View source for Uzbekistan

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{{Infobox ccountry
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Uzbekistan
|native_name = ''Oʻzbekiston Respublikasi''
|image_flag = File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg
|alt_flag =          
|image_flag2 =  
|alt_flag2 =         
|image_coat = File:Coat of arms of Uzbekistan.svg    
|alt_coat = 
|symbol_type = Emblem    
|national_motto =  
|national_anthem = "{{W|Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia}}"
|royal_anthem = 
|other_symbol_type =  
|other_symbol =
|image_map = 
|alt_map =            
|map_caption = 
|image_map2 =
|alt_map2 = 
|capital = {{W|Tashkent}}
|largest_city = capital
|official_languages = {{W|Uzbek language|Uzbek}}, {{W|Russian language|Russian}}
|membership = 
|membership_type = 
|demonym = Uzbek
|regional_languages =
|ethnic_groups = 
|ethnic_groups_year = 
|government_type = {{W|Unitary state|Unitary}} {{W|Parliamentary republic|parliamentary}} {{W|republic}}
|leader_title1 = [[President of Uzbekistan|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Jurabek Khamuratov]]
|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Uzbekistan|Prime Minister]]
|leader_name2 = [[Muradjan Sabirov]]
|legislature = {{nowrap|[[Supreme Assembly of Uzbekistan|Supreme Assembly]]}}
|upper_house = 
|lower_house = 
|sovereignty_type = History
|sovereignty_note = 
|established_event1 = {{W|Emirate of Bukhara}}
|established_date1 = 1785
|established_event2 = Bukharan People's Republic
|established_date2 = 1923-1924
|established_event3 = Uzbek Republic within Russia
|established_date3 = 1929
|established_event4 = Independence
|established_date4 = 1959 
|established_event5 = [[Uzbekistani Civil War]]
|established_date5 = 1999–2004
|established_event6 = Current constitution
|established_date6 = 23 December 2017
|established_event7 = 
|established_date7 = 
|area =              
|area_km2 = 171781
|area_sq_mi =  
|area_footnote =     
|population_estimate = 30,588,900
|population_estimate_rank = 
|population_estimate_year = 2020
|population_density_km2 = 
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|population_density_rank = 
|GDP_PPP = $297.806 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank =
|GDP_PPP_year = 2018
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $19,178
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 
|GDP_nominal = $72.490 billion
|GDP_nominal_rank =
|GDP_nominal_year = 2018
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $4,686
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 
|Gini = 
|Gini_ref = 
|Gini_rank =
|Gini_year = 
|HDI = 
|HDI_ref = 
|HDI_rank =
|HDI_year = 
|currency = {{W|Uzbek som|Som}}
|currency_code = UZS
|time_zone = Uzbekistan Time
|utc_offset = +5
|time_zone_DST = 
|utc_offset_DST = 
|DST_note = 
|date_format =  
|drives_on = Right
|cctld =  
|iso3166code =  
|official_website = 
|footnote_h =         
|footnotes =          
}}
'''Uzbekistan''' ({{W|Uzbek language|Uzbek}}: ''O'zbekiston''), officially the '''Republic of Uzbekistan''', is a landlocked country located in {{W|Central Asia}}, sharing borders with [[Iran]] to the south and west, [[Kazakhstan]] in the north, and [[Tajikistan]] and the east. It has a population of 30.58 million, of which the majority are ethnic {{W|Uzbeks}}, but with minorities of {{W|Tajiks}}, {{W|Kazakhs}}, {{W|Russians}}, and others. Nearly 90% of the population are {{W|Muslims}}, with a significant {{W|Christian}} minority and less than one percent being {{W|Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian}} or other religions. The western part of the country is a dry desert, with the {{W|Kyzyl Kum|Kyzylkum Desert}} forming much of the northern border with Kazakhstan, while the eastern part is mountainous, and the far eastern corner contains the {{W|Fergana Valley}}, which is also divided with Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. The capital and largest city is {{W|Tashkent}}.

What is now Uzbekistan was in ancient times part of the [[Iran]]ian-speaking region of {{W|Transoxiana}} and {{W|Turan}}. The first recorded settlers were Eastern Iranian nomads, known as {{W|Scythians}}, who founded kingdoms in {{W|Khwarazm}}, {{W|Bactria}}, {{W|Sogdia}}, {{W|Fergana Valley|Fergana}}, and {{W|Margiana}} between the 8th century BC and the 6th century AD. The area was incorporated into the Iranian {{W|Achaemenid Empire}} and, after a period of {{W|Greco-Bactrian Kingdom|Macedonian rule}}, was ruled by the Iranian {{W|Parthian Empire}} and later by the {{W|Sasanian Empire}}, until the {{W|Muslim conquest of Persia}} in the seventh century. The {{W|Early Muslim conquests}} converted most of the people, including the local ruling classes, into adherents of Islam. During this period, cities such as {{W|Samarkand}}, {{W|Khiva}}, and {{W|Bukhara}} began to grow rich from the {{W|Silk Road}}, and witnessed the emergence of leading figures of the {{W|Islamic Golden Age}}, including {{W|Muhammad al-Bukhari}}, {{W|Al-Tirmidhi}}, {{W|Ismail Samani}}, {{W|al-Biruni}}, and {{W|Avicenna}}. The local {{W|Khwarazmian dynasty}}, and Central Asia as a whole were decimated by the {{W|Mongol invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire|Mongol invasion}} in the 13th century, after which the region became dominated by Turkic peoples. The city of {{W|Shahrisabz}} was the birthplace of the Turco-Mongol conqueror {{W|Timur}} (Tamerlane), who in the 14th century established the {{W|Timurid Empire}} and was proclaimed the Supreme Emir of Turan with his capital in Samarkand, which became a centre of science under the rule of {{W|Ulugh Beg}}, giving birth to the {{W|Timurid Renaissance}}. The territories of the Timurid dynasty were conquered by Uzbek {{W|Shaybanids}} in the 16th century, moving the centre of power to Bukhara. 

