Central Asia.

GMT + 5.

447,400 sq km (172,740 sq miles).

26.9 million (UN, 2005).

60.1 per sq km.

Tashkent. Population: 2.2 million (UN estimate 2001; including suburbs).

Uzbekistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Turkmenistan to the west, Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast and Tajikistan to the east and has a colourful and varied countryside. The south and east are dominated by the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai mountain ranges and the Kyzyl Kum Desert lies to the northeast. The northwestern autonomous region of Karakalpakstan is bordered by the Aral Sea and the sparsely populated Ustyurt Plateau with its vast cotton fields.

Republic. Declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Head of State: President Islam Karimov since 1991. Head of Government: Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyayev since 2003. Recent history: In 1989 Islam Karimov took over as head of the Uzbek Communist party (now the People’s Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, PDPU). Uzbekistan assumed independence in 1991 upon the break up of the Soviet Union. The PRPU, with Karimov at its head, has held power continuously ever since, occasionally in alliance with allied parties such as the Progress of the Fatherland party. He has been re-elected several times, most recently in 2000, with overwhelming majorities and against nominal opposition. In April 2002, Karimov won a referendum to extend the length of his current term from five to eight years, guaranteeing that he will remain in power until at least 2008. Domestic opposition is divided between secular democratic forces and Islamic parties. Erk (Freedom), Birlik (Democracy), and a third organisation, Adolat (Justice), comprising the secular opposition, have combined in the Democratic Opposition Co-ordinating Council. All three are currently banned, although a more relaxed attitude recently on the part of the Government has allowed them to organise openly. Uzbekistan has played a valuable role in recent American military campaigns in Afghanistan (with whom it shares a border) and Iraq: the American military now have a relatively small but permanent and growing presence in the country. This has been of some concern to the Russians, who have military bases in most of the former Soviet republics but not Uzbekistan. In November 2005, Russia and Uzbekistan signed an agreement paving the way for much closer military cooperation.

The official language is Uzbek, a Turkic tongue closely related to Kazakh and Kyrgyz. There is a small Russian-speaking minority. Many people involved with tourism speak English. The Government has stated its intention to change the Cyrillic script to the Latin.

Predominantly Sunni Muslim, with Shia (15 per cent), Russian Orthodox and Jewish minorities.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin continental plugs are standard.

Lipioshka (bread) should never be laid upside down and should never be put on the ground, even if it is in a bag. It is normal to remove shoes but not socks when entering someone’s house or sitting down in a chai-khana. Shorts are rarely seen in Uzbekistan and, worn by women, are likely to provoke unwelcome attention from the local male population. Avoid ostentatious displays of wealth (eg jewellery) in public places. Homosexuality is illegal. Photography: Photography near airports, military barracks and police stations can upset the authorities.