Capital: Tashkent (Toshkent)
Location:
Central Asia, north of Afghanistan (slightly larger than California)
Registration Embassy and Consulate:
Americans are encouraged to register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy and obtain updated information on travel and security in Uzbekistan. The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, is located at Ulitsa Chilanzarskaya, 82. The main Embassy telephone number is (998 71) 120-5450, fax (998 71) 120 6335; the Consular Section's direct line is (998 71) 120-5444. Current information may also be obtained from the Embassy web site at: http://www.usis.uz/wwwhcon.htm.
Consular Access:
Travelers to Uzbekistan are subject to frequent document inspections. Therefore, U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to carry a copy of their U.S. passport and their Uzbek visa with them at all times so that they may more readily prove that they are U.S. citizens. In accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and certain bilateral agreements, local authorities must grant a United States consular officer access to any U.S. citizen who is arrested. U.S. citizens who are arrested or detained should ask for the U.S. Embassy to be contacted immediately.
Background:
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 democratization.
Ethnic Groups:
Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
Language:
Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Currency:
UZS
Uzbekistani sum (UZS)
Uzbekistani sums per US dollar - 1248,12 (March 2007), 1125.0
Climate:
Mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east
Population:
25,155,064 (July 2001 est.)
Religion:
Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
Medical:
U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas may face extreme difficulties.
Please check with your own insurance company to confirm whether your policy applies overseas, including provision for medical evacuation, and for adequacy of coverage. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Please ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas hospital or doctor or if you will be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur. Some insurance policies also include coverage for psychiatric treatment and for disposition of remains in the event of death.
Traffic Safety:
While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Uzbekistan is provided for general reference only, and it may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Safety of Public Transportation:
Good
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Good
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Fair
Availability of Roadside Assistance:
Poor
Uzbekistan has a developed but deteriorating traffic infrastructure. Although roads in Tashkent are relatively well-maintained, many roads outside Tashkent, and particularly those in the Tien Shan and Fan Mountains, are in poor condition and may be passable only by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Driving at night can be quite dangerous because only the main roads in Tashkent are lit; rural roads and highways generally are not lit. Visitors are strongly urged to avoid driving at night outside Tashkent. Livestock, farm equipment, and carts drawn by animals are found on both urban and rural roads at any hour. Local drivers are not familiar with safe driving techniques. Pedestrians in cities and rural areas cross streets unexpectedly and often without looking for oncoming traffic. Uzbekistan has a large road police force, which frequently stops drivers for minor infractions or simple document checks. Foreign drivers may face harassment from road police, among whom minor corruption in the form of solicitation of bribes is commonplace.
