Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan, 1991 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
Uzbekistan declared independence as the Republic of Uzbekistan in 1991 following the Soviet collapse. The country has a population of more than 39 million, making it the most populous country in Central Asia. It is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, the other being Liechtenstein. Uzbekistan comprises 12 regions (vilayats), Tashkent City, and the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan.
Seat of power: Tashkent
Rulers
Islam Karimov
President of Uzbekistan, 1990–2016
Karimov was the first president of Uzbekistan, from the country's independence in 1991 until his death in 2016. He subsequently won the presidential election on 30 December 1991, with 86% of the vote. Karimov's first presidential term was extended to 2000 by way of a referendum, and he was re-elected in 2000, 2007 and 2015, each time receiving over 90% of the vote.
Portrait of Islam Karimov: The Presidential Press and Information Office, CC BY 4.0, file
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Shavkat Mirziyoyev
President of Uzbekistan, 2016 to today
He has served as the second president of Uzbekistan since 2016. Following the death of President Karimov, Mirziyoyev was appointed by the Oliy Majlis as acting president of Uzbekistan on 8 September 2016. He was subsequently elected to a full five-year term as president in the 2016 election, winning 88.6% of the vote.
Portrait of Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
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Culture
- Itchan Kala in Khiva was the first site in Uzbekistan (and in Central Asia) to be inscribed on the World Heritage List (1991).
- Uzbek, spoken by the Uzbek people who form more than 89% of the population, is the official language of the country.
- Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of cotton. Uzbekistan has become the largest electricity producer in Central Asia.
Picture
Khiva is a district-level city in Khorazm Region, Uzbekistan, and the former capital of the Khanate of Khiva.
Image: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy, CC BY-SA 2.0, file
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Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.