General information
Location:
Central Asia
Coordinates:
41°16’N 69°13’E Area: 447.900 sq.km: land - 425.900 sq.km; water - 22.000 sq.km.
Ethnic groups:
Uzbeks 80%, Russians 5,5%, Tajiks 5%, Kazakhs 5%, Kara-Kalpaks 2%, Tatars 1,5%.
Administrative division:
12 regions, Republic of Kara-Kalpaks.
Capital:
Tashkent
Language:
Uzbek – official language, Russian – international language.
Religion:
Islam - 88%, Christianity - 9%, 3% - other religions.
Time:
GMT + 5 hours
Electricity:
220V AC, 50A; standard socket of double plug
Internet zone:
.uz
International dialing:
+998
Currency:
sum
Location:
The Republic of Uzbekistan is situated in the central part of Central Asia, between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers.
The Turan lowland and the Tien Shan Mountains are located in the northwest of the republic. The chain Pamir-Alay is situated in the southeast.
The mountain peak is 4643 m. The Kyzylkum desert is situated in the north.
Uzbekistan borders on Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Total border extent is 6221 km.
Climate:
The climate in Uzbekistan is acutely continental. Monthly temperature in winter is from +10 (50°F) to +3°C (37,4°F).
Summer is hot and dry and the temperature varies from +35 (95°F) to +45°C (113°F). Autumn is quite warm. Air temperature during autumn is approximately +13°C (55,4°F).
Natural resources:
In Uzbekistan there are the most prolific deposits of precious, nonferrous and less-common metals, all kinds of organic fuel – oil, natural gas and gas-condensate, brown coal, slate coal. Uzbekistan takes the world leading positions on confirmed reserves of gold, uranium, copper, natural gas, tungsten, potash salts, phosphorites, kaolin. So, the republic takes the fourth place in the world on gold reserve, the seventh place on gold production level, the tenth place on copper reserve, the seventh place on uranium reserve, and the eleventh place on uranium production level.
Flora:
Flora of Uzbekistan is represented by over 3700 species of plants. 1/5 among them are endemic, they range nowhere else.
Language:
Uzbek is the official state language of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Up to 80% of population can speak Russian.
Documents:
International passport is required for the entry to Uzbekistan and travelling through the Republic.
Entrance visa is not required for Russian citizens.
One can receive a registration card in a hotel. The card may be required by the officers of passport control service when leaving Uzbekistan.
If a guest of the republic wants to stay at friends’ place, he/she will need to register himself/herself at the Visas Issuance and Registration Department domiciliary.
Health:
Travelling through Uzbekistan usually covers those regions which are not dangerous substantially to infectious diseases, so no official vaccination is required for foreign citizens.
However, doctor's advice is strongly recommended to prevent one or another disease.
Insignificant gastric discomfort is possible since in some regions water includes extra quantity of mineral and metallic salts. One of the main health hazards in hot season is fluid loss.
So it is necessary to keep water balance in organism by means of nonalcoholic beverages.
Excessive sun-tan can be the cause of feeling bad. So it is advisable to carry protective lotion and a sunhat.
Photographing:
Photographic films and batteries are available in a distribution network.
However, it is advisable to buy all necessary accessories before arrival, especially if a guest of the republic has a photo/video camera of specific modification or sophisticated type with a specific kind of film or batteries.
Beverages:
Home-produced mineral waters include higher level of mineral substances than some mineral waters of foreign manufacture, so it may taste quite salty. These mineral waters have a therapeutic effect.
Purchasing:
Popular souvenirs are jewellery, cloth and handicrafts made in Central Asia, books, postcards and tourist maps.
There are restrictions on import of carpets.
When buying goods on a local market, called “bazaar”, and in some other places of commerce it would be good to bargain with the sellers about the price.
In this case by tradition of a bazaar the price for the goods can be reduced considerably.