Background:
Russia conquered
Uzbekistan in the late
19th century. Stiff resistance to the
Red Army after
World War I was eventually suppressed and a
socialist republic[?] set up in
1925. During the
Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (
cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land poisoned and the
Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since
1991, the country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its
mineral and
petroleum reserves. Current concerns include
terrorism by
Islamic militant groups from
Tajikistan and
Afghanistan, a non-convertible currency, and the curtailment of
human rights and democratization.
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