Backgrounder: Some basic facts about Uzbekistan

The heads of state from the six member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will attend the 2006 SCO summit scheduled on June 15 in Shanghai.

The SCO, established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, consists of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The following is some basic information about Uzbekistan.

Geography: Located in Central Asia, the landlocked Uzbekistan borders Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan is over 447,000 square kilometers in area.

Population: 26.1 million

Capital: Tashkent

Official language: Uzbek

Natural resources: Gold, cotton, oil and natural gas are four mainstays of Uzbekistan's economy. It is also rich in silver, platinum and zinc.