BBC Country Profile (2002)
UZBEKISTAN
President Karimov's Voice
Голос Президента КаримоваUzbekistan's Anthem
Гимн Узбекистана
In 1991 Uzbekistan emerged as a sovereign country after more than a century of Russian rule - first as part of the Russian empire and then as a component of the Soviet Union. Positioned on the ancient Great Silk Road between Europe and Asia, cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand once flourished as trade and cultural centres. In recent years the country has been trying to re-establish its national identity and build independent statehood.
The most populated Central Asian country and with the largest armed forces in the region, Uzbekistan is believed to be seeking regional leadership. It is seen as the most authoritarian country in the region, with no real opposition inside the country, a restrained media and a tightly controlled economy.
Since the emergence of radical Islamist groups reportedly based in Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Uzbekistan has been facing security problems. The groups are said to be aiming to overthrow the secular government and set up an Islamic state. This has made the Uzbek leadership the most zealous advocate of tougher security measures in the region.
President Islam Karimov's uncompromising policies have created friction between Uzbekistan and the other Central Asian countries. Uzbekistan opposes any moves towards closer political integration on post-Soviet territory and has pulled out of the Commonwealth of Independent States' collective security treaty.
Post-Soviet Uzbekistan has seen the gradual exodus of Bukharan Jews to the US and Israel. The community's history in Central Asia goes back over 2,500 years. They speak Bukharan, which resembles Hebrew and has words borrowed from Uzbek and Persian. They share a common cultural heritage with the peoples of Central Asia.
UZBEKISTAN FACTS Population: 25 million Capital: Tashkent Major language: Uzbek, Russian, Tajik Major religion: Islam Life expectancy: 66 years (men), 72 years (women) Monetary unit: 1 Uzbek som = 100 tiyins Main exports: Cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, motor vehicles Average annual income: US $610 Internet domain: .uz International dialling code: +988
President: Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov
Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov has run Uzbekistan almost single-handed since 1989, when it was still part of the Soviet Union.
In 1995 he succeeded in a referendum to extend his term to 2000, when he won the presidential elections unopposed.
In 2002 he again managed to secure support in a referendum for an extension of the presidential term - from five to seven years. This measure comes into effect after the 2005 presidential vote.
He has tried to expand the country's regional standing while retaining tight domestic political control and repressing an active political and religious opposition.
Karimov was born in 1938 in the central Uzbek town of Samarkand and is an economist by profession. He held various senior post in Soviet Uzbekistan, including finance minister and first secretary of the Uzbek Communist Party Central Committee.
Prime minister: Otkir Sultonov Foreign minister: Abdulaziz Komilov Interior minister: Zohirjon Almatov Defence minister: Qodir Ghulomov Finance minister: Mamarizo Normurodov
In theory, censorship is banned and press freedom is guaranteed by the constitution. In practice, however, the government holds a tight grip on the media and journalists are frequently intimidated and arrested.
A September 2001 report on Uzbekistan by the Human Rights Watch organisation notes that "the state exercises tight control of the media, including through pre-publication censorship. There are no independent news outlets. Journalists critical of the government are routinely threatened by state authorities and have been driven out of the country under threat of arrest."
In addition to strict censorship, journalism in Uzbekistan suffers from dilettantism, incompetence or ethical violations, according to the Swiss media NGO Cimera.
International media NGOs say that US criticism of the media situation in Uzbekistan has been toned down as Washington seeks to deepen its coalition ties with the country to fight terrorism.
There are over 400 newspapers in Uzbekistan, about 20 read nation-wide. They are mainly owned by the government, state companies, political parties and some state organisations. The government subsidises a very limited number of newspapers. Others support themselves with advertising. The independent Uzbek-language Hurriyat is often critical of certain organisations, firms and individuals who misuse their authority.
There are about 35 independent TV stations along with the state TV and radio company, Uzteleradio, which broadcasts in Uzbek, Russian and also Kazakh, Kirghiz, Tadjik, Uyghur, Turkish, Korean and German on four channels.
Some independent TV channels in Samarkand and Andijan produce their own news and entertainment programmes, soap operas, talk shows, and own FM radio stations.
There are both state and private radio stations. Uztelradio operates five nation-wide radio programmes and an international service broadcasting on shortwave in 12 languages.
The press
Khalq Sozi - government-controlled daily Narodnoye Slovo - government-controlled, Russian-language daily Pravda Vostoka - government-controlled, Russian-language daily; some news in English Hurriyat - published two to three time a week Toshkent Haqiqati - Tashkent regional newspaper, published twice a week, Ishonch - trade union newspaper Television
Uzbek State Television and Radio Company - state-controlled Yoshlar Youth Radio and TV channel - state-controlled MTRK - independent, covers Andijan Bagdad-TV - independent TV covering Fergana Region Muloqot - independent, covers Fergana Region, Bekabad TV - independent, covering Tashkent Region Aloqa-AK - independent, covers Syrdarya Region Samarkand - independent Radio
Uzbek State Television and Radio Company - state-controlled Yoshlar Youth Radio and TV channel - state-controlled, broadcasts to the whole country Ekho Doliny FM - private, broadcasts to the Fergana Valley, Tashkent, and Tashkent and Syrdarya regions Radio Sezam FM - private, broadcasts to Tashkent and Tashkent and Syrdarya Regions Uzbegim Taronasi - private, broadcasts to broadcasts to Tashkent and Tashkent region Radio Grande FM - private, broadcasts to Tashkent and Tashkent region Radio Terra FM - private, broadcasts to Tashkent Oriat Dono FM - private, broadcasts to broadcasts to Tashkent and Tashkent region Radio Oriat FM - private, broadcasts to Tashkent and Tashkent region News agencies
Uzbekistan National News Agency - government controlled; English page Jahon news agency - run by the Foreign Ministry; English page Turkiston-press news agency - describes itself as independent
A chronology of Uzbekistan-related key events 1st century BC - Central Asia, including present-day Uzbekistan, an important part of the overland trade routes known as the Great Silk Road linking China with the Middle East and imperial Rome.
