Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan, is a country located in Central Asia. It holds a rare geographic distinction: it is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, meaning it is surrounded entirely by other landlocked countries. The only other nation sharing this status is the tiny European principality of Liechtenstein.
Geography and Borders
Uzbekistan sits at the heart of Central Asia and shares borders with five countries. To the north lies Kazakhstan, while Kyrgyzstan borders the country to the northeast. Tajikistan lies to the southeast, Afghanistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest. This central position has historically made Uzbekistan an important crossroads for trade and cultural exchange across the wider Central Asian region.
Population and Demographics
Uzbekistan is home to a population of more than 39 million people, making it the most populous republic in Central Asia. The Uzbek people form the overwhelming majority of the population, accounting for more than 89% of all residents.
Languages
The official language of the country is Uzbek, reflecting the dominant ethnic group. Alongside Uzbek, Russian and Tajik are significant minority languages spoken throughout the country.
- Uzbek – the official state language, spoken by the vast majority of the population.
- Russian – serves as a lingua franca, widely used for communication across different ethnic groups and in business and administration.
- Tajik – primarily spoken by Tajiks living in the southern parts of the country, notably in the historic cities of Samarkand and Bukhara.
International Relations
Uzbekistan is a member of the Organisation of Turkic States, an intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation among Turkic-speaking nations. This membership reflects Uzbekistan's cultural and linguistic ties to the broader Turkic world, given that the Uzbek language itself belongs to the Turkic language family.