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Uzbekistan:
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Other pages in this profile of Uzbekistan:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic set up 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. |
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Location |
Central Asia, north of Afghanistan |
Geographic coordinates |
41 00 N, 64 00 E |
Map references |
Asia |
Area |
total: 447,400 sq km land: 425,400 sq km water: 22,000 sq km |
Area - comparative |
slightly larger than California |
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 |
Coastline |
0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline |
Maritime claims |
none (doubly landlocked) |
Climate |
mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east |
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 |
Elevation extremes |
lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m |
Natural resources |
natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum |
Land use |
arable land: 10.51% permanent crops: 0.76% other: 88.73% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
42,810 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards |
NA |
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 |
Geography - note |
along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world |
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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |