Uzbekistan: GEOGRAPHY

Location: Uzbekistan is located in Central Asia, east of the

Caspian Sea, directly south of Kazakhstan, north of Turkmenistan,

and on the western borders of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Size: The area of Uzbekistan is 447,400 square kilometers, of which

425,400 square kilometers is land surface.

Land Boundaries: Uzbekistan has land boundaries with the following countries: Kazakhstan, 2,203 kilometers; Turkmenistan, 1,621 kilometers; Tajikistan, 1,161 kilometers; Kyrgyzstan, 1,099 kilometers; and Afghanistan, 137 kilometers.

Length of Coastline: None. Uzbekistan is landlocked.

Topography: Uzbekistan’s topography is diverse. Almost 80 percent of the surface is desert, dominated by the Qizilqum (Kyzyl Kum) Desert of the north-central part of the country. The mountains of the far southeast and far northeast, which are foothills of the Tian Shan Range, reach 4,500 meters in elevation. In the northeast, the Fergana Valley, which is the country’s center of population, agriculture, and industry, is 200 to 500 meters above sea level, surrounded by mountain ranges, and intersected by the Syr Darya River. The far west is dominated by the Turan Lowland, the Amu Darya valley, and the southern half of the shrinking Aral Sea.

Principal Rivers: Uzbekistan is not endowed with substantial river systems; the most important rivers are the Amu Darya, the Syr Darya, and the Zarafshon, all of which flow from other countries across a small expanse of Uzbekistan. Other rivers are the Akhangaran and the Chirchik, both in the northeast.

Climate: The climate of landlocked Uzbekistan is continental, with hot summers and cool winters. Summer temperatures reach 40°C, averaging 32°C. Winter temperatures reach –38°C, averaging –23°C. Rainfall averages vary between 100 millimeters per year in the northwest and 800 millimeters per year in the Tashkent region. Precipitation falls mainly in the winter and spring.

Natural Resources: Uzbekistan has deposits of natural gas and oil sufficient to maintain self-sufficiency in the near term. Gold is the most plentiful mineral having export value. Significant amounts of copper, lead, silver, tungsten, uranium, and zinc also are present. Nearly all of Uzbekistan’s arable land requires intensive irrigation. Water, Uzbekistan’s most crucial resource, comes mainly from rivers whose sources are in other countries, requiring bilateral agreements with source countries as well as with other user countries downstream. Uzbekistan’s chronically poor water and irrigation management has resulted in severe environmental crises and regional tensions.

Land Use: Some 10.9 percent of Uzbekistan’s land, most of it in the Fergana Valley, is classified as arable, and 0.8 percent is planted to permanent crops. About 0.4 percent is forested. Most of the rest is desert.

Environmental Factors: The Aral Sea, half of which is in Uzbekistan, has been severely desiccated by overuse of its tributary rivers, a situation recognized as one of the world's worst environmental disasters. Enormous overdrafts on these rivers are caused by the extremely low efficiency of irrigation systems in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Without the moderating influence of the sea, winters became significantly colder and summers hotter. Vozrozhdeniye Island in the Aral Sea, now connected to the shore by shrinkage of the sea, contains the lethal remains of a Soviet anthrax weapons testing laboratory, most of which lies in Uzbekistani territory. Drinking water quality also is a major problem, especially in the western province of Karakalpakstan, where water is not properly distributed and sources are exposed to various types of surface and underground contamination. Inadequate sewage disposal adds to Uzbekistan's water pollution problem: only 40 percent of the population is served by sewerage systems. Some 15,000 hectares of pastureland are lost to salt and dust annually. Soil contamination is highest in agricultural areas that have been subjected to annual overdoses of fertilizers and pesticides. Uncontrolled timber cutting has endangered the few remaining stands of forest.

The main environmental protection agency, the State Committee for Nature Protection, nominally has responsibility for a wide variety of regulatory functions. However, like most of Uzbekistan’s ministries, it is outside the small decision-making circle of President Karimov.

Time Zone: Uzbekistan’s time zone is five hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

RECENT NEWS ARTICLES

EU delegation in Uzbekistan for closed-door talks  -  24 Oct 2006
Reuters AlertNet,TASHKENT, Oct 24 (Reuters) - A European Union delegation was in Uzbekistan on Tuesday on a rare, discreet visit, diplomats said, just weeks after the EU hinted ...

Russian CEC delegation starts visit to Uzbekistan  -  24 Oct 2006
UzReport.com,A delegation of Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia led by its chairman Alexander Veshnyakov started visit to Uzbekistan on 24 October to exchange ...

