Gitnang Asya:UzbekistanAuthor’s Name: Estella Marie G. Torres

UZBEKISTANUzbekistan borders the Aral Sea. The country's two

largest rivers are the Amu Darya, which originates in Tajikistan, and the Syrdariya, which originates in Kyrgyzstan.Uzbekistan is dominated by vast, dry desert plains which occupy about 80% of the country. Its most fertile region is the Fergana Valley, which covers about 21,440 square km. The Fergana Valley is directly east of the Qizilqum Desert and surrounded by mountain ranges to the north, south, and east. Uzbekistan's highest mountains are in the east and have an elevation of about 4500m.

The Aral Sea was a lake lying between Kazakhstan(Aktobe andKyzylorda provinces) in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south. The name roughly translates as "Sea of Islands", referring to about 1,534 islands that once dotted its waters; in Old Turkic aralmeans "island" and "thicket".

Aral Sea

The Amu Darya, also called Amu River, is a major river in Central Asia. It is formed by the junction of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers and flows into the Aral Sea. In ancient times, the river was regarded as the boundary between Greater Iran and Turan.

Amu Darya

Map of Uzbekistan

The culture of Uzbekistan has a wide mix of ethnic groups and cultures, with the Uzbeks being the majority group. In 1995, about 71% of Uzbekistan's population was Uzbek. The chief minority groups were Russians (8.4%), Tajiks (officially 5%, but believed to be much higher), Kazaks (4.1%), Tatars (2.4%), and Karakalpaks (2.1%), and other minority groups include Armenians and Koryo-saram. It is said however that the number of non-indigenous people living in Uzbekistan is decreasing as Russians and other minority groups slowly leave and Uzbeks return from other parts of the former Soviet Union.

Uzbeks Woman

Customs and tradions of the Uzbek people have been forming for centuries. They are very distinctive, impressive and different, dating back to different epochs and religions. Initial formation of Uzbek culture dates back to the 6th-7th centuries BC, by that time nomadic tribes shifted to a settled way of life in the valleys of Amu Darya, Syr Darya and Zarafshan and founded first states. Former nomads founded settlements and cities, bringing with them customs and traditions based on ancient cults of their ancestors. Territory of modern Uzbekistan, Transoxiana, being parts of ancient states – Khorezm, Sogdiana, Bactria - became the basis for formation of culture, which subsequently became the basis of Uzbek culture.

The capital of Uzbekistan is Tashkent

Tashkent is a capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the most populated city in Central Asia, a political, economic, cultural and scientific center of the country. According to official data, the population of Tashkent is about 2, 3 million people. This modern city is located in the north-eastern part of the country, in the foothills of the western Tyan Shan, valley of Chirchik, at the height of 440-480 meters above sea level. The history of modern Tashkent counts more than 2500 years.

Bible Verse

“So whether you eat or drink DO IT ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD”

1 Corintians 10:31