A dry, landlocked country in Central Asia, the Republic of Uzbekistan is bordered on the north by Kazakhstan, on the northeast by Kyrgyzstan, with Tajikistan to the southeast, Afghanistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest. Its capital city is Tashkent, and its official languages are Uzbek and Russian. Following a brief history of the country, this entry provides an overview of the social, economic, and political environment in contemporary Uzbekistan, with particular attention to the status of mass media. The entry [Page 1832]concludes with a discussion of online media freedom and government policy.