Amnesty International warns Uzbek ordered to be deported from ...  -  24 Oct 2006
International Herald Tribune,AP. MOSCOW An Uzbek man could be tortured or even sentenced to death if Russia complies with a request to deport him back to Uzbekistan, a London-based human ...

A look at US deaths in Afghan fighting  -  Oct 23, 2006
Jordan Falls News,14, 2006, at least 280 members of the US military have died in Afghanistan , Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the US invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 ...

AN-2 Crash In Uzbekistan Kills 15  -  Oct 20, 2006
Aero-News Network,An Uzbekistan Airways Antonov AN-2 single-engine biplane with 13 Uzbek military personnel and two pilots aboard crashed early Thursday. ...

NEC Completes Telecom & Broadcasting Project in Uzbekistan  -  Oct 22, 2006
IT News Online,...a telecommunications and broadcasting yen-loan-financing project to improve and expand the countrywide telecommunications and broadcasting network in Uzbekistan ...

Iran participates in Uzbekistan Int'l Agricultural Mini Technology ...  -  Oct 21, 2006
Islamic Republic News Agency,The Iranian pavilion is showing biscuit, cake and bread packaging machines in the 20-day fair in Uzbekistan. Yousef Yousefi Khosrowshahi ...

Uzbekistan raises gas prices  -  Oct 17, 2006
RIA Novosti,MOSCOW. (Dr. Igor Tomberg for RIA Novosti) - Following Turkmenistan's example, Uzbekistan will raise the price of exported gas to $100 per 1,000 cubic meters ...

Iran & Uzbekistan discuss areas of cooperation  -  Oct 20, 2006
IranMania News,LONDON, October 20 (IranMania) - Officials from Iran’s Markazi Province and the Republic of Uzbekistan discussed various areas of cooperation, MNA reported. ...

15 dead in Uzbekistan air crash  -  Oct 19, 2006
RTE.ie,An Uzbekistan Airways civilian plane was participating in a military training flight when it crashed while trying to make an emergency landing. ...

15 Killed in Uzbekistan Military Plane Crash  -  Oct 19, 2006
MOSNEWS,A small plane being used for military flight training crashed in the Central Asian state of Uzbekistan on Thursday, killing 15 people on board, Uzbek ...

Uzbekistan Airways Plane Crashes on Military Flight, Killing 15  -  Oct 19, 2006
BloombergOct. 19 (Bloomberg) -- An Uzbekistan Airways An-2 biplane crashed in the Tashkent region late today, killing 13 military personnel and two crew members. ...

Fifteen killed in Uzbekistan transport plane crash  -  Oct 19, 2006
RIA Novosti,TASHKENT, October 19 (RIA Novosti) - An An-2 transport plane carrying servicemen has crashed in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan, killing all 15 people on ...

Uzbekistan plane crash kills 15  -  Oct 19, 2006
BBC News,At least 15 people, most of them soldiers, have been killed when an aircraft crashed in Uzbekistan. The single-engined Antonov An ...

RPT Fifteen people killed in Uzbekistan Airways plane  -  Oct 19, 2006
Forbes,TASHKENT (AFX) - Fifteen people were killed when an Uzbekistan Airways plane crashed while trying to make an emergency landing near the Uzbek capital Tashkent ...

German lawmaker sees no rights progress in Uzbekistan  -  Oct 18, 2006
Muslim Uzbekistan,A member of a German parliamentary delegation that visited Uzbekistan recently says President Islam Karimov's administration has made no real effort to improve ...

Delegation of Vietnam-Uzbekistan Friendship Society visits ...  -  Oct 18, 2006
UzReport.com,A delegation of the Vietnam-Uzbekistan Friendship Society headed by its Chairman Mr. Do Minh Quy, a graduate of the Tashkent Irrigation Research Academy (1969 ...

Uzbekistan: the lowest economic growth and the highest inflation ...  -  Oct 17, 2006
Ferghana.ru,...high," Owen said. "Economic growth in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan is expected to average 8% this year. This is ...

Iran's Markazi Province and Uzbekistan discuss areas of ...  -  Oct 19, 2006
UzReport.com,Officials from Iran's Markazi Province and the Republic of Uzbekistan on Wednesday discussed various areas of cooperation, MehrNews agency reported. ...

Iran’s Markazi Province and Uzbekistan discuss areas of ...  -  Oct 18, 2006
MehrNews.com,TEHRAN, Oct. 18 (MNA) – Officials from Iran’s Markazi Province and the Republic of Uzbekistan here on Wednesday discussed various areas of cooperation. ...

