Uzbekistan is one of the three fastest growing countries in Central Asia. Thanks to a competent economic policy, as well as huge reserves of natural resources, almost all types of industry are developed here. This country will be interesting not only for tourists, but also for young entrepreneurs, because Uzbekistan has favorable prospects for business development. Let's get acquainted with this state, which a quarter of a century ago was part of the USSR.
Interesting facts from history
Uzbekistan is the historical homeland of the great ancient scientists, the country of the Great Silk Road and the very heart of Central Asia. Now it is one of the most developing modern states in the CIS. The first state formations on the territory of modern Uzbekistan appeared in the 7th century BC: these are the famous Sogdiana, Bactria and Khorezm. They laid the foundation for the development of almost all ancient Turkic cultures. The ancient history can be conditionally divided into 5 large periods:
- IV century BC e. - Alexander of Macedon conquered Sogdiana and Bactria and ruled in these states until the Khorezmshahs came to power.
- From the fifth century to the seventh century e. the heyday of ancient Khorezm, the time of the reign of the Afigid dynasty was marked by the development of culture, science and poetry.
- At the end of the 10th century, this state was captured by Turkic nomads, the Ghaznavids, who continued the work of the previous ruler and in every possible way encouraged the development of poetry, mathematical sciences, and music. It was at the Ghaznavid court that such great minds as Al-Beruni, Firdousi, Beihaki, etc. lived and worked.)
- At the end of the XII century, the state of the Karakhanids and Ghaznavids was captured by Genghis Khan and was eventually annexed to the Mongol uluses of Chagatai (the son of Genghis Khan).
- In the XIV century, with the advent of the great Amir Timur, the state on the territory of Uzbekistan expanded significantly due to the conquest of other lands: Persia, Northern India, and the South Caucasus. The ruler is known as Tamerlane, during his reign, the capital of the state was the city of Samarkand.
By the time the Russian Empire began its territorial expansion, there were three khanates in the place of the modern state: Khiva, Kokand and Bukhara emirates. In 1924, Uzbekistan joined the USSR. Only in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, did Uzbekistan gain independence.
Official data
According to the Constitution adopted in 1992, Uzbekistan is a democratic state, the head of which is the President. The country is divided into 12 regions, which are symbolically depicted on the flag in the form of fire stars. The capital of the state is Tashkent. It is he who is considered the most economically developed city.
Islam Karimov has been president of Independent Uzbekistan since 1992. The head of state for 27 years led foreign policy in the most severe way. According to political scientists, the existence of a certain iron curtain cannot be denied. With the advent of President Sh. Mirziyoyev in 2016, foreign policy has reached a new level. Currently, Uzbekistan is cooperating with the largest states: USA, Russia, China and Germany. A huge amount of $ 14 billion worth of products produced in the country is exported annually (data for 2017).
Major Cities
The area of the country is approximately 450 thousand km sq., The largest cities of Uzbekistan, not including the capital, are Samarkand, Ferghana, Namangan and Andijan. They live in 3 million people. The level of urbanization in the country of Uzbekistan is more than 50%. Although the number of rural residents still exceeds the urban population. Tashkent is considered the best for doing business, because it is in it that the largest banks and corporations are located. Almost the entire population of the city speaks both their native language, Uzbek, and Russian.
Ferghana is also an important economic, cultural and scientific center of the country. The city is located in the famous Ferghana Valley, on the one hand it is surrounded by mountains, on the other - plains. In terms of industry, it ranks second after the capital. Of the largest enterprises, one can distinguish FNZ - an oil refinery, FerghanaAzot - the chemical industry and ElectroMash.
Another strategically important city is the city of Andijan. In one of its suburbs, Daewoo, the country's largest automobile plant, is located. This city is also an interesting place for tourists, because there are a lot of monuments of ancient culture.
Travel destinations
For the first time in 27 years, the iron curtain that separated this country from other European countries has collapsed, and now tourism is becoming one of the most important sectors of the economy of Uzbekistan. With the new president coming to power, new rules and laws were developed that govern the stay of tourists in Uzbekistan. An improved registration law allows foreign citizens to forget about all bureaucratic issues and enjoy an oriental tale. If earlier a tourist was forced to collect all certificates within three days and register on the passport office, now all documents are filled out for him by the hotel or hotel where he was staying.
