Uzbekistan - Travel Report

Uzbekistan is a relatively newly independent country in the midst of profound political and economic change. The capital is Tashkent. More than 70% of the population speaks Uzbek; only 15% percent of the population speaks Russian. The predominant religion in Uzbek is Sunni Muslim so most of the traditional Sunni Muslim holidays are observed by the majority of the Uzbek population. Most transactions are conducted on a cash-only, local currency (soum) basis. Credit cards are accepted only at the main hotels and a few shops and restaurants; traveler's checks can be cashed into dollars at the National Bank of Uzbekistan. Old U.S. dollar bills (prior to 1990) and/or those in poor condition (with tears, writing or stamps) are not acceptable forms of currency in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is an earthquake-prone country. General information about natural disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov/.