Uzbekistan Country Information

Travel Advice with Country Information from the CIA.

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Introduction

Background

Uzbekistan is the geographic and population center of Central Asia. The country has a diverse economy and a relatively young population. Russia conquered and united the disparate territories of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after the Bolshevik Revolution was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic established in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to the overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, leaving the land degraded and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half-dry. Independent since the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the country has diversified agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum export capacity and increasing its manufacturing base, although cotton remains a major part of its economy. Uzbekistan’s first president, Islom KARIMOV, led Uzbekistan for 25 years until his death in September 2016. His successor, former Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV, has improved relations with Uzbekistan’s neighbors and introduced wide-ranging economic, judicial, and social reforms. MIRZIYOYEV was reelected in October 2021 with 80% of the vote.

 

Geography

Location

Central Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates

41 00 N, 64 00 E

Map references

Asia

Area

total: 447,400 sq km

land: 425,400 sq km

water: 22,000 sq km

country comparison to the world: 59

Area - comparative

about four times the size of Virginia; slightly larger than California

 

Land boundaries

total: 6,893 km

border countries (5): Afghanistan 144 km; Kazakhstan 2,330 km; Kyrgyzstan 1,314 km; Tajikistan 1,312 km; Turkmenistan 1,793 km

Coastline

0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

Maritime claims

none (doubly landlocked)

Climate

mostly mid-latitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Terrain

mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zaravshan; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Elevation

highest point: Xazrat Sulton Tog' 4,643 m
note - the Factbook map is incorrect; it shows the wrong location and name of the high elevation

lowest point: Sariqamish Kuli -12 m

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Land use

agricultural land: 62.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 51.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 7.7% (2018 est.)

other: 29.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

42,150 sq km (2012)

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s): Aral Sea (shared with Kazakhstan) - largely dried up

Major rivers (by length in km)

Syr Darya (shared with Kyrgyzstan [s], Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan [m]) - 3,078 km; Amu Darya river mouth (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan) - 2,620 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km), Syr Darya (782,617 sq km)

Population distribution

most of the population is concentrated in the fertile Fergana Valley in the easternmost arm of the country; the south has significant clusters of people, while the central and western deserts are sparsely populated

Natural hazards

earthquakes; floods; landslides or mudslides; avalanches; droughts

Geography - note

along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world

Map description

Uzbekistan map showing major population centers as well as parts of neighboring countries.

 

People and Society

Population

31,104,937 (2022 est.)

country comparison to the world: 47

Nationality

noun: Uzbekistani

adjective: Uzbekistani

Ethnic groups

Uzbek 83.8%, Tajik 4.8%, Kazakh 2.5%, Russian 2.3%, Karakalpak 2.2%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.9% (2017 est.)

Languages

Uzbek (official) 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

major-language sample(s): 
Jahon faktlari kitobi, asosiy ma'lumotlar uchun zaruriy manba. (Uzbek)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

note: in the autonomous Karakalpakstan Republic, both the Karakalpak language and Uzbek have official status

Religions

Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Environment

Environment - current issues

shrinkage of the Aral Sea has resulted in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification and respiratory health problems; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 25.29 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 91.81 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 96.16 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

mostly mid-latitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Land use

agricultural land: 62.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 51.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 7.7% (2018 est.)

other: 29.7% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 50.5% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 1.25% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

country comparison to the world: 202

Revenue from coal

coal revenues: 0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 4 million tons (2016 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s): Aral Sea (shared with Kazakhstan) - largely dried up

Major rivers (by length in km)

Syr Darya (shared with Kyrgyzstan [s], Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan [m]) - 3,078 km; Amu Darya river mouth (shared with Tajikistan [s], Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan) - 2,620 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km), Syr Darya (782,617 sq km)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 2.41 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 2.13 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 54.36 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources

48.87 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan

conventional short form: Uzbekistan

local long form: O'zbekiston Respublikasi

local short form: O'zbekiston

former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology: a combination of the Turkic words "uz" (self) and "bek" (master) with the Persian suffix "-stan" (country) to give the meaning "Land of the Free"

