North and Central Asia Felmar J. Agunos

Central Asia Today Central Asia comprises five

independent republics, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. From its beginning in 1917, the Soviet state never included Kazakhstan in Muslim Central Asia, preferring to give it a non-Asian identity by linking it closely to Russia and Siberia. Today, however, the Kazakhs themselves and the world at large believe they are very much part of the region.

Central Asia was also the birthplace of Sufism, the mystical trend in Islam which spread rapidly to Africa and Asia.

Sufism - belief and practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. It consists of a variety of mystical paths that are designed to ascertain the nature of humanity and of God and to facilitate the experience of the presence of divine love and wisdom in the world.

Outline of the report Name of country Geography Capital Population Form of

government Official language Chief religion

Literacy rate Currency Economy

Armenia The native Armenian name for the country is Hayk’.

The name in the Middle Ages was extended to Hayastan, by addition of the Persian suffix -stan (place). The name has traditionally been derived from Hayk (Հայկ), the legendary patriarch of the Armenians and a great-great-grandson of Noah, who, according to the 5th-century AD author Moses of Chorene, defeated the Babylonian king Bel in 2492 BC and established his nation in the Ararat region. The further origin of the name is uncertain.

Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion, an event traditionally dated to AD 300

Geography Armenia is landlocked in the 

South Caucasus. Located between the Black and Caspian Seas, the country is bordered on the north and east by Georgia andAzerbaijan, and on the south and west by Iran and Turkey

Armenia lies between latitudes 38° and 42° N, and meridians 43° and 47° E

The Republic of Armenia, covering an area of 29,743 square kilometres (11,484 sq mi), is located in the north-east of the Armenian Highland.

The terrain is mostly mountainous, with fast flowing rivers and few forests

The climate is highland continental, which means that the country is subjected to hot summers and cold winters

Winters are quite cold with plenty of snow, with temperatures ranging between −10 and −5 °C (14 and 23 °F)

Capital city Yerevan - population 1,125,032 2012)

Population 3,056,871 as of 2015 Area: 29,743 sq

km

Form of Government Republic

Official Language Armenian

Chief Religion Armenian orthodox Armenia was the first nation to adopt

Christianity as a state religion, an event traditionally dated to AD 300

Literacy rate 99%

Currency Dram

Economy The economy relies heavily on

investment and support from Armenians abroad.

Before independence, Armenia's economy was largely industry-based –chemicals, electronics, machinery, processed food, synthetic rubber, and textile – and highly dependent on outside resources.

Armenian mines produce copper, zinc, gold, and lead. The vast majority of energy is produced with fuel imported from Russia, including gas and nuclear fuel (for its one nuclear power plant); the main domestic energy source is hydroelectric. Small deposits of coal, gas, and petroleum exist but have not yet been developed.

Azerbaijan Over the span of millennia the name

evolved to Āturpātākān then to Ādharbādhagān, Ādharbāyagān, Āzarbāydjān and present-day Azerbaijan (in Armenia, the country is called Adrbejan, yet another archaic form). The word is translatable as "The Treasury" and "The Treasurer" of fire or "The Land of Fire

Geography situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe

and Western Asia It is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the

east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west and Iran to the south.

Azerbaijan is in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, straddling Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It lies between latitudes 38° and 42° N, and longitudes 44° and 51° E.

Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; theGreater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the country's center.

Azerbaijan is home to a vast variety of landscapes. Over half of Azerbaijan's land mass consists of mountain ridges, crests,yailas, and plateaus which rise up to hypsometric levels of 400–1000 meters

the formation of climate in Azerbaijan is influenced particularly by cold arctic air masses of Scandinavian anticyclone, temperate of Siberian anticyclone, and Central Asian anticyclone

The Greater Caucasus protects the country from direct influences of cold air masses coming from the north. That leads to the formation of subtropical climate on most foothills and plains of the country. Meanwhile, plains and foothills are characterized by high solar radiation rates

9 out of 11 existing climate zones are present in Azerbaijan

Rivers and lakes form the principal part of the water systems of Azerbaijan, they were formed over a long geological timeframe and changed significantly throughout that period. This is particularly evidenced by remnants of ancient rivers found throughout the country. The country's water systems are continually changing under the influence of natural forces and human introduced industrial activities.

