Context
India and Uzbekistan recently conducted the 17th Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi as part of efforts to deepen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in various sectors.
About Uzbekistan
- Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, with Tashkent as its capital. Liechtenstein is the only other doubly landlocked country in the world.
- Much of the country is covered by the arid Kyzylkum Desert and the Turan Plain, while the eastern region is marked by the Tien Shan, Gissar and Alay mountain ranges.
- The Tien Shan range includes Beshtor Peak, the country’s highest point at about 14,104 feet.
- Uzbekistan lies mainly between the Syr Darya and Amu Darya river systems, and major lakes include Aydar Lake and Sarygamysh Lake.
- Fertile regions such as the Fergana and Zeravshan valleys support agriculture and include historic cities like Samarkand and Bukhara.
- The country also includes the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan and possesses significant reserves of natural gas, copper, uranium, zinc, lead and tungsten.
