History

    Uzbekistan is the site of one of the world's oldest civilized regions, and the land has a rich history of conquest and cultural exchange. Alexander the Great conquered the ancient Persian province of Sogdiana in the fourth century B.C. Turkic nomads entered the area in the sixth century A.D. It passed the eight century to the Arabs (who introduced Islam) and in the 12th century to the Seljuk Turks of Khorazm. Jenghiz Khan captured the region in the 13th century, and in the 14th century, Amir Timur (Tamerlane) made his native Samarkand the center of his huge empire.

     Turkestan (present-day Central Asian countries) was conquered by Russian forces in the second half of the 19th century. Uzbek leaders did try to establish a European-style democratic republic in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917 but were unsuccessful. In 1918, the Turkistan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was organized on Uzbek territory, followed, in 1920, by the establishment of the Khorezm and Bukhara People's Republics. Finally, in 1924, the Uzbek-populated areas were united in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic.

     In June 1990, the Uzbek parliament passed a resolution declaring the republic's sovereignty. After the failed Moscow coup of 1991, Uzbekistan was declared an independent state with Islam Karimov as its first president. In December 1991, Uzbekistan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States. Uzbekistan celebrated its 10th anniversary of independence in 2001.

For more info on Uzbekistan visit: The Cia World Factbook Uzbekistan page