About uzbekistan

ABOUT UZBEKISTAN
Uzbekistan is located in the very center of Eurasia, through territory of which the Great Silk Road used to pass in the history. And nowadays, it is a crossroad of international highways, railways and airways, heading to different directions.
The full name - the Republic of Uzbekistan. Governmental structure - republic. The country includes the Autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, 12 provinces and capital city Tashkent. Uzbekistan declared independence on August 31, 1991. The national holiday - Independence Day, celebrated on 1⁵¹ of September. The head of the country - President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The highest legislative power belongs to two-chamber parliament, Oily Majlis.
The territory of the country equals to 448.9 thous. km². Uzbekistan is the only country in Central Asia, which has borders with all other members of the region: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
Approximately two-thirds of Uzbekistan's territory is occupied by flat areas (Turan low-land, valleys of such rivers as Amudarya, Sirdarya, Zarafshan and their tributaries), one-third is occupied by foothills of Tian- Shan and Pamir.
Due to Uzbekistan's remote location from the World Ocean, the climate is extremely continental with sharp falls of day and night temperatures. In summer, hot and dry climate prevails in larger part of the country's territory. Average annual temperature fluctuates between 9 ? in the North, and 16?
in the South. Annual amount of precipitation fluctuates from few dozen of millimeters in flat areas, up to 1 thousand millimeters on mountains. Number of sunshine hours in the republic fluctuates from 2700 to 3130.
About Uzbekistan. Natural resources.
Uzbekistan is rich with big variety of energy carriers, raw materials and other natural resources that are essential for development of a multi-sectoral economy.
The main items of natural-resource potential of the country consist of:

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  in industry - significant reserves of uranium,hydrocarbon fuel, gold, non-ferrous metals (in general, there are more than 2700 reserve fields and perspective appearance of about 100 types of minerals, with estimated value of 3.5 trillion US dollars);
  
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  in agriculture - approximately four million hectares of irrigated, arable land, as well as vast pastures, which, along with ample amounts of heat and sun shine, favor production of various products of plant-growing and animal husbandry;
  
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  in recreational sphere - beautiful natural landscape, favorable climate, sources of healing mineral waters that create necessary conditions for developing tourisms, resort businesses, leisure and sports.
  

Based on several parameters of natural-resource potential, Uzbekistan
ranks high in the world. Having ranked 55^th on total area among about two hundred states of the planet, Uzbekistan ranked 4^th in the World on gold reserves, 8^th - on reserves of uranium and molybdenum and 11^th on confirmed reserves of copper and on total area of artificially irrigated land, 15^th on reserves of natural gas.
Uzbekistan also has rich and diverse flora and fauna. Approximately 20% of about four thousand types of plants are endemic, at the same time, every third of plants being medicinal. The forest area is not relatively big, accounting for about 5% of the country's total territory. Fauna of Uzbekistan includes about one hundred kinds of animals, approximately 400 kinds of birds and 80 kinds of fish.