Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Tajikistan to the southeast, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Afghanistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest. Uzbekistan is the largest Central Asian state by area. The territory of what is now Uzbekistan has been inhabited for over two millennia, with evidence of human habitation dating back to the early Stone Age. The region was a crossroads of various civilizations, home to major cities of the Silk Road, such as Samarkand and Bukhara. In the 14th century, the region was conquered by the Mongols and later became a part of the Russian Empire. The Russian Empire began a process of gradual conquest and incorporation of the territory of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. The territory was fully incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1924. Since 1991, Uzbekistan has been a sovereign state. The country is officially a secular, unitary constitutional republic. Uzbekistan is one of the six independent Turkic states, the other five being Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan. Uzbekistan has a diverse cultural heritage due to its location at the crossroads of various civilizations. The country is home to a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara. The economy of Uzbekistan is one of the fastest-growing in the world, with a GDP growth rate of 8.1% in 2017. The country is a major producer and exporter of cotton, gold, uranium, and other minerals. The industrial and service sectors are also growing rapidly. Uzbekistan is a member of a number of international organizations, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.