Uyuni Salt Flat, arid windswept salt flat in southwestern Bolivia. It lies on the Altiplano, at 11,995 feet (3,656 metres) above sea level. The Uyuni Salt Flat is Bolivia’s largest salt-encrusted waste area (about 4,085 square miles [10,582 square km]) and is separated from the Coipasa Salt Flat, a

Cem Uzan is a Turkish businessman and politician known for launching the first private television channel in Turkey and for his subsequent foray into politics. Uzan’s father had made his fortune in the construction industry. The Uzan family’s various business holdings grew extensively over the

Cem Uzan is a Turkish businessman and politician known for launching the first private television channel in Turkey and for his subsequent foray into politics. Uzan’s father had made his fortune in the construction industry. The Uzan family’s various business holdings grew extensively over the

Tigris-Euphrates river system: Hydrology: …the Great Zab, Little Zab, ʿUẓaym, and Diyālā rivers, all of which derive their water mainly from snowmelt in Turkish, Iranian, and Iraqi Kurdistan. The precipitous flow of its tributaries makes the Tigris more susceptible than the Euphrates to short-term flooding, and its short length brings its annual flood period…

Öz Beg was a Mongol leader and khan of the Golden Horde, or Kipchak empire, of southern Russia, under whom it attained its greatest power. He reigned from 1312 to 1341. Öz Beg was a convert to Islām, but he also welcomed Christian missionaries from western Europe into his realm. Öz Beg encouraged

Uzbek, any member of a Central Asian people found chiefly in Uzbekistan, but also in other parts of Central Asia and in Afghanistan. The Uzbeks speak either of two dialects of Uzbek, a Turkic language of the Altaic family of languages. More than 16 million Uzbeks live in Uzbekistan, 2,000,000 in

Öz Beg was a Mongol leader and khan of the Golden Horde, or Kipchak empire, of southern Russia, under whom it attained its greatest power. He reigned from 1312 to 1341. Öz Beg was a convert to Islām, but he also welcomed Christian missionaries from western Europe into his realm. Öz Beg encouraged

Uzbek khanate, any of the three states that ruled Transoxania, in present-day Uzbekistan, before it came under Russian rule in the 19th century. The khanates of Bukhara and Khiva (Khwārezm) were established by two branches of the Shaybānid dynasty, which won control of Transoxania from the Timurids

Uzbek language, member of the Turkic language family within the Altaic language group, spoken in Uzbekistan, eastern Turkmenistan, northern and western Tajikistan, southern Kazakhstan, northern Afghanistan, and northwestern China. Uzbek belongs to the southeastern, or Chagatai, branch of the Turkic

Uzbek literature, the body of written works produced by the Uzbek people of Central Asia, most of whom live in Uzbekistan, with smaller populations in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Although its roots stretch as far back as the 9th century, modern Uzbek literature traces its origins in

Uzbekistan, landlocked country in Central Asia. It lies mainly between two major rivers, the Syr Darya (ancient Jaxartes River) to the northeast and the Amu Darya (ancient Oxus River) to the southwest, though they only partly form its boundaries. Uzbekistan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the

horizontally striped blue-white-green national flag with red fimbriations (narrow borders) between the stripes. In the upper hoist corner are a white crescent and 12 white stars. The flag’s width-to-length ratio is 1 to 2.Uzbekistan legalized the design of its new national flag on November 18,

Uzbekistan: History: Humans lived in what is now Uzbekistan as early as the Paleolithic Period (Old Stone Age), some 55,000 to 70,000 years ago. The great states of Bactria, Khwārezm, and Sogdiana emerged during the 1st millennium bce in the fertile region around the

Uzbekistan, landlocked country in Central Asia. It lies mainly between two major rivers, the Syr Darya (ancient Jaxartes River) to the northeast and the Amu Darya (ancient Oxus River) to the southwest, though they only partly form its boundaries. Uzbekistan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the

