|pm-raw =
|area =172,742 sq mi
|pop =2733,727333,435333 (2020)|pop-basis =2009|gdp =$27.918 billion 60,000,000,000 (2020)
|gdp-year =2009
|gdp-pc =$1,026 800 (2020)
|currency =Uzbekistan som
|idd =
|tld =
}}
The '''Republic of Uzbekistan ''' is a [[totalitarian]] [[dictatorship]] in [[Central Asia]], a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and a former Soviet Socialist Republic. Its capital city is [[Tashkent]]. The first president [[Islam Karimov]] ruled the country from 1991 to 2016.
==Geography==
Uzbekistan shares borders with [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Turkmenistan]] and [[Afghanistan]]. In the north west northwest tip of Uzbekistan lies the [[Aral Sea]]. The largest city in this area is Nukus which was described in the Lonely Planet guide as the "saddest place on earth" due to the rapidly shrinking water supply of the Aral Sea, as well as its heavy pollution due to weapons testing. The Ferghana Valley is the most fertile and heavily populated area of Uzbekistan. Prominent cities include the historical city [[Kokand]] that was once the capital of the Kokand Dynasty and Ferghana. [[Samarkand]], [[Bukhara]] and [[Khiva]] are famous ancient cities.
*Area: 447,400 km<sup>2</sup>., slightly larger than California.
*Major cities: Capital—Tashkent (pop. 2.5 million); Samarkand (600,000); Bukhara (350,000).
*Work force (11.9 million): Agricultural and forestry—44%, industry—20%; services—36%.
The educational system has achieved 97% literacy, and the mean amount of schooling for both men and women is 11 years. However, due to budget constraints and other transitional problems following the collapse of the Soviet Union, texts and other school supplies, teaching methods, curricula, and educational institutions are outdated, inappropriate, and poorly kept. Additionally, the proportion of school-aged persons enrolled has been dropping. Although the government is concerned about this, budgets remain tight. Similarly, in health care, life expectancy is long, but after the breakup of the Soviet Union, health care resources have declined, reducing health care quality, accessibility, and efficiency. It is alleged as well that forced sterilization is taking place to prevent overpopulation and political unrest.<ref>httphttps://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/07/17/uzbekistan-haunting-tales-mass-sterilization-drive-curb-population-growth/</ref>
==Government and Political Conditions==
The country is a founding member of and remains involved in the Central Asian Union, formed with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, joined in March 1998 by Tajikistan. In 2002, Uzbekistan joined the Central Asian Cooperation Organization (CACO), which also includes Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In 2006, Uzbekistan joined the Eurasian Economic Community (EurASEC), comprising Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
==DefenseMilitary==Uzbekistan possesses the largest and most competent military forces in the Central Asian region, having around 65,000 people in uniform. Its structure is inherited from the Soviet armed forces, although it is moving rapidly toward a fully restructured organization, which will eventually be built around light and Special Forces. The Uzbek Armed Forces' equipment is not modern, and training, while improving, is neither uniform nor adequate yet 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 has supported an active program by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to demilitarize and clean up former weapons of mass destruction-related facilities in western Uzbekistan (Nukus and Vozrozhdeniye Island), as well as to guard against the [[proliferation]] of radiological materials across its borders. The Government of Uzbekistan spends about 3.7% of GDP on the military.
Beginning in the late 1990s until 2004, the government received U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF), International Military Education and Training (IMET), and other security assistance funds. Beginning in 2004, new FMF and IMET assistance to Uzbekistan was stopped, as the Secretary of State, implementing U.S. Government legislation, was unable to certify that the Government of Uzbekistan was making progress in meeting its commitments, including respect for human rights and economic reform, under the U.S.-Uzbekistan Strategic Framework Agreement. Uzbekistan approved U.S. Central Command's request for access to a vital military air base in southern Uzbekistan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., but asked the U.S. to leave in July 2005. All U.S. forces had departed this facility by November 2005.
Uzbekistan is a member of the IMF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It has observer status at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has publicly stated its intention to accede to the WTO. It is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization and is a signatory to the Convention on Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States, the Paris Convention on Industrial Property, the Madrid Agreement on Trademarks Protection, and the Patent Cooperation Treaty. In 2006, Uzbekistan was again placed on the special "301" Watch List for lack of intellectual copyright protection.
Since Uzbekistan's independence, U.S. firms have invested roughly U.S. $500 million in Uzbekistan. 2006 was one of the worst years for foreign investment, especially U.S. Due to declining investor confidence, currency convertibility problems, and changes to Uzbek legislation, numerous international investors have left the country or are considering leaving. The Government of Uzbekistan declared bankrupt the Newmont Mining joint venture, the largest U.S. investor. Caterpillar Tractors pulled out in late 2006. Chevron-Texaco set up operations in 1992 and is focusing on producing lubricants for the Uzbek market. Coca -Cola, one of the largest U.S. franchises, weathered problems in previous years. No large, new investments have been made by U.S. firms in the last 5 years.
==See also==
{{Asian Countries}}
[[Category:Uzbekistan]]
[[Category:Muslim-Majority Countries]]