Uzbekistan is a country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. It is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, meaning every neighbouring country is itself landlocked.
Geography
The territory ranges from desert plains in the west to mountain ranges in the east. The Kyzylkum Desert covers a large part of the centre. Two major rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, define the agricultural map of the region. The climate is strongly continental: hot, dry summers and cold winters.
Population and language
The population is concentrated in the fertile valleys, particularly the Fergana Valley, which is among the most densely populated areas of Central Asia. The state language is Uzbek, written in the Latin alphabet; Russian remains widely used in business and administration.
Historical cities
Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva grew as centres of trade and scholarship on the routes linking China, India and the Mediterranean. Their historic centres are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and are the basis of the country's cultural tourism.
Economy
The economy rests on several pillars:
- agriculture, historically dominated by cotton and increasingly diversified into fruit and vegetables;
- natural gas and mineral resources, including gold;
- textiles and food processing;
- a growing services and IT sector;
- remittances from citizens working abroad.
Water and environment
Water is the central environmental issue. Intensive irrigation of the two main rivers led to the desiccation of the Aral Sea, one of the most severe ecological disasters of the twentieth century. Current policy priorities include water-efficient irrigation, planting on the dried seabed and regional cooperation on shared rivers.