Uzbekistan, located in Central Asia, is a politically stable country with significant economic relations with Russia, China, Korea, and Turkey. The first president of Uzbekistan, Islom KARIMOV, led the country for 25 years until his death in September 2016. His successor, former Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV, has improved relations with Uzbekistan’s neighboring countries and introduced extensive economic, judicial, and social reforms. MIRZIYOYEV was re-elected in October 2021 with 80% of the votes in favor.

Area: 447,400 sq km, of which 9% is arable land.

Capital: Tashkent

Population: 35,300,000 inhabitants (2022)

Major cities: Tashkent, Samarkand, Namangan

Language: Uzbek, with Russian also widely spoken. Tajik is spoken in Samarkand and Bukhara; Karakalpak is used in the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan.

Currency: The currency unit of Uzbekistan is the Som-coupon (Som), which became the national currency on July 1, 1994.