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| Independence Year : 1991 Population : 24318000 Life Expectancy : 63.7 Capital : 3503 GNP : 14194.00 GNP Old : 21300.00 Local Name : Uzbekiston Government Form : Republic Location : Central Asia, landlocked country north of Afghanistan Terrain : Mostly plains, intenselyirrigated river valleys along Amu Darya and Syr Darya; shrinking Aral Sea; In the east and northeast of the country are situated spurs of Tien-Shan and the Pamirs. Climate : Desert-continental; long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east Ethnic Group : Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5%. Religions : Muslim 88% (Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%. Official Website : www.mfa.uz | 
Genral Information - Uzbekistan
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 1925. 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 insurgency by Islamic militants based in Tajikistan and Afghanistan, a non-convertible currency, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization. (Source: CIA - The World Factbook) |
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