Government type

presidential republic; highly authoritarian

Capital

name: Tashkent (Toshkent)

geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 69 15 E

time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: "tash" means "stone" and "kent" means "city" in Turkic languages, so the name simply denotes "stone city"

Administrative divisions

12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonom respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon Viloyati, Buxoro Viloyati [Bukhara Province], Farg'ona Viloyati [Fergana Province], Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi [Karakalpakstan Republic]* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati [Samarkand Province], Sirdaryo Viloyati (Guliston), Surxondaryo Viloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri [Tashkent City]**, Toshkent Viloyati [Tashkent Province], Xorazm Viloyati (Urganch)

note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Independence

1 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

Constitution

history: several previous; latest adopted 8 December 1992

amendments: proposed by the Supreme Assembly or by referendum; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of both houses of the Assembly or passage in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2017

Legal system

civil law system; note - in early 2020, the president signed an amendment to the criminal code, criminal procedure code, and code of administrative responsibility

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Uzbekistan

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (interim president from 8 September 2016; formally elected president on 4 December 2016 to succeed longtime President Islom KARIMOV, who died on 2 September 2016

head of government: Prime Minister Abdulla ARIPOV (since 14 December 2016)

cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with most requiring approval of the Senate chamber of the Supreme Assembly (Oliy Majlis)

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term; previously a 5-year term, extended by a 2002 constitutional amendment to 7 years, and reverted to 5 years in 2011); election last held on 24 October 2021 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister nominated by majority party in legislature since 2011, but appointed along with the ministers and deputy ministers by the president

election results: 2021: Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (LDPU) 80.3%, Maqsuda VORISOVA (PDP) 6.7%, Alisher QODIROV (National Revival Democratic Party) 5.5%, Narzullo OBLOMURODOV (Ecological Party) 4.1%, Bahrom ABDUHALIMOV (Adolat) 3.4%

2016: Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV elected president in first round; percent of vote - Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (LDPU) 88.6%, Hotamjon KETMONOV (PDP) 3.7%, Narimon UMAROV (Adolat) 3.5%, Sarvar OTAMURODOV (National Revival Democratic Party) 2.4%, other 1.8%

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of:
Senate or Senat (100 seats; 84 members indirectly elected by regional governing councils and 16 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)
Legislative Chamber or Qonunchilik Palatasi (150 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 5-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 16-17 January 2020 (next to be held in 2025)
Legislative Chamber - last held on 22 December 2019 and 5 January 2020 (next to be held in December 2024)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 77, women 23, percent of women 23%
Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDPU 53, National Revival Democratic Party 36, Adolat 24, PDP 22, Ecological Movement 15; composition - men 83, women, 17, percent of women 17%

note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 67 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and economic sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges)

judge selection and term of office: judges of the highest courts nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis; judges appointed for initial 5-year term and can be reappointed for subsequent 10-year and lifetime terms

subordinate courts: regional, district, city, and town courts

Political parties and leaders

Ecological Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Ekologik Partivasi) [Narzullo OBLOMURODOV]
Justice (Adolat) Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan [Bahrom ABDUHALIMOV]
Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Liberal-Demokratik Partiyasi) or LDPU [Aktam HAITOV]
National Revival Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Milliy Tiklanish Demokratik Partiyasi) [Alisher QODIROV]
People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (Xalq Demokratik Partiyas) or PDP [Ulugbek Ilyosovich INOYATOV] (formerly Communist Party)

International organization participation

ADB, CICA, CIS, EAEU (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EEU (observer), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Javlon VAHOBOV (since 29 November 2017)

chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300

FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804

email address and website: 
info.washington@mfa.uz

https://www.uzbekistan.org/

consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel ROSENBLUM (since 24 May 2019)

embassy: 3 Moyqorghon, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, 100093 Tashkent

mailing address: 7110 Tashkent Place, Washington DC  20521-7110

telephone: [998] 78-120-5450

FAX: [998] 78-120-6335

email address and website: 
ACSTashkent@state.gov

https://uz.usembassy.gov/

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a vertical, white crescent moon (closed side to the hoist) and 12 white, five-pointed stars shifted to the hoist on the top band; blue is the color of the Turkic peoples and of the sky, white signifies peace and the striving for purity in thoughts and deeds, while green represents nature and is the color of Islam; the red stripes are the vital force of all living organisms that links good and pure ideas with the eternal sky and with deeds on earth; the crescent represents Islam and the 12 stars the months and constellations of the Uzbek calendar

