Uzbekistan: Introduction

Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country located in Central Asia that borders the countries of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan has a varied landscape that includes a rolling sandy desert, mountains along the border with Tajikistan, and the Aral Sea in the west. The government system is a republic under authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch; the chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. Uzbekistan has a mixed economy in which there is limited private freedom, but the economy remains highly controlled by the government.