Republic of Uzbekistan
Central Asia
Silk · Ancient · Golden
Uzbekistan (officially Republic of Uzbekistan) is a country located in Central Asia. Its capital city is Tashkent, with other major cities including Samarkand and Bukhara. With a population of approximately 35.3M, the main language spoken is Uzbek. The country covers an area of 447,400 km². The official currency is the Uzbekistani soʻm (so'm). Traffic drives on the right side.
The Silk Road ran directly through Uzbekistan — Samarkand and Bukhara were once among the most important cities on Earth.
Tashkent serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Uzbekistan, positioned in Central Asia. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Samarkand, Bukhara, Namangan — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Tashkent was largely destroyed by a 1966 earthquake and rebuilt by Soviet planners who created wide Brutalist boulevards — but the Chorsu Bazaar, a domed market operating continuously since the medieval period, survived, and the city now navigates an identity between Soviet monumentalism and the Silk Road heritage the government is actively restoring.
With a population of approximately 35.3M, Uzbekistan is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is Uzbek, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Uzbekistan is reached via the dialling code +998. Uzbeks celebrate Navruz, the Persian New Year on the spring equinox, with sumalak — a paste made by cooking germinated wheat sprouts for 24 hours while community members take turns stirring the cauldron and making wishes — a communal cooking act that functions as neighbourhood social contract.
Uzbekistan spans 447,400 km², in the Central Asia subregion of Asia. Geographically centred around 41.0°N, 64.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Asia convention.
The official currency is the Uzbekistani soʻm (so'm), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Uzbekistan's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+05:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
The emblematic dish of Uzbekistan is Plov. Food culture in Uzbekistan is deeply tied to local identity — shared meals and markets are central to daily life and social gatherings across the country.
Football / Wrestling holds a special place in the heart of Uzbekistan's national identity. Uzbekistan has won more Olympic wrestling medals per capita than almost any other nation — Artur Taymazov took three consecutive freestyle wrestling golds between 2000 and 2008, and the country's combat sports academies, built during the Soviet period, continue to produce Greco-Roman and freestyle champions at World Championship level.
The highest point in Uzbekistan is Adelunga Toghi, rising to 4,301 metres above sea level. The Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest lake, has shrunk to 10 percent of its original size since Soviet-era irrigation diverted its feeder rivers to cotton fields — the rusted ships stranded in what is now the Aralkum Desert near Muynak constitute the most visible ecological catastrophe of the 20th century.