Location: Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

Access to sea: Country is encircled by land.
Note: border passes through Aral Sea (420 km. of seaside of Aral sea).
Neighbors: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
Coordinates: 41 00 N, 64 00 EArea:
    total – 447,400 sq. km.;
    land – 425,400 sq. km.;
    water – 22,000 sq. km.
Land boundaries:
    total length – 6,221 km.
    extent of borders with Afghanistan - 137 km., Kazakhstan – 2,203 km., Kirgizstan – 1,099 km., Tadjikistan – 1,161 km., Turkmenistan – 1,621 km.;

Coastline: 0 km. (not to count 420 km. of Aral Sea)

Terrain. Most of the territory of Uzbekistan is occupied by plains (near four fifth of the territory). One of the main is Turanian plain. In the east and northeast of country are situated spurs of Tien-Shan and the Pamirs, here is the highest spot of country (4 643 ?). There is one of the largest desert of the world – Kizilkums on the north of central part of the territory of Uzbekistan.

Geological composition and useful minerals. Entrails of the country contain spares of natural gas, gray and stone coal, gold, copper, tungsten, bismuth; opened oilfields.

Climate. Climate of the country is mostly middle attitude desert-continental. Difference of temperatures depending on times of year is quite significant. Average January temperature goes lower than -6?, but average of July rises higher than +32?. The amount of rainfall is little, that's why agriculture mostly depends on irrigation.

Internal waters. Majority of rivers of Uzbekistan are currently drying up, only Amu-Darya and Sir-Darya fall into the Aral Sea. There are several large artificial lakes in Uzbekistan, such as Chardarya reservoir.

Soil and vegetation. On plains dominates deserted vegetation, in mountains - steppes, wood, mountain meadows.

Animal world. Fauna of country highly varied: in the desert one can meet rare antelope Saygak and giant lizards, reaching lengths 1,5 ?. In mountains haunts a snow leopard and rare types mountain goats.

Mountain system. Mountains and foothills form approximately 1/5 territory of the republic. In the east dominate middle and high mountainous forms of the terrain: declivities or completions of mountain ranges West Tien-Shan (mountain ranges Ugam, Pskent, Chatkal, Kuramin) and the Pamirs-Alay (mountain ranges Zeravshan, Turkestan, Gissar, Kugitangtau, Baysuntau) are within the republic. To the south and west, they are gradually lower and move over to plains. Quiet big troughs: Kashqadarya, Surkhandarya, Zeravshan and Samarqand stretch between mountains. The largest intermountain trough – Ferghana hollow (valley) - 370 kilometers, and in the width reaches 190 kilometers. It is surrounded by the mountain ranges from three sides and open only from the west. Extensive Near Amu-Darya trough is on the border with Afghanistan.

Natural resources. Republic of Uzbekistan has great production and is mineral potential, unique agricultural raw materials, significant volumes of half-finished items, got in the process of conversion, rich natural resources, developed infrastructure.

Modern level of exploring useful minerals is connected with mastering richest deposits of noble, color and rare metals, all types of organic fuel - oil, natural gas and gas condensates, gray and half-coke coal, combustible schist, uranus, many other types of raw materials useful for construction work.

Broad complex of useful fossils, including near 100 types mineral raw materials is revealed on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, from which 60 are already in use in the public facilities.

Uzbekistan occupies leading places on confirmed stocks of such useful fossilized, as gold, uranus, copper, natural gas, tungsten, potassium salts, phosphorus, kaolin not only in C.I.S., but also in the world. So, on stocks of gold republic occupies a fourth place in the world, but on the level of its mining seventh place, on stocks of copper - tenth - eleventh place; uranus - seventh - eighth place, but on its mining - eleventh - a twelfth place.
Available stocks of mineral resources in its majority not only ensure acting mining complexes on the long prospect, but also allow to enlarge powers, newly organize a mining row most of the important useful fossilized - gold, uranus, copper, lead, silver, lithium, phosphorus, potassium salts, agricultural chemistry ore and others.

