Uzbekistan

Asia 
Central Asia, north of Afghanistan.

41 00 N, 64 00 E

President Islam Karimov	Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev

Capital

Tashkent

Government
Presidential Republic

Religion
Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Population
27,606,007 (July 2010 est.)

Ethnic group
Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

National Language
Uzbek

National Day
September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Currency
Uzbekistan som (O'zbekiston so'mi) (UZS)

Anthem
O‘zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi

Attractions
Bukhara Old Town,  Registan Square in Samarkand,  Tashkent Old Town 

Website
www.touruz.com

Art & Cultural

About ICON

Registan                The Registan was the heart of the ancient Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The name Registan (ریگستان) means "Sandy place" in Persian. The Registan was a place of public executions, where also people gathered to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes called dzharchis. The three madrasahs of the Registan are: Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636) and the Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660). Madrasah is an Arabic term meaning school.