The administrative structure of the Republic of Uzbekistan consists of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, 12 provinces, 162 districts and 118 towns. The total population of Uzbekistan is the third largest among the CIS countries, after Russia and Ukraine. In 1993 the population was 21,703 thousand persons. It is now just over 24 million.
High population growth rates are characteristic of Uzbekistan. The Republic is behind only Tajikistan. Table 2 shows Uzbekistan's population is increasing every year by 450-550 thousand on average.
Several closely interrelated factors impact the growth of the country's population- specifically historical, social-and-economic, and especially demographic ones.
The population of Uzbekistan has been steadily growing for many years. Though there have been periods when this tendency was interrupted to a certain extent. For instance, from 1941 through 1945, mobilization of the population by the military caused a sharp reduction of the demographic base for reproduction. Negative consequences of this can be noticed in the demographic situation until now.
It has been statistically proven that currently Uzbekistan is experiencing its fastest growth rates (3 - 3.5 percent). Over the last three decades the population has increased by almost 12 million whereas another figure for the previous period of the same length was just 3.5 million.
The country's population is irregularly distributed over the territory. The average density of Uzbekistan's population is higher that that in some other CIS countries, including other republics of Central Asia. Due to high growth rates, the population density per square kilometer has increased three fold since the beginning of 1993 as compared to 1992, totaling 48.5 persons per square kilometer on average.
Due to specific features of its natural conditions - mountainous, desert state, arid climate - the population of Uzbekistan is concentrated mainly in the oases. Conversely, in the desert region population density is extremely low. It is as low as 8.1 persons per square km. in Karakalpakstan and 6.5 persons per square km. of the territory in the Navoi province. The Andijan province has population density 452.1 persons per square kilometer.
The Tashkent province is densely populated as well. The average population density there amounts to 279.3 persons per square kilometer, and is six times higher than Uzbekistan's average. This is primarily due to a large number of industrial enterprises and towns located there. An important place among them belongs to Tashkent, the largest city in the whole of Central Asia.
The high level of population growth in Uzbekistan is a result of a consistently high birthrate and low premature death rate.
Step by step, there is a steady process of urbanization in Uzbekistan. The number of towns is increasing, the role and significance thereof for social and economic development is becoming greater, and urban population is growing. Compared to 1939 the number of towns in Uzbekistan has increased almost 5 times.
The urban population count has had a tendency to grow, yet during the last few years the fraction of urban residency of the total population has not increased but rather decreased. In 1979, the urban population amounted to 41.2 percent, in 1989 - 40.7 percent, and in 1993 - 39.4 percent. This is explained by the significantly higher growth rates in rural population and by the fact that during the last several years settlements in the countryside were not artificially transferred to the category of towns. From 1940 to 1993 the number of the country's rural population rose more than 2.5 times. In this respect Uzbekistan is sharply different from a number of regions of the former Soviet Union, where the rural population is constantly decreasing, mainly due to migration to urban settlements.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital, also has very high residency growth rates. 556 thousand people lived in Tashkent in 1939: at the beginning of 1994, it was over two million. In 1939, Tashkent was the eighth largest city in former USSR, presently it is fourth in CIS, giving way only to such large cities as Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kiev. An important role in the development of Uzbekistan's urbanization is assigned both to historic towns like Samarkand, Bukhara, Andijan, and Ferghana, which served as centers of culture and civilization, and to the comparatively younger industrial towns of Almalyk, Angren, Navoi, Zarafshan, Chirchik and many others.
Migration processes are often important for the population growth or decline of particular areas. Thus, a construction work during the pre-war five-year plan periods, the earthquake of 1966 in Tashkent, and the development of productive work forces have caused a migration influx into Uzbekistan from other areas. Most migrants have come from Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. However, over the past 10 to 15 years the migration processes have undergone some essential changes and the migration balance is presently negative.
Uzbekistan has now a pendulum type of migration, primarily related to work or education of rural town dwellers. This process is especially intensive in the Tashkent (mainly the city of Tashkent), Andijan and Ferghana provinces, which all have well-developed industries. A pendulum type of migration facilitates improvement of the employment level of rural dwellers, leads to increasing the overall level of culture, and the improvement of interrelations of towns and villages.
Uzbekistan is ethnically and religiously diverse country. According to census data of the population taken in 1989, there are more than 130 nationalities currently living in the republic.
With consideration for specific demographic peculiarities of Uzbekistan and in an effort to encourage people who have advanced in the safeguarding of motherhood and childcare, as well as for the enhancement of health, moral and spiritual upbringing of the younger generations which shall face the strategic tasks of strengthening the country's self-dependence and independence, the first official order Soglom Avlod Uchun (For a Healthy Generation) of two degrees was established by a decree from the President on March 4, 1993. Until then, such an order was unknown in Uzbekistan. The persons awarded with this would be granted various privileges of both a material and moral nature that confirm the significance and authority of this order.
The Soglom Avlod Uchun order is awarded not only to those who are immediately involved in the protection and development of the younger generations but also to those who are employed in various state and public structures and who have contributed to the protection of mothers and children. It is of great importance that the order also be granted to people who have succeeded in the upbringing of orphans and invalids, as well as to representatives of public organizations who run extensive nation-wide campaigns aimed at charity and the creation of material and spiritual values protecting mothers and children.
Another testimony to the consideration of children and mothers was the decree by the President implemented on April 23, 1993, on setting up the international non-governmental charity fund, Soglom Avlod Uchun. The fund is aimed at raising new and healthy generations, the protection of mothers and children, and the creation of favorable conditions for physical, intellectual and spiritual development of children.
Soglom Avlod Uchun is open for all juridical entities and physical persons, including foreign citizens, agencies, firms and associations.
It is a high priority of the government to set up branches and affiliates of the fund in every regional center, including Tashkent. The main tasks of the Fund are as follows: strengthening the material and technical base of maternity houses and children's institutions, supplying them with modern equipment, providing them with new and effective medications, and coordinating efforts of public and state structures for improvement of the quality of life for future generations.
With the purpose of implementing a comprehensive program for improved sanitation and of state support for medical, social, investment and charity programs of the Soglom Avlod Uchun fund, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted on March 5, 1994 a resolution on state support of the Soglom Avlod Uchun fund.
This document of great state importance highlights the necessity to set up strongholds of the fund in every region and town of the country, to render financial, material, technical assistance where it is needed. It is necessary to stress another article of the resolution. It concerns the creation of the state medical and health improvement complex Soglom Avlod Uchun on the foundation of the uncompleted children's health-improvement complex on the shore of the Charvak artificial lake in the Bostanlyk region of the Tashkent pr