Tashkent

Tashkent - is one of the most biggest ancient city in Central Asia - the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The first information about Tashkent as a city settlings is kept in the ancient east chronicles of the II century B.C., in the Chinese sources it's called Yuni; in the inscriptions of 262 years B.C. of Pursian king Shapura I on "Kaabe Zoroastra" the oasis of Tashkent was called Chach. Chach was a crossroads on the way of gold export, precious stones, spices and splendid horses to another towns and states. Today Tashkent, in translation from uzbek standing for "Stone town" is a capital of modern Republic, keeping the evidence of future, the memory of many history events of Uzbekistan, - one of the biggest industrial center of Central Asia, with the population of over 2 million people.

Historical and architectural monuments of Tashkent:

• Medrese of Kukeldash (14th century).,
• Mausoleum of Kaffal-Shashi (15th century).,
• Architectural ensemble of Hazrati (Saint) Imom (16th century).,
• Medrese of Abul Kasim (19th century).,
• Medrese of Barak-han (16th century).
• The Mosque of Juma (Friday) (19th century).,
• The museum of Amir Temur - masterpiece of modern architecture,
• The Square of Amir Temur,
• The Square of Freedom,
• The Square of Friendship of Nations,
• The Monument of Courage,
• The Square of Hasti Imom,
• The Mosque of Tilla Sheyh,
• The Square of Hadra,
• ?Mausoleum of Sufi Ota.

Samarkand

The history of Samarkand - numbers of about 2500 years, and architectural monuments referring to the time of governing dynasty of Timurids' has such as importance as architectural masterpiece of ancient Egypt, Chinese, India, Greece and Rim.

Historical and architectural monuments of Samarkand

• The ancient settling of Afrosiyab (8th century B.C.),
• The Observatory of Ulugbek (1428-1429),
• Architectural ensemble of Shohi Zinda,
• The Mosque of Hazrati (Saint) Hizr (in the middle of 19th century),
• The Mosque of Bibi - Hanum (1399-1404),
• Medres of Ulugbek (1417-1420),
• Medres of Sher -Dor (1619-1635/36),
• Medres of Tillya - Kori (1647-1659/60),
• Bazaar of Chorsu (four water)(end of 18th century),
• Mausoleum of Ruhabad (1380th ),
• Mausoleum of Ak - Saray (white shed)(1470),
• Mausoleum of Gur - Emir (1404),
• The Mosque of Namozgoh (17th century),
• Mausoleum of Ishrat Xona (1464),
• Ensemble of Hoja Ahror (15-20 century),
• Mausoleum of Chulpan Ota (1430-1440),
• The Cemetery of Hoja Abdu Darun (15th -19th ctntury),

Buhara

On Sanskrit the Buhara means "abbey", which was a big commercial center on the Great Silk Road whenever. Buhara -"The city of museum", proposes more than 140 the architectural monuments of the Middle Ages. Such ensembles as Poi - Kalan, Kosh Madras, mausoleum of Ismail Samoni, minaret of Kalyan and others built 2300 years ago, today they are attracting the great attention of tourists. The famous poets like Narshahi, Rudaki Dakiki and others have played the important role in development of Buhara.

Historical and architectural monuments of Buhara

• The Ark (11th -20th century),
• An Ensemble of Bola - Hauz (in the beginning of 18th -20th century),
• Mausoleum of Samani (9th -10th century),
• The Cemetery of Chashmoi - Ayub (1380 or 1384/85),
• Medres of Abdulla - han (1596/98),
• Medres of Madari - han (1556/57),
• The Mosque of Baland (High) (in the beginning of 16th century),
• An Ensemble of Gaukushon (the mosque, minaret, medrese (16th century)),
• Honaka of Zaynutdin Hodji (1555),
• An Ensemble of Poi - Kalon (12th - 14th century),
• An Ensemble of Labi -Houz (16th -17th century),
• Medres of Kukel'dash (1568/69),
• Hanaka of Nodir Divanbegi (1620),
• Medres of Ulugbek (1417),
• Medres of Abdulaziz Han (1652),
• The Mosque of Bola Hauz,
• Mausoleum of Sayfiddin Buharziy (the second half of 13th -14th century),
• Mausoleum of Buen Kuli Han (the second half of 14th -15th or 16th centuries),
• The Mosque of Namazgoh (12th -16th centuries),
• Hanaka of Fayzabad (1598/99),
• The Mosque of Chor-Minor (four column)(1807),
• The Palace of Emir of Buhara "Sitorai Mohi Hossa" (in the end of 19th the beginning of 20th century),
• Chor-Bakr - the burial place of shih Jubaeri family (1560/63), .

