International Security Bulletin

Uzbekistan

Republic of Uzbekistan

Capital: Tashkent (Toshkent)

The Uzbekistan Bulletin

Weekly Brief: April 6, 2015

Top Story Parties negotiating limits on Iran’s nuclear program announced a framework agreement on Thursday, which they intend to finalize by the end of June. The talks had intensified ahead of a March 31 soft deadline for a deal. By Monday, three primary sticking points remained: the process of lifting restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program after 10 years, […]

History

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 seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves and increasing its manufacturing base. Current concerns include terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.

Geography

Metric Units

Total Area 447,400 sq km
Land Boundaries 6,221 km
Border Countries Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km
Coastline 0 km
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
Minimum Elevation -12 m
Maximum Elevation 4,301 m
Climate mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east
Natural Resources natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum
Arable Land 9.61%
Permanent Crops 0.8%

Economy

Gross Domestic Product $104.7 billion
GDP (per capita) $3,500
GDP Growth 8.2%
Unemployment Rate 4.8%
Population in Poverty 17%
GINI Index 36.8

Budget & Debt

Expenditures $16.51 billion
Revenue $16.39 billion
Current Account Balance $3.28 billion
External Debt $10.46 billion

Trade

Exports $16.65 billion
Export Items energy products, cotton, gold, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and nonferrous metals, textiles, food products, machinery, automobiles
Export Partners Russia 20.9%, Turkey 17.1%, China 14.7%, Kazakhstan 10.3%, Bangladesh 8.7% (2011)
Imports $15.53 billion
Import Items machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, ferrous and nonferrous metals
Import Partners Russia 21.4%, South Korea 19.1%, China 15.1%, Germany 7.4%, Kazakhstan 5.6% (2011)

People

Population 28,661,637
Population Growth 0.94%
Ethnic Groups Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
Religion Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
Life Expectancy 73.03 years
Infant Mortality 0.99 deaths/1,000 live births
Maternal Mortality 1.4 deaths/100,000 live births

Energy

Electricity Production 52.53 billion kWh
Electricity Consumption 42.9 billion kWh
From Fossil Fuels 85.2%
From Nuclear 0%
From Hydroelectric 14.8%
From Renewable Sources 0%