Uzbekistan

Uzbeks, a Turkic people, form the large majority, with Tajik, Russian, Kazakh, and other minorities. Uzbek is the official language. The country sits at the heart of the ancient Silk Road, with storied cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara.

Most Uzbeks are Sunni Muslim, practiced within a secular state that monitors religious life.

Society

Uzbekistan has high literacy and a young, growing population, and recent reforms have eased some of the repression and economic restrictions of the past.