president; percent of
vote--Islom KARIMOV 86%, Muhammed SOLIH 12%, other 2%

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis
(250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA December
1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--People's Democratic Party 207, Fatherland Progress Party 12,
other 31; note--seating following the final runoff elections were
held 22 January 1995: People's Democratic Party 69, Fatherland
Progress Party 14, Social Democratic Party 47, local government 120
note: all parties in parliament support President KARIMOV

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the
president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly

Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Party or NDP
YULDASHEV, chairman]; Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party
secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Birlik (Unity) Movement

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sadyk SAFAYEV
chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. PRESEL
embassy: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent 700115
mailing address: use embassy street address; US Embassy Tashkent,
Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7110

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top),
white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent
moon and 12 white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

Economy

Economy--overview: Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of
which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys.
It was one of the poorest areas of the former Soviet Union with more
than 60% of its population living in densely populated rural
communities. Uzbekistan is now the world's third largest cotton
exporter, a major producer of gold and natural gas, and a regionally
significant producer of chemicals and machinery. Following
independence in December 1991, the government sought