Plan about Uzbekistan Natural resources. Population, labor and employment

About Uzbekistan. Natural resources.

Uzbekistan is rich with big variety of energy carriers, raw materials and other natural resources that are essential for development of a multi-sectoral economy.

The main items of natural-resource potential of the country consist of:

• in industry - significant reserves of uranium,hydrocarbon fuel, gold, non-ferrous metals (in general, there are more than 2700 reserve fields and perspective appearance of about 100 types of minerals, with estimated value of 3.5 trillion US dollars);

  
  

• in agriculture - approximately four million hectares of irrigated, arable land, as well as vast pastures, which, along with ample amounts of heat and sun shine, favor production of various products of plant-growing and animal husbandry;

  
  

• in recreational sphere - beautiful natural landscape, favorable climate, sources of healing mineral waters that create necessary conditions for developing tourisms, resort businesses, leisure and sports.

  
  

Based on several parameters of natural-resource potential, Uzbekistan

ranks high in the world. Having ranked 55^th on total area among about two hundred states of the planet, Uzbekistan ranked 4^th in the World on gold reserves, 8^th - on reserves of uranium and molybdenum and 11^th on confirmed reserves of copper and on total area of artificially irrigated land, 15^th on reserves of natural gas.

Uzbekistan also has rich and diverse flora and fauna. Approximately 20% of about four thousand types of plants are endemic, at the same time, every third of plants being medicinal. The forest area is not relatively big, accounting for about 5% of the country's total territory. Fauna of Uzbekistan includes about one hundred kinds of animals, approximately 400 kinds of birds and 80 kinds of fish.

About Uzbekistan. Population, labor and employment.

By the beginning of 2005, population of Uzbekistan exceeded 26 million people, two-thirds of which live in rural and one-third in urban areas. Most populated cities include the capital city, Tashkent (2.2 million people), followed by Samarkand, Namangan, Andijan,which of them counts from 300 to 400 thousands of residents. In Uzbekistan, together with the main ethnic group - Uzbeks, after which the country takes its name, more than 100 other ethnic groups' representatives, including Karakalpaks, Tajiks, Russians, Kazakhs, Tatars, Koreans and many others, live in peace and harmony.

During last several years, average annual growth of population in rural areas of Uzbekistan has been accounting for 1.5%, and 0.5% - in urban areas. It is projected that by the year 2015 total population of Uzbekistan will reach 30.1 million people.

In 2004 9.9 million people were employed in economy of Uzbekistan. 67.7% of that employed in the economy were engaged in the sphere of material production, 31% - being in agriculture and forestry, 13% - in manufacturing sector, and more than 8% - in construction. 32.3% of the employed population worked in spheres of non-material production.

In 2004 around 425 thousand job-seekers were registered, and 324 thousand of them provided with jobs. The number of the officially registered at labor exchanges amounted for approximately 35 thousand people.