Land and climate. About 80 percent of Uzbekistan's land consists of plains and deserts. The vast Kyzylkum desert lies in central Uzbekistan. It is largely uninhabited except for mining towns. Plains south and east of the desert are used mostly for growing cotton.
Farmers raise livestock in the plains and in irrigated desert areas.
Uzbekistan's most densely populated region is the Fergana Valley, in the east. The valley receives its water from mountains of the Tian Shan range that surround it. Central Asia's two most important rivers, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya, flow to the Aral Sea from the Tian Shan and Pamir mountains. Summers in Uzbekistan are long, dry, and hot. Winters are cold.