Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia, meaning it is completely surrounded by other landlocked countries. With a population of approximately 36 million people, it ranks as the most populous country in Central Asia. Urban areas house roughly 50% of the population, with Tashkent, the capital and largest city, containing about 2.5 million residents. Islam is the predominant religion, practiced by roughly 90% of the population, mostly of the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam. The Uzbek language, part of the Turkic language family, is the official state language, though Russian remains widely used, especially in business and education…
