Uzbekistan, independent central Asian republic with Tashkent as its capital. The most prolific grower of grapes of the former Soviet republics, it is a major supplier of table grapes. Wine production has been declining fast but it still produced 210,000 hl/5.5 million gal—mainly strong and sweet—from its substantial vineyard total of 117,000 ha/289,000 acres in 2011, according to oiv figures.