What's an Uzbek?

[Doctor_J]

I know that Cossacks come from Khasakstan, and Afghans come from Afghanistan, and Kurds... But I've never heard anyone referred to as an Uzbek. Some historian/euro-political expert fill me in on this.

:shrug:

[LiberalVoice]

1. someone from uzbekistan?

and wouldn't it be uzbeki?

[Doctor_J]

4. Looks like it's just Uzbek

according to the cia fact sheet linked below. I just had heard of Cossacks and Afghans, but not of Uzbeks or Turkmenis or Kyrgyzs or some of the others.

[arcos]

7. Uzbek is the ethnicity of 80% of Uzbekistanis... nt

[Autumn Colors]

8. This is really typical of us...

We as a people know so little about the rest of the world. The former Soviet Union has hundreds of ethnicities in it. If you look at a just a map of Russia, divided into "oblasts" (what we might call states or counties), many of them have ethnic groups with similar names (i.e. the Chechens from Chechnya), especially as you go further East from Moscow.

Each of the West Asian countries of the former USSR has its own main ethnic group as well:

Turkmenistan = Turkmen (not the same as Turkish, btw)
Uzbekistan = Uzbek
Kazakhstan = Kazakhs (and these are NOT the same as Cossacks)
Kyrgyzstan = Kyrgyz
Tajikistan = Tajik

As well... there are Armenians in Armenia, Georgians in Georgia, and Azeris (or Azerbaijanis) in Azerbaijan.

On the other hand, most of the people from the former Soviet republic of Moldova are ethnic Romanians and there's a percentage of the population in that country who would like Moldova to become part of Romania.

I've dealt with many people (teachers and students) from the former Soviet Union over the past 16 years and I've learned a lot from them.

Why? Because of this:
http://www.michander.com/sape/

My old "Soviet" penpal from the late 1970s and I started that organization. :)

[Doctor_J]

17. THat's cool

congrats. I know what you mean about being America-centric. I consider myself a little more erudite than most on these types of things, but still it's hard to keep up. Thanks for the info.

[tabasco]

20. Cossacks is not a term for people from Khazakstan.

http://www.armymuseum.ru/kaz1_e.html

[arcos]

6. It's Uzbekistani, according to the CIA World Factbook...

Nationality:
noun: Uzbekistani
adjective: Uzbekistani

Ethnic groups:
Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uz.html

[Autumn Colors]

9. But they refer to themselves as Uzbeks

(see my post above)

[Bill McBlueState]

13. the difference

It appears the difference between the two terms is that Uzbekistanis are people from Uzbekistan regardless of ethnicity, while Uzbeks are strictly members of the dominant ethnic group within Uzbekistan.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

2. I just think they're from Uzbekistan.

[Garbo 2004]

3. CIA factbook on Uzbekistan here:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uz.html

[rpannier]

5. They're from Uzbekistan

They're descendants of the Khan ruler - Oz Beg under whom the Mongol Empire reached it's height. They are probably the most traditional Muslims in the region. They still practice the traditional marriages, the traditional burials, child-brides and bride prices.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. Oz Beg? They descend from an Australian panhandler?

:silly:

[rpannier]

11. Oz Beg

Was a Mongol KIng and a great warrior

[fudge stripe cookays]

12. It's a joke, son.

A bad one, but nonetheless....

:eyes:

[rpannier]

21. My apologies

I was in a pissy mood when I read your posting -- My bad.

[fudge stripe cookays]

22. Wasn't my posting,

but apology accepted on behalf of my humorous but really bad-joke telling friend.

[asthmaticeog]

16. "Oh, great warrior, hmm? Wars not make one great."

[Doctor_J]

18. snark

:rofl:

Nice one, CPD

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

14. This person has an interesting take on Uzbekistan:

http://www.cyber0ne.com/knowledgebase/ViewArticle.aspx?id=10

[KharmaTrain]

15. A Former Soviet Republic...It's Own Nationality

This is one of the former "southern tier" of the former Soviet/Russian empire. This land was predominately Muslim...the Uzbeks are relatives to the Pushtin in Afghanistan until the Russians took control in the late 18th and early 19th Century. For decades these people were a double minority...Muslims and non-Russians. During the Soviet era, Moscow attempted to dillute the local population by moving a lot of Russians into the republic.

It split from the USSR in '91, but still retains the old Communist structure...just like several other former Soviet states. In essence, things haven't really changed for many in the country...it's meet the new boss, same as the old boss. For several years, thanks to all the oil in the region, it has become closer to the U.S...relying on us for the financial hand-outs it used to get from Moscow. In exchanged, they allowed us to set up a military base...the first inside a former Soviet state...that was used in the early days of the Afghan invasion. Since then things have soured as civil strife and this regime's going back on promises has opened that place up to be a possible future Chechnya.

In high school, I had a teacher give us a test on the names of the various Soviet Republics (circa 1970)...it sure came in handy. Now don't ask me about what a Kryzg is...LOL.

[Hyernel]

19. A small African deer with spirally horns?

:)

Kidding!