Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia. It is a unitary, constitutional, presidential republic, comprising 12 provinces, 1 autonomous republic, and 1 independent city. Uzbekistan is bordered by five countries: Kazakhstan and the Aral Sea to the north; Tajikistan to the southeast; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Afghanistan to the south; and Turkmenistan to the southwest.

Did you know that:
1. Uzbekistan is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world. (The other one is Liechtenstein). A doubly landlocked country is one that is landlocked by other landlocked countries.
2. Uzbekistan’s Muruntan gold mine is one of the largest open pit gold mines in the world.
3. Tashkent’s metro features chandeliers, marble pillars and ceilings, granite, and engraved metal. It has been called one of the most beautiful train stations in the world.
4. In Uzbekistan, handshakes are only acceptable if it is between two men.
5. The way to greet an Uzbek woman is by bowing to her with your right hand placed over your heart.
6. In Uzbekistan, lipioshka (bread) is never laid upside down and is never put on the ground, even if it is in a bag. The Uzbeks believe that turning bread upside down will bring you bad fortune.