National symbol(s)

khumo (mythical bird); national colors: blue, white, red, green

National anthem

name: "O'zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi" (National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

lyrics/music: Abdulla ARIPOV/Mutal BURHANOV

note: adopted 1992; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet Republic but adopted new lyrics

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 5 (4 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Itchan Kala (c); Historic Bukhara (c); Historic Shakhrisyabz (c); Samarkand - Crossroad of Cultures (c); Western Tien Shan (n)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 3,550,069 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 33.387 million (2022)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 100 (2022)

country comparison to the world: 43

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: Uzbekistan’s telecom markets both wireline and wireless have been playing "catch up" in terms of their development following the country's independence from the former Soviet Union; the government has formally adopted the principles of operating as a market economy, many elements of the old centrally planned economic model remain; this has had the effect of reducing the level of interest from foreign companies and investors in building out the necessary underlying infrastructure, which in turn has constrained the rate of growth in the country’s telecoms sector; the last five years has seen an upswing in prospects for the sector as fiber network roll outs continue beyond the main urban centers, while the mobile market experiences some consolidation for stronger, more efficient competitors; the fixed line market is dominated by the incumbent state owned provider Uztelecom, which has 98% of the market share; with teledensity at 11%, the fixed line segment remains relatively underdeveloped; Uztelecom has been diligently expanding its fiber footprint across the country, and so utilization is increasing as consumers are able to take on VoIP services as part of their fiber packages;  growth is present in the fixed broadband segment thanks to that same network expansion with penetration projected to reach 24% by 2027 (a 5-year CAGR of 6.2%); despite the promising signs in the fixed markets, it is the mobile segment that continues to dominate Uzbekistan’s telecoms sector in terms of penetration, revenue, and growth;  there are four major operators providing a modicum of competition; three of the four are government owned entities although private operator Beeline Uzbekistan has been able to capture up to a third of the market; the mobile market is expected to reach 100% penetration in 2023 a 50% increase in the last five years. (2022)

domestic: fixed-line nearly 11 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity nearly 100 per 100 persons; the state-owned telecommunications company, Uzbek Telecom, owner of the fixed-line telecommunications system, has used loans from the Japanese government and the China Development Bank to upgrade fixed-line services including conversion to digital exchanges; mobile-cellular services are provided by 2 private and 3 state-owned operators with a total subscriber base of 22.8 million as of January 2018 (2020)

international: country code - 998; linked by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; the country also has a link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; Uzbekistan has supported the national fiber-optic backbone project of Afghanistan since 2008

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Broadcast media

the government controls media; 17 state-owned broadcasters - 13 TV and 4 radio - provide service to virtually the entire country; about 20 privately owned TV stations, overseen by local officials, broadcast to local markets; privately owned TV stations are required to lease transmitters from the government-owned Republic TV and Radio Industry Corporation; in 2019, the Uzbek Agency for Press and Information was reorganized into the Agency of Information and Mass Communications and became part of the Uzbek Presidential Administration with recent appointment of the Uzbek President's elder daughter as it deputy director (2019)

Internet country code

.uz

Internet users

total: 24,304,756 (2020 est.)

percent of population: 71% (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 4,820,009 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 34

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,056,558 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 89.43 million (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

UK

Airports

total: 53 (2021)

country comparison to the world: 88

Airports - with paved runways

total: 33

over 3,047 m: 6

2,438 to 3,047 m: 13

1,524 to 2,437 m: 6

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 4 (2021)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 20

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

under 914 m: 18 (2021)

Pipelines

13,700 km gas, 944 km oil (2016)

Railways

total: 4,642 km (2018)

broad gauge: 4,642 km (2018) 1.520-m gauge (1,684 km electrified)

country comparison to the world: 42

Roadways

total: 86,496 km (2000)

paved: 75,511 km (2000)

unpaved: 10,985 km (2000)

country comparison to the world: 56

Waterways

1,100 km (2012)

country comparison to the world: 66

Ports and terminals

river port(s): Termiz (Amu Darya)

