MOVING TO UZBEKISTAN

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KEY FACTS

Official Name: Republic of Uzbekistan

Capital City: Tashkent

Type of Government: Republic

Official Language: Uzbek

Area: 447,400 sq. km/172,742 sq. mi

Population: 27.6 million

Religions: Muslim (88%); Eastern Orthodox (9%)

Currency: soum (UZS)

Number of Time Zones: 1

Greenwich Mean Time plus 5 hrs; Eastern Standard Time (EST) plus 10 hrs. Daylight Saving Time is not observed.

Weights and Measures: Metric system

Country Domain: .uz

Country Tel Code: 998

AT A GLANCE

Uzbekistan is a country which has recently undergone massive changes in its economic and political system. It is the richest of the five Central Asian republics that broke free of Soviet rule in 1991, and the uzbeks have been busy reforming their country ever since.

Recent census results show that Uzbekistan citizens number approximately 27 million; it has a high birth rate and an unusually large youth representation; approximately half of the people in Uzbekistan are under age 25. The population is 80% uzbek. Russian, tajik, kazakh and tatar groups make up the rest of the nations ethnic background.

Everyday life in Uzbekistan is characterised by the country’s increasing access to modern luxuries. Although many outdoor markets still exist, supermarket grocery stores are being introduced, mostly at the demand of an increasing expatriate population. For a nation that has become independent only within the last decade, the local scene has changed dramatically.

Government

The Republic of Uzbekistan is a temporal democratic republic with a president, who is the head of state. The Peoples Democratic Party is composed of the former members of the Communist Party. The uzbek government is currently undergoing reform to change its political system from a one party republic to a government with a multiparty system.

Economy

Only one in four uzbek nationals currently has some degree of higher education, and workers in Uzbekistan are undervalued by most industrialised nations wage standards. But the regions labour potential is optimistic for the next millennium. Gas, oil, coal, gold mining and cotton are the nations primary industries.

Of all the territories of the former USSR, Uzbekistan has a strong economy, second only to neighbouring Kazakstan. The Republics policies include prioritizing economy over policy, with the state serving as the main legislative body. The uzbeks are confident that they will soon complete their transition to a globally recognised market economy. New stock exchanges including the the Republican Stock-Exchange Centre and innovative fund shops are part of the uzbeks foreign trade ventures. Since 1996, large state-run corporations have slowly reformed into smaller companies that offer public stock options.

The incorporation of the som, the basic unit of currency in Uzbekistan, is a prime example of the efforts the government has taken to reform its economic system. One som is equivalent to 100 tiyin, which is the smallest unit of currency in the Republic. The som has grown increasingly unstable in recent years as inflation grows. In 1997, the rate was 23 som to the US dollar, whilst two years later it increased to over 230 som to the dollar. The current banking rate is about 1059 to the US dollar, but the rate is variable, changing once a week on Tuesdays for a couple of sums increase.

Uzbekistan is currently a cash-only economy. Credit cards and traveler’s cheques are not accepted other than at few major banks and hotels. It is advisable to carry cash and not rely on other monetary forms.

Worldwide affiliations

Uzbekistans international affiliations include:

• United Nations Organisation (1992)

• International Monetary Fund (1992)

• International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (1992)

• United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (1994)

• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (1994)

• World Trade Organisation (observer, 1994)

• International Atomic Energy Agency (1994)

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (1993)

• United Nations Children Emergency Fund (1994)

• World Health Organisation (1992)

• International Labour Organisation (1992)

• Secretariat of Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (1992)

• Organisation on Security and Co-operation in Europe (1992)

• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (1992)

UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLE

• Over 60 percent of the uzbek population reside in rural areas. The uzbek people share a love of ceremony, even in everyday affairs. They also are a very friendly people. Uzbek families consider you a visitor at first, but on the second visit, you are a friend. On the third, you are considered family.