Uzbekistan: 15 dead in an air crash  -  Oct 19, 2006
Avionews,...(WAPA) - "15 people are dead, two crewmembers and 13 militaries": a note of the Emergency Ministry of Uzbekistan has made known it today afternoon. ...

Political purge in Uzbekistan  -  Oct 20, 2006
ISN,...by international human rights organizations, which assert that the Andijan massacre was rooted in the malfeasance and corruption inherent in Uzbekistan’s clan ...

Hyundai May Buy Uzbekistan Assembly Plant  -  Oct 16, 2006
ShortNews.com,Seoul, South Korea - Hyundai Motor Company announced Friday that it has begun negotiations with the Uzbekistan government to acquire an assembly plant formerly ...

15 Killed in Uzbekistan Plane Crash  -  Oct 19, 2006
Sofia News Agency,Bulgaria: A plane of Uzbekistan's national air carrier Uzbek Airlines has crashed killing 15 people, reports say. The plane crashed ...

15 killed in Uzbekistan plane crash  -  Oct 19, 2006
The Daily Star,Fifteen people were killed when an Uzbekistan Airways plane crashed due to poor weather while trying to land near the capital Tashkent yesterday, the emergency ...

Uzbekistan (2). crashed an Antonov AN-2. 15 victims  -  Oct 19, 2006
Avionews,...(WAPA) - An AN-2 transport plane carrying servicemen has crashed in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan, killing all 15 people on board, the republic's ...

UZBEKISTAN PLANE CRASH KILLS 15  -  Oct 20, 2006
AzerTag,...have been killed October 19 at 07.30 when an aircraft AH-2 crashed in Urtacircik aerodrome of Tashkent region, which belonged to the “Uzbekistan Hava Yollari ...

Uzbekistan to hold II cotton fair  -  Oct 16, 2006
Kazinform,TASHKENT. October 17, 2006. KAZINFORM. /Rassul Bakhamov/ On October 17-18 the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, will hold the II international cotton fair. ...

Uzbekistan : II cotton fair kicks off today  -  Oct 17, 2006
Fibre2fashion.com,Cotton export earned $1.03 billion which was 19.1% of total export. It is projected that cotton export of Uzbekistan will go up to 53, 0000 tons by 2010.

Uzbekistan: Aircraft Crash Kills 15  -  Oct 19, 2006
StratforAn An-2 transport aircraft crashed during poor weather conditions in the Uzbek province of Tashkent, the Uzbek Emergencies Ministry said Oct. 19. ...

Uzbekistan : Cotton export may decline due to increase in local ...  -  Oct 19, 2006
Fibre2fashion.com,Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Prime Minister, while opening Second Uzbek cotton fair said that purpose of the fair was to ascertain transparency of cotton export and ...

FAST Update Uzbekistan: Semi-Annual Risk Assessment Apr-Oct 2006  -  Oct 20, 2006
ReliefWeb (press release),Assessments of the level of stability in Uzbekistan depend on the analytical criteria that are used to define the concept, likewise to identify the potential ...

Need Reform In Uzbekistan  -  Oct 17, 2006
Voice of AmericaBut not all Central Asian countries are pursuing policies to expand wealth and broaden opportunity. Uzbekistan is a case in point. ...

Belarus PM, EurAsEC chief to discuss accession of Uzbekistan to ...  -  Oct 20, 2006
UzReport.com,Sidorskiy and Secretary-General of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) Grigoriy Rapota will discuss legal arrangements of accession of Uzbekistan to the ...

Belarus leader approves Uzbekistan's joining to customs union  -  Oct 20, 2006
UzReport.com,President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has issued a decree to approve the draft protocol on joining of Uzbekistan to the Agreement on Customs Union between ...

Plane crashes in Uzbekistan, 15 people killed  -  Oct 19, 2006
Regnum,On October 19, an An-2 plane crashed in Uzbekistan, killing 15 people, a REGNUM correspondent is told at Uzbekistan’s Emergency Ministry. ...

President resolves to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Uzbekistan on 23 ...  -  Oct 19, 2006
UzReport.com,President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a resolution on 18 October to celebrate widely Eid al-Fitr in the country on 23 October and ...

Uzbekistan to expand capacity of terminals  -  Oct 17, 2006
UzReport.com,Uzbekistan plans to expand capacity of cotton terminals from 372,000 tonnes to 400,000 tonnes, Uzbek official said on Tuesday. The ...



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