ABSTRACT
Uzbekistan has long been a major centre for trade between Europe and China. It has boundaries with Turkmenistan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan; it is the only state to have boundaries with all four Central Asian states. Uzbekistan is landlocked and has no access to the Caspian Sea, although it does share the Aral Sea with Kazakstan. The state has a range of resources, including oil and natural gas, but is chiefly known for its irrigated agriculture and the virtual monoculture of cotton. The effect on the Amudarya River and the Syrdarya in the north in Kazakstan, was catastrophic and the result is seen in the increasing desiccation of the Aral Sea. Elected originally as president on 24 March 1990, Islam Karimov retains power. In 1992, Uzbekistan joined the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and the OSCE. In July 1994, it became a member of the PfP. The Fergana Valley is already recognised as a geopolitical flashpoint.