7th-8th centuries - Arabs conquer Uzbekistan and introduce Islam.
9th-10th centuries - Persian Samanid dynasty becomes dominant and develop Bukhara as important centre of Islamic culture; however, as it declines a number of Turkic hordes vie with each other to fill in the vacuum.
13th-14th centuries - Uzbekistan and the rest of Central Asia conquered by Genghis Khan and becomes part of Mongol empire.
14th century - Uzbekistan part of Turkic ruler Tamerlane's empire with Samarkand as its capital.
18th-19th centuries Uzbekistan comes under independent emirates and khanates of Bukhara, Kokand and Samarkand.
Russian influence
1865-76 - Russians take Tashkent and make it capital of Turkestan, which incorporated vast areas of Central Asia, and then annex emirate of Bukhara and khanates of Samarkand, Khiva and Kokand.
1917 - Tashkent soviet established following Bolshevik revolution in Russia.
1920 - Tashkent soviet ousts emir of Bukhara and other khans.
1918-22 - New communist rulers close down mosques and persecute Muslim clergy as part of secularization campaign.
1921 - Uzbekistan becomes part of Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR).
1924 - Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) formed from territories of the Turkestan ASSR, the Bukharan People's Soviet Republic and the Khorezmian People's Soviet Republic; Uzbekistan becomes part of the USSR.
Resettlement of minorities
1930s - Uzbek capital transferred from Samarkand to Tashkent.
1944 - Some 160,000 Meskhetian Turks deported from Georgia to Uzbekistan by Joseph Stalin.
1950s-80s - Cotton production boosted by major irrigation projects which, however, contribute to the drying up of the Aral Sea.
Late 1980s - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of glasnost, or openness, opens the way to increased Islamic consciousness.
1989 - Violent attacks take place against Meskhetian Turks and other minority monitories in the Fergana Valley; nationalist movement Birlik founded.
Independence
1990 - Communist Party of Uzbekistan declares economic and political sovereignty; Islam Karimov becomes president.
1991 - Karimov initially supports the attempted anti-Gorbachev coup by conservatives in Moscow; Uzbekistan declares itself independent and, following the collapse of the USSR, joins the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); Karimov re-elected president in a direct ballot in which most opposition groups were not allowed to field candidates.
1992 - President Karimov bans the political parties Birlik (Unity) and Erk (Freedom). Political opponents are rounded up for alleged anti-state activities. In later years, large numbers of people are arrested and tried for allegedly being members of the banned Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The IMU preaches jihad (struggle) against nonbelievers and the cleansing of Central Asia of other religious groups, including Shiite Muslims.
1994 - Uzbekistan signs an economic integration treaty with Russia, and an economic, military and social cooperation treaty with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
1995 - Two new political parties created the Adolat Social Democratic Party and the National Revival Democratic Party after Karimov permitted the formation of blocs within the Oliy Majlis, or Supreme Assembly; activists belonging to the outlawed opposition party Erk given lengthy prison sentences for allegedly conspiring to oust the government; ruling People's Democratic Party - formerly the Communist Party of Uzbekistan - wins general election; referendum extends Karimov's term of office for another five years.
1996 - Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan agree to create single economic market.
1998 - Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan sign treaty of eternal friendship and a treaty of deepening economic cooperation.
1999 - Opposition parties prevented from fielding candidates in the legislative elections.
2000 - Karimov re-elected president in election deemed by Western observers to be neither free nor fair; New-York based human rights organisation Human Rights Watch accuses Uzbekistan of widespread use of torture.
2001 April - Uzbek human rights campaigner Elena Urlaeva forcibly admitted to psychiatric hospital after police arrested her in the capital, Tashkent.
2001 June - Some seventy people are jailed for terrorism following cross-border incursions in the south by Islamic militants in 2000.
At least 50 women are detained in Tashkent following a rally against imprisonment of relatives jailed for membership of the banned Islamic group Hezb-e Tahrir.
2001 June - Leaders of China, Russia and four Central Asian states launch the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and sign an agreement to fight ethnic and religious militancy while promoting trade and investment. The group emerges when the Shanghai Five - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - are joined by Uzbekistan.
2001 July - Second consecutive year of drought affects 600,000.
2001 October - Uzbekistan joins international fight against terrorism, allows US to use its airbases for action in Afghanistan.
2001 December - The Chkalov aviation plant, Central Asia's only aircraft maker, wins new lease of life after nearly a decade in the doldrums with $150 million Indian order for IL-78 refuelling plane.
2002 January - US earmarks $100 million in aid for Uzbekistan's support of the US-led campaign in Afghanistan. The aid will be for military and security purposes.
Karimov wins overwhelming support for extending the presidential term from five to seven years in a referendum criticised in the West as a ploy to hang on to power. Uzbeks also vote in favour of a plan to replace the one-chamber parliament with a bicameral legislature.
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