Capital: Tashkent Area: 447,400 sq km / 172,741 sq ml Language: Uzbek Currency: Som Population: 25,981,647 Life expectancy: 66 (men), 73 (women) Literacy rate: 85% Religions: Sunni Muslim Physical features: Oases in the deserts; rivers Amu, Darya, Syr Darya; Fergana Valley; rich in mineral deposits Exports: Rice, dried fruit, vine fruits (all grown by irrigation), cotton, silk