There are 8,350 rivers of various lengths within Azerbaijan. Only 24 rivers are over 100 kilometers long.

Capital Baku - population 2,122,300

Population 9,780,780 population (2015) Area:

86,530 sq km

Form of government Republic

Official Language Azeri

Chief Religion Around 95% of the population are

Muslims. 85% of the Muslims are Shia Muslims and 15% Sunni Muslims,

and the Republic of Azerbaijan has the second highest Shia population percentage after Iran

Literacy Rate 100 %

Currency Manat

Economy Two-thirds of Azerbaijan is rich in oil and

natural gas. The region of the Lesser Caucasus

 accounts for most of the country's gold, silver, iron, copper, titanium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, complex ore and antimony

Azerbaijan is considered one of the most important spots in the world for oil exploration and development

Azerbaijan has the largest agricultural basin in the region. About 54.9 percent of Azerbaijan is agricultural lands.

In some lands it is profitable to grow grain, potatoes, sugar beets, cotton and tobacco. Livestock, dairy products, and wine and spirits are also important farm products. The Caspian fishing industry is concentrated on the dwindling stocks of sturgeon and beluga. In 2002 the Azerbaijani merchant marine had 54 ships

Georgia The name was etymologized for the

west in honor of Saint George, explicitly so by the end of the 12th century by Jacques de Vitry, due to the Georgians' special reverence for that saint 

the native name of Georgia is Sakartvelo "land of Kartvelians"

Geography is a country in the Caucasus region of 

Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of 

Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan.

The territory of modern-day Georgia was inhabited by Homo erectus since the Paleolithic Era

Georgia is situated in the South Caucasus, between latitudes 41° and 44° N, and longitudes 40° and 47° E, with an area of 67,900 km2 (26,216 sq mi).

very mountainous country. The Likhi Range divides the country into eastern and western halves.

The landscape within the nation's boundaries is quite varied. Western Georgia's landscape ranges from low-land marsh-forests, swamps, and temperate rainforests to eternal snows and glaciers, while the eastern part of the country even contains a small segment of semi-arid plains. Forests cover around 40% of Georgia's territory while the alpine/subalpinezone accounts for roughly around 10 percent of the land.

very mountainous country. The Likhi Range divides the country into eastern and western halves.

The landscape within the nation's boundaries is quite varied. Western Georgia's landscape ranges from low-land marsh-forests, swamps, and temperate rainforests to eternal snows and glaciers, while the eastern part of the country even contains a small segment of semi-arid plains. Forests cover around 40% of Georgia's territory while the alpine/subalpinezone accounts for roughly around 10 percent of the land.

The Lesser Caucasus Mountains partially protect the region from the influence of dry and hot air masses from the south as well.

Eastern Georgia has a transitional climate from humid subtropical to continental. The region's weather patterns are influenced both by dry Caspian air masses from the east and humid Black Sea air masses from the west. The penetration of humid air masses from the Black Sea is often blocked by several mountain ranges 

Capital T'bilisi - population 1,143,295

Population 4,931,226 population Area: 69,700 sq

km

Form of government Republic

Official Language Georgian

Chief Religion A large majority of Georgia's population

(83.9% in 2002)practices Orthodox Christianity. The Georgian Orthodox Church is one of the world's most ancient Christian Churches, and claims apostolic foundation by Saint Andrew

Literacy Rate 98.1%

Currency Georgian Lavi

Economy Archaeological research demonstrates

that Georgia has been involved in commerce with many lands and empires since the ancient times, largely due its location on the Black Sea and later on the historical Silk Road.

Gold, silver, copper and ironhave been mined in the Caucasus Mountains.

 The World Bank dubbed Georgia "the number one economic reformer in the world" because it has in one year improved from rank 112th to 18th in terms of ease of doing business.

Kazakhstan The ethnonym "Kazakh" is derived from

an ancient Turkic word meaning "independent; a free spirit", reflecting the Kazakhs' nomadic horseback culture

The Persian suffix "-stan" means "land" or "place of", so Kazakhstan means "land of the Kazakhs".

