Uzbekistan facts for kids

Republic of Uzbekistan
Republic of Uzbekistan ; O‘zbekiston Respublikasi; Ўзбекистон Республикаси
	Flag Emblem
	Anthem: ; O‘zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi;
Capital; and largest city	Tashkent
Official languages	Uzbek
Recognised regional languages	Karakalpak
Ethnic groups (1996)	80.0% Uzbek; 5.5% Russian; 5% Tajik; 3.0% Kazakh; 2.5% Karakalpak; 1.5% Tatar; 2.5% others;
Demonym(s)	Uzbek
Government	Unitary presidential state
• Interim President	Shavkat Mirziyoyev
• Prime Minister	Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Legislature	Supreme Assembly
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Legislative Chamber
Independence from the Soviet Union
• Formation	1747b
• Uzbek SSR	October 27, 1924
• Declared	September 1, 1991
• Recognized	December 8, 1991
• Completed	December 25, 1991
Area
• Total	447,400 km2 (172,700 sq mi) (56th)
• Water (%)	4.9
Population
• 2012 estimate	29,559,100 (45th)
• Density	61.4/km2 (159.0/sq mi) (136th)
GDP (PPP)	2012 estimate
• Total	$103.212 billion.
• Per capita	$3,536.
GDP (nominal)	2012 estimate
• Total	$51.979 billion
• Per capita	$1,780
Gini (2000)	▼ 26.8; low · 95th
HDI (2010)	0.617; medium · 102nd
Currency	Uzbekistan som (O'zbekiston so'mi) (UZS)
Time zone	UTC+5 (UZT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+5 (not observed)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+998
ISO 3166 code	UZ
Internet TLD	.uz
	Official Uzbek statistics.; As the Emirate of Bukhara, Kokand Khanate and Khwarezm.;

Uzbekistan is a country in Central Asia. Its capital and largest city is Tashkent.

There are about 26,593,000 people living in Uzbekistan. The neighboring countries are Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. It is a doubly landlocked country, of which there are only two in the world.

Most people in Uzbekistan speak a language called Uzbek, a Turkic language similar to Uyghur and Turkish. In the Uzbek language, Uzbekistan is called "O‘zbekiston" and it means "the land of the true nobles".

Uzbekistan has a long history. Humans first lived in Uzbekistan from before the 2nd millenium BC.

The interim president today is Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Human rights in Uzbekistan are 'atrocious' according to Human Rights Watch.

Provinces

Uzbekistan is divided into twelve provinces, one autonomous republic, and one independent city. The provinces are divided into districts.

Political Map of Uzbekistan

Division	Capital City	Area (km²)	Population (2008)	Key
Buxoro Viloyati	Buxoro (Bukhara)	39,400	1,576,800	3
Jizzax Viloyati	Jizzax	20,500	1,090,900	5
Navoiy Viloyati	Navoiy	110,800	834,100	7
Qashqadaryo Viloyati	Qarshi	28,400	2,537,600	8
Samarqand Viloyati	Samarqand	16,400	3,032,000	9
Sirdaryo Viloyati	Guliston	5,100	698,100	10
Surxondaryo Viloyati	Termiz	20,800	2,012,600	11
Toshkent Viloyati	Toshkent (Tashkent)	15,300	2,537,500	12
Toshkent Shahri	Toshkent (Tashkent)	???	2,192,700	1
Fergana Valley Region
Farg'ona Viloyati	Farg'ona (Fergana)	6,800	2,997,400	4
Andijon Viloyati	Andijon	4,200	2,477,900	2
Namangan Viloyati	Namangan	7,900	2,196,200	6
Karakalpakstan Region
Xorazm Viloyati	Urganch	6,300	1,517,600	13
Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi	Nukus	160,000	1,612,300	14

Images for kids

Comparison of the Aral Sea between 1989 and 2014.
Female statuette wearing the kaunakes. Chlorite and limestone, Bactria, beginning of the 2nd millennium BC.
Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issus.
Triumphant crowd at Registan, Sher-Dor Madrasah. Picture by Vasily Vereshchagin (1872)
Russian troops taking Samarkand in 1868.
Two Sart men and two Sart boys in Samarkand, c. 1910
Statue of Tamerlane, Turkic conqueror, with on the background the ruins of his summer palace in Shahrisabz
The Legislative Chamber of the Supreme Assembly (Lower House).
Islam Karimov, the first President of Uzbekistan, during a visit to the Pentagon in 2002.
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Newlywed couples visit Tamerlane's statues to receive wedding blessings.
Uzbek children
Shakh-i Zindeh mosque, Samarkand.
Mosque of Bukhara.
Bukharan Jews, c. 1899
A page in Uzbek language written in Nastaʿlīq script printed in Tashkent 1911
Central Station of Tashkent
Afrosiyob high-speed train built by Spanish company Talgo
Uzbek troops during a cooperative operation exercise.
Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington, D.C..
Leaders present at the SCO summit in Ufa, Russia in 2015
Traditional Uzbek pottery.
Embroidery from Uzbekistan
Navoi Opera Theater in Tashkent
Sevara Nazarkhan
Dance of a Bacha in Samarkand between 1905 and 1915
Westminster International University main building in Summer
Silk and Spice Festival in Bukhara
Palov
Uzbek manti
Djamolidine Abdoujaparov is the most famous cyclist in Uzbekistan, winning three Tour de France point contests.
Ruslan Chagaev
Denis Istomin at the 2009 US Open
Odil Ahmedov
Ravshan Irmatov