• Urban families are part of the mahallah and rural ones are considered to be kishlak. These two communities help to uphold ancient cultural institutions between uzbek clans and tribes. The structure of the family unit is also clearly established, with many locals able to trace back their ancestry for centuries. The family unit is also patriarchal in nature, and older generations are very much respected as well. Arranged marriages still occur, although not usually in large urban areas. Children are very important to the uzbeks, and to have more than ten is very honourable.

An old tradition in Uzbekistan is the duel of wits. In front of thousands, contestants face each other to launch and parry clever remarks. The first man to hesitate or to make an insufficiently clever answer loses.

• Language

The national language is Uzbek, which is written in the Cyrillic alphabet. However, many residents still speak Russian, especially older people. English is taught in most uzbek school systems, but may not be well understood by the elder generation.

• Religion

Uzbekistan promotes freedom of worship and expression under its constitution. Although the Republic is largely a Moslem state, there is no officially declared state religion. However, since 1998, religious organisations have had their activities severely curtailed by the government in the hopes of decreasing the amount of Islamic terrorist acts.

Moslems comprise 88 percent of the population, whilst Russian Orthodox Catholics constitute the only other sizeable minority at nine percent. A small number, 20,000, of both Asian and European Jews also reside in Uzbekistan. The Jewish population diminished during Soviet rule. In the past decade, over 60,000 of Uzbekistan’s Jews have migrated to Israel.
In accordance with the Islamic tradition, holidays such as the Islamic New Year, the Prophets Birthday, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha and the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Moslem calendar, are observed. These feast days are all moveable, and thus, they change dates every year.

Ramadan is a very important time of the year for practising Moslems. During this period of time, followers of the Islamic faith abstain from food, drink and any pleasurable activity during daylight. They preferably should devote this time to Koran study, meditation and other religious practices until Ruza Hait. This joyful day marks the end of the fasting period and is widely celebrated. In the Islamic religion under very stringent moral codes, animal sacrifices are performed on certain days of religious observation.

Uzbekistan’s Jewish population dates back to the fifth century, claiming descent from exiled Jews of Persia. There is also a sizeable number of European Jews that fled to Uzbekistan during the Second World War. Although the numbers have since dropped, local Jews cling to their faith despite its minority status. Presently, there is a synagogue in Tashkent. Samarkand’s mahalla contains a number of notable Jewish relics.

CITIES

• Tashkent

The capital of Uzbekistan is Tashkent, or stone fortress, with a population numbering 2.5 million. The city is now the centre of transportation for most of Central Asia, continuing its role as the mid point in trade routes between Asia and Europe. Although now most of the “old city’s” famous architecture has disappeared and been replaced by Soviet-style buildings, the city retains a unique beauty. This is mostly due to the greenery of its parks and its cool fountains, making it seem an oasis in the midst of a dry, hot land. Other metropolises include Samarkand, with a population of 600,000, Bukhara and Andijan with under 300,000 inhabitants each.

• Samarkand

Samarkand is the ancient capital city of Timur, the fourteenth century conqueror otherwise known in the West as the great Tamerlane. It is currently the second largest city in Uzbekistan. The ancient monuments of the city are some of the finest among Islamic art. The architectural and archaeological sites have been drawing tourists, and the city is preparing to invest in more facilities for increased tourism and to accommodate incoming businesses.

• Bukhara

Bukhara is known for its reputation as a holy city of the Islam culture. It was one of the great Moslem learning centres as far back as the tenth century. This is also an important tourist attraction for visitors following the Silk Road. Khiva, a much smaller town, is also located along the Silk Road. Its former glory is preserved by remarkably constructed mosques, minarets and other landmarks.

CLIMATE

• The winter season is gloomy, with a minimum of only nine hours of sunlight. January is the coldest of the months, with February close behind. The low temperatures of this time of year can reach -8°C/17°F. July, by contrast, is the warmest month in summer, with average temperatures reaching 32°C/89°F. Mays temperatures, closely followed by Septembers, are the most tolerable.

• Precipitation increases in the mountainous regions of Uzbekistan, with most of it falling in winter.

Information provided in association with Living Abroad