Hiva

Mystical city Hiva succeeded to keeping its exotically shape of eastern city in the ancient parts of Ichan-Kala, where disposed numerous of architectural monuments.

Historical and architectural monuments of Hiva

• Ichan-Kala: The Mosque and Medrese of Said-bay (end of 18th -beginning of 19th centuries),
• It's around the gate of Polvan Darboza,
• Medrese of Allakulihan (1834/35),
• Medrese of Kutlug-Murad-Inak (1804/12),
• Bridge and Caravansary of Allakulihan (19th century),
• Medres of Abdulla Han (1865),
• The Mosque and Palace of Anush Han (1657),
• Tosh-Hayli (the stone lot)(of Allakulihan) (1830/36),
• Ok mechet (the white mosque ) (1832/42),
• The Mosque and Minaret of Juma (1788/89),
• Mausoleum of Said Alauddin (14th century),
• Medres of Muhammad Amin Han (1851/52),
• Minaret of Kalta Minor (1855),
• Kun'ya-Ark (1868/88),
• Minaret of Tura-Murat-Tur (1888),
• Medres of Muhammad Amin Han (1871),
• Medres of Shirgaziz han (1718/20),
• The Mosque of Boglandi (19th century),
• Medres of Arabhan (1838),

Eco-tourism

The development of eco-tourism in the country plays the important role in the positive process of social-economic and ecological changing. As practice shows that eco-tourism - it's positive eco-business that permitting to extend the number of work places in the majority of regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan, restore and keep of the natural ecosystems, that shows the necessity of widely spreading of eco-tourism in Central Asia.

Taking into consideration above, the majority of tourist organizations have worked out the ecological turns on Uzbekistan and also there were set up the organizations which works directly in the development of eco-tourism in the country.

One of a such organization is the "Ecosan-tur" Center, which was established in according with the recommendation of The First International Conference "Eco-tourism and Great Silk Road", which have been taking place under the aegis of International "Ecosan" Fund, Fund named by Fredric Abert (FRG) and "Uzbektourism" National company. In the development of Center activities the specialists of tourist's branches, from organizations of Uzbekistan nature conservation and other countries of Central Asia, consultants are involved. The business structures, functioning in the regions-objects of eco-tourism and the organs of local authority and also local self-governing organs have attracted

The development activities of the Center promotes conformed by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 1999 year - The Development program of tourism in Uzbekistan on the period to 2005 year. The marketing measures on safely intact and purposeful use in protected zone, natural monuments coming into the world heritage of cultures and histories entered to this program.

Existing a majority of problems concerning to the development of eco-tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan including, attracting the local population to the activities of eco-tourist's, shortage skilled personnel, not informed enough the potential tourists from many countries about the unique nature-landscapes of eco-tourist's possibilities of region in Central Asia. There are conducting the meetings with local populations (in mahalla) to solve these and other problems, there are begun teaching personnel in the University of economy and in the courses of national company "Uzbekturism" on advantages and stability of eco-tourism. There are carrying on the consultative (advisory) meetings with foreign tourist's centers, tour-firms on informing of communities abroad about the eco-tourist's possibilities of region. The Embassy of Uzbekistan in foreign countries and fund department of "Ecosan" abroad are taking place in this measures. There are conducted the uninterruptedly control on going realization of the project on natural, social-economic aspects and their interconnect will be showings of eco-tourism stability. The indicators of monitoring is condition of:

1. Natural ecosystem, keeping and restoring biogeosenoz of biological varieties.
2. The development of social infrastructure, water-supply, the sanitation-hygienic conditions, the improvement of labor c ondition.
3. Economic showings, grows incomes of local population, the improvement of life conditions, equipping with services and utilities in populated areas.
4. Ecological cultures, grows the educational level. On the total of eco-tourist visits (dip-corpus mission and the representatives of international organizations from more than 50 countries and 20 international organizations) to the region near the Aral sea was helped over 20 million US dollars in a year. There were established the net of water-supply, social infrastructure, improved sanitation and hygienic condition in populated areas.

Taking account the results of eco-tourist's activities, it may confirm that eco-tourism is a important factor in the development of tourism stability in Uzbekistan. Holding measures of eco-tourism helps to extend ecological education of population and it brings to the improvement of social-economic condition of regions' population.