Military and Security

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Uzbekistan: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces; National Guard; Ministry of Interior: Internal Security Troops, Border Guards (2022)

note: the National Guard, also under the Ministry of Defense, ensures public order and security of diplomatic missions, radio and television broadcasting, and other state entities

Military expenditures

2.8% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $3 billion)

2.9% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $2.88 billion)

2.7% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $2.65 billion)

2.5% of GDP (2016 est.) (approximately $2.49 billion)

2.5% of GDP (2015 est.) (approximately $2.4 billion)

country comparison to the world: 35

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 60,000 active duty troops, including 10-15,000 Air Force (2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Uzbek Armed Forces use mainly Soviet-era equipment; since 2010, Russia has been the leading supplier of arms, followed by China (2022)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-year conscript service obligation for males (conscripts have the option of paying for a shorter service of one month while remaining in the reserves until the age of 27); Uzbek citizens who have completed their service terms in the armed forces have privileges in employment and admission to higher educational institutions (2022)

Military - note

the Uzbek armed forces were established in January 1992, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when the newly-established Ministry for Defense Affairs assumed jurisdiction over all former Soviet ground, air, and air defense units, formations, and installations then deployed on its soil; the building hosting the headquarters for the ex-Soviet Turkestan Military District became the headquarters for the Uzbek armed forces; all former Soviet troops departed Uzbekistan by 1995; as of 2022, Uzbekistan continued to maintain bilateral defense ties with Russia based on a 2005 mutual security agreement

as of 2022, Uzbekistan was not part of the Russian-sponsored Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) that is comprised of former Soviet Republics; Uzbekistan joined in the 1990s but withdrew in 1999; it returned in 2006 but left again in 2012

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic Jihad Union; Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Khorasan (ISIS-K)

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

Uzbekistan-Afghanistan: none identified

Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan: field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2004; disputed territory is held by Uzbekistan but the overwhelming majority of residents are ethnic Kazakhs; the two countries agreed on draft final demarcation documents in March 2022 and plan to hold another meeting in April 2022

Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan: border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas; in 2021, border talks between Uzbek and Kyrgyz officials raised the possibility of a land swap arrangement, but a deal was not finalized

Uzbekistan-Tajikistan: none identified

Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan: prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan created water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; in 2021, the two countries reached an agreement to create a joint intergovernmental commission to oversee water management

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 59,136 (mid-year 2021)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Uzbekistan is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; adults are victims of government-organized forced labor during Uzbekistan’s annual cotton harvest; local officials in some instances force teachers, students (including children), private businesses employees, and others to work in construction and other forms of non-cotton agriculture and to clean parks, streets, and buildings; traffickers exploit Uzbek women and children in sex trafficking in the Middle East, Eurasia, and Asia, and internally in brothels, clubs, and private residences; traffickers subject Uzbek men, and to a lesser extent women, to forced labor in Kazakhstan, Russia, Moldova, Turkey, and in other Asian, Middle Eastern, and European countries in the construction, oil and gas, agricultural, retail, and food sectors

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Uzbekistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; government efforts included addressing the use of forced adult labor during the cotton harvest by increasing pay to laborers and improving working conditions for voluntary workers and ceasing the forced use of students, teachers, and health care workers; third-party monitors were allowed access to the harvest to view changes; the government created a National Commission on Trafficking chaired by the regional governor in every area of the country; however, reports continued of corrupt officials requiring public sector employees to pick cotton or pay for a replacement worker with extorted penalties paid to them; fewer cases of traffickers were investigated and prosecuted, fewer victims of trafficking were identified, and fewer convictions carried a prison sentence; authorities conducted no investigations against corrupt officials extorting money during the cotton harvest (2020)

Illicit drugs

transit country for Afghan opium and heroin destined for Russia and the European Union; also transit country for hashish, cannabis products, New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), and synthetic drugs; cannabis and poppy are cultivated in small amounts for personal use and local sale

 

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