In 1991 Uzbekistan emerged as a sovereign country after more than a century of Russian rule - first as part of the Russian empire and then as a component of the Soviet Union.
Positioned on the ancient Great Silk Road between Europe and Asia, majestic cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand, famed for their architectural opulence, once flourished as trade and cultural centres. OVERVIEW OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA Uzbekistan is the most populous Central Asian country and has the largest armed forces. There is no real internal opposition and the media is tightly controlled by the state. A UN report has described the use of torture as "systematic". Uzbekistan is one of the world's biggest producers of cotton and is rich in natural resources, including oil, gas and gold. However, the rigidity of political control is mirrored in the tightly centralised planning of the economy. Economic reform has been painfully slow to materialise. Poverty and unemployment are widespread. The World Bank announced in early 2006 that it would make no new loans to Uzbekistan for the foreseeable future. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced in April 2004 that it was slashing aid to Uzbekistan because of the country's failure to reform and its poor human rights record.
Bukhara: Ancient city and hub of Asian trade and culture Following the 11 September attacks on the US, the Uzbek authorities won favour with Washington by allowing its forces a base in Uzbekistan, affording ready access across the Afghan border. US aid increased for a time. Human rights observers voiced mounting fears that the international community was failing to respond adequately to the many reported cases of abuse and torture. The country has faced sporadic bombings and shootings in recent years. The authorities have been quick to blame Islamic extremists for the dozens of deaths caused. The most recent violence came in the eastern city of Andijan in May 2005 when troops opened fire on protesters against the jailing of people charged with Islamic extremism. Witnesses reported a bloodbath with several hundred civilian deaths. The Uzbek authorities put the overall toll at over 180. The authorities rejected calls for an international inquiry and the US threatened to withold aid. Soon afterwards parliament voted to demand that US forces leave their base in the south of the country. Opponents of President Karimov blamed the authorities' brutal determination to crush all dissent. The president himself blamed fundamentalists seeking the overthrow of constitutional order and the establishment of a Muslim caliphate in Central Asia. At what many outside observers described as a show trial, 15 people were later convicted of organizing the unrest and given prison terms of between 14 and 20 years. Dozens of others were also jailed for lengthy terms The president's uncompromising policies have at times created friction between Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries and Uzbekistan has been wary of moves towards closer political integration. President Karimov describes Russia as Tashkent's "most reliable partner and ally". In November 2005 the two countries signed an agreement paving the way for much closer military co-operation. FACTS OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA Population: 26.9 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Tashkent
Area: 447,400 sq km (172,700 sq miles)
Major language: Uzbek, Russian, Tajik
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 63 years (men), 70 years (women)
Monetary unit: 1 Uzbek som = 100 tiyins
Main exports: Cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, motor vehicles
GNI per capita: US $510 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .uz
International dialling code: +998
LEADERS OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA President: Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov
Islam Karimov keeps a tight grip on the country Islam Karimov has dominated the leadership since 1989 when he rose to be Communist Party leader in then Soviet Uzbekistan. The following year he became Uzbek president and continued in the post after independence. A referendum held in 1995 extended his term until 2000 when he won the presidential elections unopposed. A further referendum in 2002 extended the presidential term from five to seven years. The next presidential elections are due in 2007. Mr Karimov takes a ruthlessly authoritarian approach to all forms of opposition. The few western observers who monitored parliamentary elections at the end of 2004 condemned them as having failed to meet international standards and pointed out that all the candidates supported the president. Mr Karimov has been accused of using the perceived threat of Islamic militancy to justify his style of leadership. Observers point out that the combination of ruthless repression and poor living standards provides fertile breeding ground for violent resistance in a volatile region. Mr Karimov was born in 1938 in the central Uzbek town of Samarkand and is an economist by profession. He held various senior posts in Soviet Uzbekistan, including finance minister and first secretary of the Uzbek Communist Party Central Committee. Prime minister: Shavkat Mirziyayev
Foreign minister: Vladimir Norov
Defence minister: Ruslan Mirzayev
Finance minister: Rustam Azimov
MEDIA OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA The state maintains tight control of the media. Despite a constitutional ban on censorship and guarantees of press freedom, the media rights body Reporters Without Borders said in 2005 that the use of violence against journalists and disinformation by the authorities were commonplace. In the aftermath of deadly unrest in the eastern city of Andijan in 2005, journalists were expelled from the area and foreign TV news broadcasts were blocked. The BBC's coverage of the uprising led to the closure of the corporation's bureau in Tashkent some months later. Pre-publication censorship of the press by the state was abolished in 2002, but self-censorship is widespread. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists says that many Uzbeks rely on foreign sources - including Russian TV, the BBC and other broadcasters - as a counterpoint to the stifled domestic news media. The government controls much of the printing and distribution infrastructure. Private TV and radio stations operate alongside state-run broadcasters. Foreign channels are carried via cable TV, which is widely available. Uzbekistan had around 675,000 internet users by 2005, according to government figures. The press Khalq Sozi - state-run daily
Narodnoye Slovo - state-run, Russian-language daily
Pravda Vostoka - state-run, Russian-language daily
Ozbekistan Ozovi - published by ruling party
Pravda Vostoka - state-owned, Russian-language
Hurriyat - published by government agency
Fidokor - organ of pro-government party
Mohiyat - weekly
Television Uzbek State Television and Radio Company - state-run, operates two networks including youth-oriented Yoshlar
MTRK - private, Andijan
Bagdad-TV - private, Fergana Region
Muloqot - private, Fergana Region,
Bekabad TV - private, Tashkent Region
Aloqa-AK - private, Syrdarya Region
Samarkand TV - private
Orbita TV - private
Radio Uzbek State Television and Radio Company - state-run, services include youth network Yoshlar
Ekho Doliny FM - private, Fergana Valley, Tashkent and Syrdarya regions
Oriat FM - private
Radio Sezam FM - private, Tashkent, Syrdarya Regions
Uzbegim Taronasi - private, Tashkent
Radio Grand - private, Tashkent's first private FM station
News agencies Uzbekistan National News Agency - state-run
Jahon - run by foreign ministry
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