Uzbekistan, landlocked country in Central Asia. It lies mainly between two major rivers, the Syr Darya (ancient Jaxartes River) to the northeast and the Amu Darya (ancient Oxus River) to the southwest, though they only partly form its boundaries. Uzbekistan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the

Uzbekistan, landlocked country in Central Asia. It lies mainly between two major rivers, the Syr Darya (ancient Jaxartes River) to the northeast and the Amu Darya (ancient Oxus River) to the southwest, though they only partly form its boundaries. Uzbekistan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the

Uzhhorod, city, western Ukraine. It is situated along the Uzh River just east of the Slovak border. For centuries Uzhhorod has been an important cultural, educational, religious, and economic center of the Carpathian Mountains region. It was founded in the 8th or 9th century and has long had

Eastern rite church: History: The Union of Uzhhorod (Uzhgorod) in 1646 brought many Ruthenians (or Rusyns) into the Roman Catholic Church when 63 Ruthenian Orthodox priests, who represented Ruthenians living under Catholic rule, accepted the authority of Rome while being allowed to maintain their liturgical language (Old Church Slavonic) and…

Uzhhorod, city, western Ukraine. It is situated along the Uzh River just east of the Slovak border. For centuries Uzhhorod has been an important cultural, educational, religious, and economic center of the Carpathian Mountains region. It was founded in the 8th or 9th century and has long had

Eastern rite church: History: The Union of Uzhhorod (Uzhgorod) in 1646 brought many Ruthenians (or Rusyns) into the Roman Catholic Church when 63 Ruthenian Orthodox priests, who represented Ruthenians living under Catholic rule, accepted the authority of Rome while being allowed to maintain their liturgical language (Old Church Slavonic) and…

Uzhhorod, city, western Ukraine. It is situated along the Uzh River just east of the Slovak border. For centuries Uzhhorod has been an important cultural, educational, religious, and economic center of the Carpathian Mountains region. It was founded in the 8th or 9th century and has long had

Uzi submachine gun, compact automatic weapon that is used throughout the world as a police and special-forces firearm. The Uzi is named for its designer, Uziel Gal, an Israeli army officer who developed it after the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. Gal based his weapon partly on earlier Czech designs, in

Užice, town, southwestern Serbia. It lies along the Djetinja River and the Sarajevo-Čačak-Belgrade railway line. A medieval town of strategic importance, Užice was the headquarters for the Partisan army in autumn 1941. It was renamed in honour of Josip Broz Tito in 1946 but reverted to its old name

Mawlamyine: …renowned for its view, and Uzina, with life-sized figures representing the four events that influenced the Buddha to become a hermit. The city lies in an area that has a sizable Mon population.

Uzumaki, a horror manga (Japanese comic book) by Ito Junji, originally published in 1998–99 in the magazine Big Comic Spirits in vols. 7–39. It was released in North America in 2001–02 by VIZ Media in the now-discontinued magazine Pulp. The title, Uzumaki (“spiral”), is conventionally untranslated

Uzun Ḥasan was the ruler (1453–78) of the Turkmen Ak Koyunlu dynasty who created a short-lived empire in Iran, Iraq, eastern Anatolia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. With the death of Kara Osman, founder of the Ak Koyunlu dynasty, in 1435, a civil war ensued among his descendants. By 1453 Uzun Ḥasan had

al-Lāt: …goddesses, Manāt (Fate) and al-ʿUzzā (Strong), were associated with al-Lāt in the Qurʾān (Islāmic sacred scriptures). The Prophet Muḥammad once recognized these three as goddesses, but a new revelation led him to abrogate the approving verses he had earlier recited and to abandon his attempt to placate Meccan pagans.…

Uzziah, in the Old Testament (2 Chronicles 26), son and successor of Amaziah, and king of Judah for 52 years (c. 791–739 bc). Assyrian records indicate that Uzziah reigned for 42 years (c. 783–742). His reign marked the height of Judah’s power. He fought successfully against other nations and