Geography world's largest landlocked country by land area and

theninth largest country in the world; its territory of 2,724,900 square kilometres (1,052,100 sq mi) is larger than Western Europe

Kazakhstan has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age: the region's climate and terrain are best suited for nomads practicing pastoralism. Archaeologists believe that humans first domesticated the horse in the region's vast steppes. Central Asia was originally inhabited by Indo-Iranians, the best known of whom were theScythians

area of 2,700,000 square kilometres (1,000,000 sq mi) – equivalent in size to Western Europe – Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country and largest landlocked country in the world. While it was part of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan lost some of its territory to China'sXinjiang

It lies between latitudes 40° and 56° N, and longitudes 46°and 88° E. While located primarily in Asia, a small portion of Kazakhstan is also located west of the Urals in Eastern Europe.[

The climate is continental, with warm summers and colder winters. Precipitation varies between arid and semi-arid conditions.

Kazakhstan is divided into fourteen regions

lmaty and Astana cities have the status of State importance and do not relate to any region. The city of Baikonur has a special status because it is currently being leased to Russia with Baikonur cosmodrome until 2050.

Each region is headed by an akim (regional governor) appointed by the president.

Capital Astana - population 697,172

Population 18,157,122 population (2015) - Area:

2,715,900 sq km

Form of Government Republic Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament

composed of the Majilis (the lower house) and Senate (the upper house).

Official Language Kazakhs, Russian

Chief Religion According to the 2009 Census, 70% of

the population is Muslim, 26% Christian, 0.1% Buddhists, 0.2% others (mostly Jews), and 3% Irreligious, while 0.5% chose not to answer

Literacy Rate 98%

Currency Tenge

Economy Kazakhstan has the largest and

strongest performing economy in Central Asia. Supported by rising oil output and prices, Kazakhstan’s economy grew at an average of 8% per year over the past decade.

 Kazakhstan was the first former Soviet Republic to repay all of its debt to the International Monetary Fund, 7 years ahead of schedule.

ther major exports of Kazakhstan include wheat, textiles, and livestock. Kazakhstan predicted that it would become a leading exporter of uranium by 2010, which has indeed come true.

Agriculture accounts for approximately 5% of Kazakhstan's GDP.[3] Grain, potatoes, vegetables, melons and livestock are the most important agricultural commodities.

Agricultural land occupies more than 846,000 square kilometres (327,000 sq mi). The available agricultural land consists of 205,000 square kilometres (79,000 sq mi) of arable land and 611,000 square kilometres (236,000 sq mi) of pasture and hay land. Over 80% of the country’s total area is classified as agricultural land, including almost 70% occupied by pasture. Its arable land has the second highest availability per inhabitant (1.5 hectares).

Chief livestock products are dairy products, leather, meat, and wool. The country's major crops include wheat, barley,cotton, and rice. Wheat exports, a major source of hard currency, rank among the leading commodities in Kazakhstan's export trade. 

Kazakhstan is thought to be one of the places that the apple originated

Kazakhstan has an abundant supply of accessible mineral and fossil fuel resources. Development of petroleum, natural gas, and mineral extractions, such as potassium, has attracted most of the over $40 billion in foreign investment in Kazakhstan since 1993

Kazakhstan has the second largest uranium, chromium, lead, and zinc reserves, the third largest manganese reserves, the fifth largest copper reserves, and ranks in the top ten for coal, iron, and gold. It is also an exporter of diamonds. Perhaps most significant for economic development, Kazakhstan also currently has the 11th largest proven reserves of both petroleum and natural gas.

In total, there are 160 deposits with over 2.7 billion tons of petroleum. Oil explorations have shown that the deposits on theCaspian shore are only a small part of a much larger deposit. It is said that 3.5 billion tons of oil and 2.5 trillion cubic meters of gas could be found in that area. Overall the estimate of Kazakhstan's oil deposits is 6.1 billion tons.

Kazakhstan also possesses large deposits of phosphorite. One of the largest known being the Karatau basin with 650 million tonnes of P2O5

Kyrgyzstan "Kyrgyz" is believed to have been

derived from the Turkic word for "forty", in reference to the forty clans of Manas, a legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the Uyghurs

Geography Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to

the north, Uzbekistan to the west,Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek.

