Uzbekistan, and its ancient cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and Tashkent were crucial stops along the Silk Road. The nation's territory has been inhabited continuously since 3,000 B.C., and has fallen under the jurisdiction of powers from Alexander the Great, to the Bukharan Khanate, to the Russian Empire. Uzbekistan is one of two double-landlocked nations in the world, the other being Lichtenstein -- meaning not only is Uzbekistan itself landlocked, but that it is also bordered by landlocked countries. The Kyzyl Kum desert and Tian Shen mountains run through much of Uzbekistan, while cotton grows in the Fergana Valley. While the Soviet plan to grow cotton in Uzbekistan has succeeded in that the nation is the world's second-largest exporter of it, the irrigation of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers has led to the depletion of the Aral Sea. This in turn has led to a major environmental, economic, and public health crisis which will affect Uzbekistan for many years to come.

Image courtesy of the CIA World Factbook.