The most visited and largest cities of Uzbekistan are, of course, the capital, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. It is in them that the main historical sights are located: mainly mosques, ancient structures of the madrasah, palaces of the ancient Turkic khans and pavilions of oriental bazaars. The Great Silk Road used to pass here, along which camel caravans loaded with the best Uzbek fabrics, Indian spices and Chinese silk.
in Uzbekistan, almost all major cities have their own airports. The main airline of the country, Uzbekistan AirLines flies to anywhere in the world. For example, from Moscow (Domodedovo) to Tashkent can be reached in 4 hours. And the cost of air tickets depends on the season: in the summer season you can buy an economy class ticket for 15-20 thousand rubles, and in winter the price drops to 10-15 thousand rubles.
The ancient city of Samarkand
Anyone who has ever visited this city will never be able to forget it. Samarkand is like a museum in which instead of tiny exhibits there are huge palaces, Muslim shrines, minarets, madrassas and mosques with beautiful domes. No wonder Samarkand is called the "pearl of the East."
The world-famous Registan Square is located in the very center of the city. Here are the three largest madrassas in which the great oriental scholars and philosophers worked. Samarkand is a city with more than two thousand stories, shrouded in legends and incredible facts. It is definitely worth a visit to it to have an idea of the ancient culture of the Turks.
Population
According to 2017, more than 30 million people live in this state. About 82% are the ethnic population of Uzbekistan - Uzbeks. In second place are Tajiks, who mainly live in cities bordering Tajikistan. And the Russian diaspora has more than 1.5 million people. Other nationalities: Kyrgyz, Jews, Kazakhs, Turkmen, Tatars and Koreans make up less than 5% of the total population. People in this country are really very friendly and welcoming. Moreover, they are hardworking. This is due to their history, because for many centuries the main occupation was farming and cattle breeding. People are used to working a lot, even when it’s not necessary, they breed pets, plant gardens and grow fruits, vegetables and grapes.
Religion and language
The main religion of Uzbekistan is Sunni Islam. This religion is rooted in history when the Tamerlane dynasty ruled in the territory of this country. Despite the vast majority of Muslims in Uzbekistan, there are a lot of Orthodox churches. Among the officially operating religions, the largest are the Russian Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic churches. Smaller organizations of various religious faiths are also registered in the country: Baptists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists.
Almost the entire urban population speaks both Uzbek and Russian. Only in remote villages (villages) do residents know only their native language.
The main wealth
Uzbekistan is a country famous for its white gold - snow-white cotton. Indeed, almost 80% of all fields are sown with cotton, which is exported in huge quantities. However, this country is rich in real gold. Uzbekistan ranks 4th in the world in gold reserves and 7th in its mining.
The extraction of oil, gas and many mineral and precious stones allowed the country to acquire a new look. Uranium is also mined here, but it is sold to Russia and China as unnecessary.
The science
Despite the rich heritage that the country inherited from the USSR, the number of scientific organizations in Uzbekistan is currently declining. This is due to the fact that many capable and educated people leave this country. In addition, for many citizens, admission to higher education institutions is often impossible due to the huge competition not only for budget places, but even for contract ones. It is known that in Uzbekistan, a country that was a thousand years ago ahead of all European states in the development of sciences, a decline in the field of scientific technologies is now taking place. Almost all production mechanisms are imported from other countries.
Sport
In Uzbekistan, all sports are very highly developed. Every year, a huge amount is spent from the budget, which goes to support and encourage domestic sports. Uzbekistan today takes part in the Olympic Games, which often wins prizes.
Boxing is very popular in the country. The best champion athletes who have become famous around the world are Ruslan Chagaev, Abbos Atoev (two-time world boxing champion), Khasan Dusmatov and others.
Prospects for the development of Uzbekistan
Enormous reserves of natural resources, vast areas of cultivated land with fertile soil, a large turnover of goods in the country, as well as industry and agreements with world powers allow us to say with confidence that Uzbekistan is a country that has every chance to enter the list of the strongest states. Recent transformations carried out by President Sh. Mirziyoyev have benefited the country. And his official meeting with Donald Trump ensured the signing of 20 contracts that brought about $ 5 billion to the country's budget.