Kyrgyzstan has historically been at the crossroads of several great civilizations, namely as part of the Silk Road and other commercial and cultural routes.

Kyrgyzstan is divided into seven regions (sing. oblast (область), pl. oblasttar (областтар)) administered by appointed governors.

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

It lies between latitudes 39° and 44° N, and longitudes 69° and 81° E. It is farther from the sea than any other individual country, and all its rivers flow into closed drainage systems which do not reach the sea.

The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country (Kyrgyzstan is occasionally referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia", as a result),[56] with the remainder made up of valleys and basins.

Issyk-Kul Lake in the north-eastern Tian Shan is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. 

Bishkek in the north is the capital and largest city, with approximately 900,000 inhabitants (as of 2005). The second city is the ancient town of Osh, located in the Fergana Valley near the border with Uzbekistan. The principal river is the Kara Darya, which flows west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Across the border in Uzbekistan it meets another major Kyrgyz river, the Naryn.

The climate varies regionally. The south-western Fergana Valley is subtropical and extremely hot in summer, with temperatures reaching 40 °C (104 °F) 

The northern foothills are temperate and the Tian Shan varies from dry continental topolar climate, depending on elevation. In the coldest areas temperatures are sub-zero for around 40 days in winter, and even some desert areas experience constant snowfall in this period.

Kyrgyzstan's terrain is mountainous, which accommodates livestock raising, the largest agricultural activity, so the resulting wool, meat and dairy pro

The country's plentiful water resources and mountainous terrain enable it to produce and export large quantities of hydroelectric energyducts are major commodities

Capital Bishkek - population 762,308

Population 5,664,939 population (2015) - Area:

199,900 sq km

Form of Government Since independence, Kyrgyzstan has officially been a 

unitary parliamentary republic 19 August 1991, when the State Emergency Committee

 assumed power in Moscow, there was an attempt to depose Akayev in Kyrgyzstan. After the coup collapsed the following week, Akayev and Vice President German Kuznetsov announced their resignations from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and the entire bureau and secretariat resigned. This was followed by the Supreme Soviet vote declaring independence from the Soviet Union on 31 August 1991 as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.

Official Language Kyrgyzstan is one of two former Soviet

republics in Central Asia to retain Russian as an official language, Kazakhstan being the other. It added the Kyrgyz languageto become an officially bilingual country in September 1991

Chief Religion Islam is the dominant religion of

Kyrgyzstan: 80% of the population is Muslim while 17% follow Russian Orthodoxy and 3% other religions.

In addition to celebrating the New Year each 1 January, the Kyrgyz observe the traditional New Year festival Nowruz on the vernal equinox. This spring holiday is celebrated with feasts and festivities such as the horse game Ulak Tartish

Illegal, but still practiced, is the tradition of bride kidnapping.

It is debatable whether bride kidnapping is actually traditional. Some of the confusion may stem from the fact that arranged marriages were traditional, and one of the ways to escape an arranged marriage was to arrange a consensual "kidnapping."

Literacy Rate 97%

Currency Som

Economy Main crops includewheat, sugar beets, 

potatoes, cotton, tobacco, vegetables, and fruit. 

As the prices of imported agrichemicals and petroleum are so high, much farming is being done by hand and by horse, as it was generations ago. Agricultural processing is a key component of the industrial economy as well as one of the most attractive sectors for foreign investment.

Kyrgyzstan is rich in mineral resources but has negligible petroleum and natural gas reserves; it imports petroleum and gas. Among its mineral reserves are substantial deposits of coal, gold, uranium, antimony, and other valuable metals. Metallurgyis an important industry, and the government hopes to attract foreign investment in this field.

Kyrgyzstan has significant deposits of metals including gold and rare earth metals. Due to the country's predominantly mountainous terrain, less than 8% of the land is cultivated, and this is concentrated in the northern lowlands and the fringes of the Fergana Valley.

Tajikistan Tajikistan means the "Land of the

Tajiks". The suffix "-stan" (Persian stān) is Persian for "place of"[9] or- ـستان :"country"[10] and Tajik is, most likely, the name of a pre-Islamic (before the seventh century A.D.) tribe.

