akmal SAIDOV 2.6%, other 3.2%

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

republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

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, CSTO, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly)

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of an upper house or Senate (100 seats; 84 members elected by 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) elections: last held on 27 December 2009 and 10 January 2010 (next to be held in December 2014) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDPU 53, NDP 32, National Rebirth Party 31, Adolat 19 note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President KARIMOV

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

National symbol(s)

khumo (mythical bird)

Political parties and leaders

Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Ismoil SAIFNAZAROV]; Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan [Boriy ALIXONOV, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan or LDPU [Muhammadjon AHMADJONOV]; National Rebirth Party (Milliy Tiklanish) [Ahtam TURSUNOV]; People's Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Latif GULOMOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders

there are no significant opposition political parties or pressure groups operating in Uzbekistan

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 7,887,292 females age 16-49: 7,886,459 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 6,566,118 females age 16-49: 6,745,818 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 306,404 female: 295,456 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard

Military expenditures

3.5% of GDP (2010) country comparison to the world: 33

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-year conscript service obligation; moving toward a professional military, but conscription 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 (2009)

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.5% (male 3,817,755/female 3,635,142) 15-64 years: 68.8% (male 9,620,356/female 9,742,818) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 560,574/female 751,955) (2011 est.)

Birth rate

17.43 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 114

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.4% (2006) country comparison to the world: 88

Death rate

5.29 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 177

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98% of population rural: 81% of population total: 87% of population unimproved: urban: 2% of population rural: 19% of population total: 13% of population (2008)

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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 500 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

28,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 69

Health expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 134

Hospital bed density

4.83 beds/1,000 population (2007) country comparison to the world: 42

Infant mortality rate

total: 21.92 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 92 male: 25.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.51 years country comparison to the world: 125 male: 69.48 years female: 75.71 years (2011 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.3% male: 99.6% female: 99% (2003 est.)

Major cities - population

TASHKENT (capital) 2.201 million (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

30 deaths/100,000 live births (2008) country comparison to the world: 113

Median age

total: 25.7 years male: 25.2 years female: 26.3 years (2011 est.)

Nationality

noun: Uzbekistani adjective: Uzbekistani

Net migration rate

-2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Physicians density

2.617 physicians/1,000 population (2007) country comparison to the world: 51

Population

28,128,600 (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 44

Population growth rate

0.94% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 120

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population (2008)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years male: 12 years female: 11 years (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.89 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 140

Urbanization

urban population: 36% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2004; border 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

refugees (country of origin): 39,202 (Tajikistan); 1,060 (Afghanistan) IDPs: 3,400 (forced population transfers by government from villages near Tajikistan border) (2007)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Uzbekistan is a source country for women and girls trafficked to Kazakhstan, Russia, the Middle East, and Asia for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; men are trafficked to Kazakhstan and Russia for purposes of forced labor in the construction, cotton, and tobacco industries; men and women are also trafficked internally for the purposes of domestic servitude, forced labor in the agricultural and construction industries, and for commercial sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Uzbekistan is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its negligible progress in ending forced labor, including forced child labor, in the annual cotton harvest, and did not make efforts to investigate or prosecute government officials suspected to be complicit in forced labor; the government did not conduct any awareness campaigns regarding forced labor in the annual cotton harvest or other internal trafficking, but did continue its previous awareness campaigns about the dangers of transnational trafficking (2011)

Airports

54 (2010) country comparison to the world: 87

Airports - with paved runways

total: 33 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 4 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 under 914 m: 19 (2010)

Pipelines

gas 10,253 km; oil 868 km (2010)

Ports and terminals

Termiz (Amu Darya)

Railways

total: 3,645 km country comparison to the world: 47 broad gauge: 3,645 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2010)

Roadways

total: 86,496 km country comparison to the world: 55 paved: 75,511 km unpaved: 10,985 km (2000)

Waterways

1,100 km (2009) country comparison to the world: 63