Uzbeks, third largest ethnic group of the former Soviet Union (after Russians and Ukrainians), descend from Turkic people and are rooted in the Sunni Muslim faith.

Most of the population lives in rural areas, where cotton crops, imposed by Soviet planners at horrendous cost to the environment, have made Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous country, one of the world's top five producers. The Aral Sea, fed by rivers extensively tapped for irrigation, has shrunk more than 40 percent. (Text source: National Geographic Atlas of the World, Seventh Edition, 1999)

The following summary is from a Library of Congress country study. It is an excellent introduction to the history, government, languages, cultures, religion, and economy of Uzbekistan. Significant portions of this web site are direct copies of this document.

Population: Approximately 23 million, 1994; growth rate in 1995, 2.5 percent per year; 1993 population density 48.5 persons per square kilometer.

Ethnic Groups: In 1995, Uzbek 71 percent, Russian 8 percent, Tajik 5 percent, Kazak 4 percent, Tatar 2 percent, and Karakalpak 2 percent.

Language: Uzbek designated preferred language, required for citizenship, but Russian in wide official and commercial use, 1995. In 1994, Uzbek first language of 74 percent, Russian of 14 percent, and Tajik of 4 percent.

Religion: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 88 percent, Russian Orthodox 9 percent, about 93,000 Jews. Islam practiced in individualized forms; little political Islam although post-Soviet religious practice greatly increased.

Education and Literacy: Literacy 97 percent, 1989. Program to restructure Soviet-era system hampered by low budget, poor condition of infrastructure, and loss of teachers. Attendance compulsory through grade nine. In 1993, 86 percent of population ages six to sixteen in regular or vocational school. Fifty-three institutions of higher learning active, 1993.

Health: Universal free health care; some private practices and health insurance introduced, early 1990s. Shortages of medicine, equipment, and trained personnel. Health crises, epidemics caused by high pollution levels, especially in Aral Sea region. Infant mortality increased very fast beginning in 1970s.