Geography is a mountainous landlocked sovereign

country in Central Asia.   It is bordered by Afghanistan to the

south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east. Pakistan lies to the south separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor.

 the smallest nation in Central Asia by area. It lies mostly between latitudes 36° and 41° N (a small area is north of 41°), and longitudes 67° and 75° E (a small area is east of 75°). 

Tajikistan's mountains provide many opportunities for outdoor sports, such as hill climbing, mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and mountain climbing.

Capital Dushanbe - population 679,400

Population 8,191,958 population (2015) - Country

Area: 143,100 sq km

Form of Government Tajikistan is officially a republic, and

holds elections for the Presidency and Parliament

Official Language Tajik, Russian

Chief Religion Sunni Muslim

Literacy rate 100%

Currency Ruble

Economy Tajikistan was the poorest republic of

the Soviet Union and is the poorest country in Central Asia

the primary sources of income in Tajikistan are aluminium production, cotton growing and remittances from migrant workers

Cotton accounts for 60% of agricultural output, supporting 75% of the rural population, and using 45% of irrigated arable land.

the aluminium industry is represented by the state-owned Tajik Aluminum Company - the biggest aluminium plant in Central Asia and one of the biggest in the world.

Drug trafficking is the major illegal source of income in Tajikistan

as it is an important transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; some opium poppy is also raised locally for the domestic market

Tajikistan holds third place in the world for heroin and raw opium confiscations (1216.3 kg of heroin and 267.8 kg of raw opium in the first half of 2006)

Turkmenistan After 69 years as part of the 

Soviet Union (including 67 years as a union republic), Turkmenistan declared its independence on 27 October 1991.

Geography After 69 years as part of the 

Soviet Union (including 67 years as a union republic), Turkmenistan declared its independence on 27 October 1991.

Most of the country is covered by the Karakum (Black Sand) Desert. Since 1993, citizens have received government-provided electricity, water and natural gas free of charge.

The Karakum Desert is one of the driest deserts in the world; some places have an average annual precipitation of only 12 mm 

 The highest temperature recorded in Ashgabat is 48.0 °C (118.4 °F) and Kerki, an extreme inland city located on the banks of the Amu Darya river, recorded 51.7 °C (125.1 °F) in July 1983, although this value is unofficial. 50.1 °C (122 °F) is the highest temperature recorded at Repetek Reserve, recognized as the highest temperature ever recorded in the whole former Soviet Union.

At 488,100 km2 (188,500 sq mi), Turkmenistan is the world's 52nd-largest country. It is slightly smaller thanSpain and somewhat larger than the US state of California. It lies between latitudes 35° and 43° N, and longitudes 52° and 67° E.

Over 80% of the country is covered by the Karakum Desert. The center of the country is dominated by theTuran Depression and the Karakum Desert

The climate is mostly arid subtropical desert, with little rainfall. Winters are mild and dry, with most precipitation falling between January and May. The area of the country with the heaviest precipitation is the Kopet Dag Range.

DOOR TO HELL

Capital Ashgabat - population 909,000

Population 5,231,422 population (2015) - Country

Area: 488,100 sq km

Form of Government Republic

Official Language Turkmen

Chief Religion  Muslims constitute 89% of the

population while 9% of the population are followers of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the remaining 2% religion is reported as non-religious

Literacy rate 100%

Currency Manat

Economy The country possesses the world's

fourth-largest reserves of natural gas and substantial oil resources.

As of May 2011, the Galkynysh gas field has the second-largest volume of gas in the world, after the South Pars field in the Persian Gulf. Reserves at theGalkynysh gas field are estimated at around 21 trillion cubic metres.

China is set to become the largest buyer of gas from Turkmenistan over the coming years as a pipeline linking the two countries, through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, reaches full capacity

Half of the country's irrigated land is planted with cotton, making the country the world's ninth-largest cotton producer.

During the 2011 season, Turkmenistan produced around 1.1 million tons of raw cotton, mainly from Mary, Balkan, Akhal, Lebap and Dashoguz provinces

In 2012, around 7,000 tractors, 5,000 cotton cultivators, 2,200 sowing machines and other machinery, mainly procured from Belarus and the US, are being used. The country traditionally exports raw cotton to Russia, Iran, South Korea, Britain, China, Indonesia, Turkey, Ukraine, Singapore and the Baltic nations.

