Uzbekistan

Country	Uzbekistan
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Capital	name: Tashkent (Toshkent) geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 69 18 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Population	27,606,007 (July 2009 est.)
GMT	+5
Location	Central Asia, north of Afghanistan
Area	total: 447,400 sq km land: 425,400 sq km water: 22,000 sq km
Ethnic groups	Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
Religions	Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
Languages	Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Government type	republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch
National holiday	Independence Day, 1 September (1991)
Constitution	adopted 8 December 1992
Legal system	based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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.
Internet country code	.uz