Uzbekistan local time |
Uzbekistan is located between the two great Asian rivers the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, in the heart of Central Asia - a recognized geographical region in the south-west of the Asian continent and a natural bridge between Europe and the countries of Eastern Asia. This central position allows the country to be in both the northern and eastern hemispheres.
A look at the Uzbekistan map gives a clear idea about its immediate neighbours: Uzbekistan shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south.
Being one of the largest Central Asian states Uzbekistan covers an area of 447,400 square kilometers. It is the 56th largest country in the world by area and the 42nd by population (with population of more than 28 million people it is the most populous country in Central Asia).
Uzbekistan is divided into twelve provinces, one autonomous republic - Karakalpakstan, 162 districts. The country has 120 towns with major urban centres being Tashkent, the capital of the republic, Samarkand, Andijan, Bukhara, Namangan, and Khiva.
The geographical details of the country are clearly highlighted in Uzbekistan map.
The topography of Uzbekistan is diverse, ranging from the flat, scrubby desert, including the massive Kyzyl Kum that comprises almost 80 percent of the country's territory, to mountain peaks of the Tian Shan Range in the east reaching about 4,500 meters above sea level. In the northeast there is the most fertile part of Uzbekistan, the Fergana Valley, surrounded by mountain ranges to the north, south, and east and defined by the course of the Syr Dariya river on the west. The valley is home to the most desirable agricultural land and climate in all of western Asia. In the west, Uzbekistan is dominated by the Turan Lowland, the Amu Darya River valley, the Ustyurt Plateau and the southern half of the Aral Sea.
The two largest rivers feeding Uzbekistan are the Amu Darya and Syr Darya. The Syr Darya, in antiquity called Jaxartes, crosses the Ferghana Valley, runs on the north-eastern edge of the Kizil Kum Desert and flows into the Aral Sea. The Amu Darya, in antiquity known by its Latin name Oxus and figuring importantly in the history of Alexander the Great's campaigns, whereas in medieval Arabic sources called Jayhoun, isone of the longest rivers in Central Asia (2,540 km). Formed by the junction of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers in the Pamir Mountains of Central Asia, it then flows northwest, forming part of Uzbekistan's border with Turkmenistan before entering the Aral Sea through a delta.
The climate in the Republic of Uzbekistan is continental, with average annual rainfall amounting to between 100 and 200 millimeters. During the spring and the autumn the weather is relatively moderate. These two seasons are the best time to visit and explore Uzbekistan. Summer in Uzbekistan is long, dry, hot, and cloudless. The mean temperature for July is 32° C. However, in the south of the republic the average summer temperature tends to be above 40°C. Winter is usually short. The mean temperature in winter is -12° C, but depending on the part of the country may fall as low as -38° C.
Uzbekistan map is an apt indicator of all the popular tourist spots of the country.
Transoxiana is considered to be the world centre of eastern civilization, where a great number of ancient monuments are located. Tourists from all over the world are invariably attracted by the mosques, madrassahs, and mausoleums in such historical centres as Samarkand, Shakhrisabz, complex of Ichan-Kala in Khiva, which were rightfully included into the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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