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan is located in the very heart of

Central Asia: once crossed by caravan routes, including the famous Great Silk Road.

By a twist of fate, Uzbekistan, isolated by mountains and deserts from seas and oceans, was located at the very crossroads of world civilizations, world religions, cultural traditions and culinary preferences. Absorbing the best, enriching the spiritual world, every citizen of the country easily speaks two, three or more languages

Geography is a doubly landlocked country in 

Central Asia. It is a unitary, constitutional, presidential republic, comprising 12 provinces, 1 autonomous republic, and 1 capital city

Uzbekistan is bordered by five countries: Kazakhstan and the Aral Sea to the north; Tajikistan to the southeast; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast;Afghanistan to the south; and Turkmenistan to the southwest.

Uzbekistan has an area of 447,400 square kilometres (172,700 sq mi). It is the 56th largest country in the world by area and the 42nd by population.

Uzbekistan lies between latitudes 37° and 46° N, and longitudes 56°and 74° E. It stretches 1,425 kilometres (885 mi) from west to east and 930 kilometres (580 mi) from north to south.

Uzbekistan is one of the largest Central Asian states and the only Central Asian state to border all the other four. Uzbekistan also shares a short border (less than 150 km or 93 mi) with Afghanistan to the south.

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country. It is one of two doubly landlocked countries in the world (that is, a country completely surrounded by landlocked countries), the other being Liechtenstein

The climate in the Republic of Uzbekistan is continental, with little precipitation expected annually 

The average summer high temperature tends to be 40 °C

while the average winter low temperature is around −23 °C (−9 °F)

The Aral Sea used to be the fourth-largest inland sea on Earth, acting as an influencing factor in the air moisture and arid land use.

Due to the Aral Sea problem, high salinity and contamination of the soil with heavy elements are especially widespread in Karakalpakstan, the region of Uzbekistan adjacent to the Aral Sea. The bulk of the nation's water resources is used for farming, which accounts for nearly 84% of the water usage and contributes to high soil salinity. Heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers for cotton growing further aggravates soil pollution.

Uzbekistan is divided into twelve provinces

Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most populous country. Its 31,025,500

According to local traditions Jews began to settle in the area 2,000 years ago after the exile from the kingdom of Israel by the Babylonians. Other traditions focus on Jewish merchants settling in the area of the silk road and Jews that came to the area after Persian persecutions some 1,500 years ago.

Capital Tashkent - population 2,200,000 (2011)

Population 29,199,942 population (2015) - Area:

447,400 sq km

Form of Government Republic With close to 65,000 servicemen,

Uzbekistan possesses the largest armed forces in Central Asia

Official Language Uzbek, Russian

Chief religion Islam is by far the dominant religion in

Uzbekistan, as Muslims constitute 90% of the population while 5% of the population follow Russian Orthodox Christianity, and 5% of the population follow other religions

Literacy rate 97%

Currency Som

Economy Uzbekistan's economy relies mainly on

commodity production, including cotton, gold, uranium, and natural gas. Despite the declared objective of transition to a market economy, its government continues to maintain economic controls which imports in favour of domestic "import substitution".

Uzbekistan has the fourth largest gold deposits in the world. The country mines 80 tons of gold annually, seventh in the world. 

Uzbekistan's copper deposits rank tenth in the world and its uranium deposits twelfth.

The country's uranium production ranks seventh globally.

The Uzbek national gas company, Uzbekneftegas, ranks 11th in the world in natural gas production with an annual output of 60 to 70 billion cubic metres.

The country has significant untapped reserves of oil and gas: there are 194 deposits of hydrocarbons in Uzbekistan, including 98 condensate and natural gas deposits and 96 gas condensate deposits.

Cultivable land is 4.4 million hectares, or about 10% of Uzbekistan's total area.

At cotton-harvest time, all students and teachers are still mobilized as unpaid labour to help in the fields.

Uzbek cotton is even used to make banknotes in South Korea

The use of child labour in Uzbekistan has led several companies, including Tesco,[C&A, Marks & Spencer, Gap, and H&M, to boycott Uzbek cotton

END