Central Asia.

GMT + 5.

447,400 sq km (172,740 sq miles).

26.9 million (UN estimate 2005).

60.1 per sq km.

Tashkent. Population: 2.2 million (UN estimate 2003).

Uzbekistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Turkmenistan to the west, Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast and Tajikistan to the east and has a colourful and varied countryside. The south and east are dominated by the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai mountain ranges and the Kyzyl Kum Desert lies to the northeast. The northwestern autonomous region of Karakalpakstan is bordered by the Aral Sea and the sparsely populated Ustyurt Plateau with its vast cotton fields.

Republic. Declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

President Islam Karimov since 1991.

Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyayev since 2003.

President Islam Karimov extended his reign in elections in December 2007 with a landslide vote, beating three other candidated with 88.1% of the vote. The process has been criticised as undemocratic.

President Karimov took over as head of the Uzbek Communist party (now the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, PDPU) in 1989. Uzbekistan assumed independence in 1991 upon the break up of the Soviet Union. The PDPU, with Karimov at its head, has held power continuously ever since, occasionally in alliance with allied parties such as the Progress of the Fatherland party. He has been re-elected several times, with overwhelming majorities and against nominal opposition. Uzbekistan has played a valuable role in recent American military campaigns in Afghanistan (with whom it shares a border) and Iraq. In 2005, Russia and Uzbekistan signed an agreement paving the way for much closer military cooperation.

The official language is Uzbek, a Turkic tongue closely related to Kazakh and Kyrgyz. There is a small Russian-speaking minority. Many people involved with tourism speak English. The government has stated its intention to change the Cyrillic script to the Latin.

Predominantly Sunni Muslim, with Shia (15%), Russian Orthodox and Jewish minorities.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin continental plugs are standard.

Lipioshka (bread) should never be laid upside down and should never be put on the ground, even if it is in a bag. It is normal to remove shoes but not socks when entering someone’s house or sitting down in a chai-khana. Shorts are rarely seen in Uzbekistan and, worn by women, are likely to provoke unwelcome attention from the local male population. Avoid ostentatious displays of wealth (eg jewellery) in public places. Homosexuality is illegal.

Photography: Photography near airports, military barracks and police stations can upset the authorities.