Uzbekistan lies in the heart of central Asia and has been at the crossroads of empires and civilisations for centuries, its lands and cities conquered by Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and the Soviets, though its golden age came in the 14th century under its native son Tamerlane. Central to the trade routes of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan boasts some of the finest historical cities of the Silk Road era, or indeed anywhere in the world. In particular, Samarkand and Bukhara are beautifully preserved medieval cities and brilliantly evocative of the centuries gone by. Explore in depth highlights of Uzbekistan.
Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
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groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
Time zone: | GMT +5 (Uzbekistan standard time) | Daylight savings: None |
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Main languages: | Uzbek | Other languages: Russian, Tajik |
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Currency: |
Uzbekistani som (UZS) €1 = лB3379, $1 = лB3029, £1 = лB4028 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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Internet Domain: | .uz | International Dialling Code: 998 |
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For help planning your trip to Uzbekistan including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Uzbekistan trip planning page.
Further information on Uzbekistan
Discover more about Uzbekistan - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 447,400 sq km (22,000 sq km under water)
Coastline: 420 km (Aral Sea)
Neighbours (border lengths): Afghanistan (137km), Kazakhstan (2,203km), Kyrgyzstan (1,099km), Tajikistan (1,161km), Turkmenistan (1,621km)
Climate: Continental arid climate with long, hot summers and short, severe winters. Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit.
Highest mountain: Adelunga Toghi (4,301m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Uzbekistan from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
Index | Status | Rank | |
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Freedom in the World | Not Free | - | |
Democracy Index | Authoritarian regime | 154/167 | |
Economic Freedom | Repressed | 160/179 | |
Press Freedom | Very serious situation | 164/179 | |
ILGA LGBT rights | No rights | - | |
Corruption Perceptions | High corruption | 166/174 | |
Overall Ranking: | 188/195 |
Other Data & Links
Full name: Republic of Uzbekistan Status: Independent Country
Population: 28,929,716 (rank: 44/196) Density: 64.6 people/sq km (rank: 117/196)
Ethnic groups: Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
GDP (PPP): $112.6 billion GDP per capita: $3,800 (rank: 141/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.