By the 19th century the region was ruled by several Muslim khanates and they were gradually incorporated into the {{W|Russian Empire}}, with Tashkent being the administrative center of {{W|Russian Turkestan}}. The [[Russian Revolution]] and the following [[Russian Civil War|Civil War]] starting in 1923 led to the proclamation of the Bukharan People's Republic as an independent country, including most of Uzbekistan's modern territory, but it was defeated by the Russian Army and re-incorporated into the Russian State. Following Russia's defeat in the [[Great War II|Second Great War]], it was granted independence by the [[Allied powers]] in 1959 as the Republic of Uzbekistan.

A series of military dictators led the country from the 1960s through the early 1990s. The [[1992 Uzbekistani parliamentary election]] saw a victory for a coalition of parties opposing the dictatorship, leading to a period of democratic government. But the political and social unrest caused by the [[Sino-Tajik War]] in the 1980s spilled over into Uzbekistan, drawing the nation into the power struggle in neighboring Tajikistan. Uzbekistan had provided support to anti-[[Landonism|Landonist]] mujahedin groups in Tajikistan during the war, and in the 1990s many of these forces left the country across the border into Uzbekistan during the [[Tajikistani Civil War]]. In 1999 the Uzbek government launched a major operation against the {{W|Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan}} in the eastern part of the country, whose forces had been veterans of the Tajik wars, and in 2000 the military removed the elected civilian government in a [[2000 Uzbekistani military coup|coup d'etat]] under the guise of restoring order against the Islamic radicals. In 2017, the [[Supreme Defense Council|military junta]] gave up power to a [[2017 Uzbekistani parliamentary election|newly elected]] civilian government, which has been implementing reforms over the past several years. 

Uzbekistan has a diverse cultural heritage due to its layers of history and strategic location. Its official language is {{W|Uzbek language|Uzbek}}, a Turkic language written in a {{W|Uzbek alphabet|modified Latin alphabet}} and spoken natively by approximately 85% of the population. {{W|Russian language|Russian}} has widespread use as an inter-ethnic tongue and in governance, though its role has diminished in recent decades. Uzbeks are the biggest ethnic group at around 80% of the population, though Tajiks, Kazakhs, and Russians are significant minorities. 

Uzbekistan's strategic location and its large reserves of {{W|oil}} and {{W|natural gas}} have made it a contender for the leading regional power in Central Asia, but it still has a smaller economy than [[Kazakhstan]] and a much lower per capita GDP. It is part of the [[League of Nations]], {{W|World Trade Organization|WTO}}, {{W|IMF}}, and the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organization]].

==Etymology==
The name "Uzbegistán" appears in the 16th century {{W|Tarikh-i Rashidi}}.

The origin of the word Uzbek remains disputed. Three views exist as to the adjective accompanying -stan (in the family of Indo-Iranian languages: "place of"):

*"free", "independent" or "own master/leader" requiring an amalgamation of uz ({{W|Turkic language|Turkic}}: "own"), bek ("master" or "leader")
*eponymously named after {{W|Oghuz Khagan}}, also known as ''Oghuz Beg''
*A contraction of Uğuz, earlier Oğuz, that is, {{W|Oghuz (tribe)}}, amalgamated with bek "oguz-leader".

All three have the middle syllable/phoneme being cognate with Turkic title Beg.

The name of the country was often spelled as "Ўзбекистон" in {{W|Uzbek Cyrillic}} or "Узбекистан" in Russian.

==History==

==Geography==
Uzbekistan is the smallest country in {{W|Central Asia}}, being just slightly behind [[Tajikistan]] in land area, at 171,781 square kilometers. Uzbekistan borders Tajikistan to the east, [[Kazakhstan]] to the west and north, and [[Iran]] to the south. It is a hot, dry, landlocked country.

The climate in Uzbekistan is continental, with little precipitation expected annually (100–200 millimetres, or 3.9–7.9 inches). The average summer high temperature tends to be 40 °C (104 °F), while the average winter low temperature is around −23 °C (−9 °F).

===Regions===
Uzbekistan is divided into 9 regions (''viloyatlar'', singular – ''{{W|viloyat}}'') and 1 independent city (''shahri''). 

==Politics==

==Economy==

==Demographics==

==Culture==

==Notes==
==See also==
{{Countries of Asia}}
{{Altverse II}}
{{En-WP attribution notice}}
[[Category:Central Asian countries]]
[[Category:Russian-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:Member states of the League of Nations]]
[[Category:Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization]]
[[Category:Uzbekistan|*]]
[[Category:Countries in Asia]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1959]]
[[Category:Persian-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:Republics]]
[[Category:Turkic states]]