About our Uzbekistan news
Latest news on Uzbekistan: Tashkent politics, President Mirziyoyev, economy, Samarkand tourism, visa, Uzbek som, Karakalpakstan, Aral Sea and Central Asia.
Uzbekistan is the most populous country in Central Asia, with more than 35 million people, and one of only two doubly landlocked nations in the world. Its capital, Tashkent, is the region's largest city. The country is a major producer of gold, natural gas and cotton, and a key voice in Central Asian diplomacy.
Under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in office since 2016, Uzbekistan has pursued economic reforms, a liberalised Uzbek som, foreign investment and a long-running bid to join the World Trade Organization. A 2023 referendum approved a new constitution that extended presidential terms to seven years. Foreign policy stresses balance, with close ties to Russia, China, Turkey, the European Union, the Gulf states and neighbouring Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Rail and trade corridors, including routes towards Afghanistan, are a recurring theme.
Challenges remain. Human rights groups continue to scrutinise press freedom, civil society and labour practices, including the cotton harvest. In 2022, deadly unrest in the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan followed a proposed change to its status, which was withdrawn. Millions of Uzbeks work abroad, so remittances and migration policy matter to households and the wider economy.
Culture is a major draw. Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, with the Registan, ancient madrasas and bustling bazaars, make Uzbekistan a leading Silk Road destination, helped by simplified visa rules and e-visas for many nationalities. Visitors and locals alike celebrate Navruz, savour plov, and admire suzani textiles, ceramics and a growing arts and film scene. The country is also working to widen the use of the Uzbek language in the Latin script.
History runs deep. The region was home to Timur (Tamerlane), the astronomer Ulugh Beg and a succession of khanates, before Russian conquest and Soviet rule. Independence came in 1991 under Islam Karimov, whose long rule ended with his death in 2016. The legacy of Soviet irrigation policy is the Aral Sea, which has largely dried up, leaving dust storms, health problems and water scarcity that shape policy today.
Our ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ feed on Uzbekistan brings together the latest headlines on Uzbek politics, the economy, investment, tourism, foreign relations, the Aral Sea and Karakalpakstan. Follow Tashkent, Samarkand and Central Asia coverage from reliable sources, all in one place.