 Uzbekistan is Central Asia's most highly populated country. Its 24
million people, concentrated in the south and east of the country, are
close to half the region's total population. Uzbekistan had been one of
the poorest republics of the Soviet Union; much of its population was
engaged in cotton farming in small rural communities. The population
continues to be heavily rural and dependent on farming for its
livelihood. The predominant nationality is Uzbek. Other nationalities
represented include Russians, 8% of the population, Tajiks 5%, Kazakhs
4%, Tatar 2%, Karakalpak 2%, and others 8% (1989 census). The nation is
88% Sunni Moslem, 9% Eastern Orthodox, and 3% other.
Uzbek is the
official state language; however, Russian is the de facto language for
interethnic communication, including day-to-day government and business
use.Russia
conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the
Red Army after World War I was eventually suppressed and a socialist
republic set up in 1925. During the Soviet era, intensive production of
"white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the
depletion of water supplies, which have left the land poisoned and the
Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the
country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while
developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include
insurgency by Islamic militants based in Tajikistan and Afghanistan, a
non-convertible currency, and the curtailment of human rights and
democratizationUzbekistan lies astride the
Silk Road, the ancient trading route between
China and the West. Trade brought riches, and riches brought architects
and scholars in its wake. The country has well preserved relics from the
time when Central Asia was a center of empire and learning. The cities
of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Shakhrisabz and Tashkent live on in the
imagination of the West as symbols of oriental beauty and mystery.
 Although Tashkent was probably first settled around the 1st century BC,
written records date the city to its Arab occupation in the 8th century
AD. The 13th-century defeat to Genghis Khan and his Mongolian forces
threw Tashkent into an era of turmoil. The Mongols lost the city in the
14th century when the Temurids Empire seized control. The Temurids
Empire ruled Tashkent until the late 15th century, when the Sheibanids
swept through the region. After this empire crumbled, Tashkent became
independent and remained so until 1809
Samarkand is the oldest city in Central Asia and is divided into a newly
built section and an old quarter with mosques dating from the 14th and
15th centuries and the 15th-century mausoleum of the Mongol conqueror
Tamerlane. The city is the site of a university and a museum of ancient
history.
The settlement of Bukhara dates back to the 8th century, and for 200
years it was the center of an expansive Islamic kingdom. The city
prospered as a trade and intellectual center for Central Asia, but was
pillaged by Genghis Khan in 1219. Subsequently it was ruled by a
succession of regional powers, including Mongols, Turks, and Uzbeks.
Once one of Islam’s most sacred cities, Bukhara boasts many examples of
fine Islamic architecture. These include the sprawling Kalyan mosque
with its turquoise-clad minaret, and a mausoleum that contains the
remains of Ismail Samani, a 10th-century ruler of the city.
Khiva was once the capital of a large khanate of west Central Asia
occupying what is now part of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Situated on
the northern edge of the Karakum Desert near the Uzbekistan border with
Turkmenistan, the town is noted for its many historic buildings, such as
the Islam-Khoja Minaret and the mausoleum of the khans.
©
- Copyright hotels-world.com Travel Info
|
