)

Imports--commodities: grain, machinery and parts, consumer
durables, other foods

Imports--partners: principally other FSU, Czech Republic, Western
Europe

Debt--external: $2.6 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid--recipient: $276.6 million (1995)

Currency: Uzbekistani som (UKS)

Exchange rates: Uzbekistani soms (UKS) per US$1--111.9 (February
1999), 110.95 (December 1998), 75.8 (September 1997), 41.1 (1996),
30.2 (1995), 11.4 (1994), 1.0 (1993)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 1.475 million (1998 est.)

Telephone system: poorly developed; ambitiously engaged in
telecommunications modernization
domestic: in 1998 there were six cellular networks operating in
Uzbekistan; 4 GSM, 1 D-AMPS, 1 AMPS standard
international: linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS
member states and to other countries by leased connection via the
Moscow international gateway switch; new Intelsat links to Tokyo
(Japan) and Ankara (Turkey) give Uzbekistan international access
independent of Russian facilities; satellite earth stations--NA
Orbita and NA Intelsat; Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note--there
are 12 radio broadcast stations including one state-owned broadcast
station of NA type and four independent stations

Radios: 29,016,870

Television broadcast stations: 4 (in addition, there are two
repeater stations that relay Russian ORT programs and Kazakh,
Kyrgyz, and Tadzhik programs) (1997)

Televisions: 24,497,850

Transportation

Railways:
total: 3,380 km in common carrier service; does not include
industrial lines
broad gauge: 3,380 km 1.520-m gauge (300 km electrified) (1993)

Highways:
total: 81,600 km
paved: 71,237 km (note--these roads are said to be hard surfaced,
meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced)
unpaved: 10,363 km dirt (1996 est.)

Waterways: 1,100 (1990)

Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural
gas 810 km (1992)

Ports and harbors: Termiz (Amu Darya river)

Airports: 3 (1997 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security
Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard

Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age

Military manpow