Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia, making up the majority of the population of Uzbekistan. The word "Uzbek" means "independent lord" in Turkish, and the Uzbeks have had a rich history, with conquerors like Timur coming from Uzbekistan. In 2013, there were 23,929,309 Uzbeks in Uzbekistan, 2,799,726 in Afghanistan, 1,210,236 in Tajikistan, 980,000 in Kyrgyzstan, 499,862 in Russia, 490,000 in Kazakhstan, 300,000 in Saudi Arabia, 260,000 in Turkmenistan, 80,000 in Australia, 70,133 in Pakistan, 50,795 in the United States, 45,000 in Turkey, 22,400 in Ukraine, 14,800 in China, 2,725 in Canada, and 560 in Mongolia. The majority of the population is Muslim (mostly Sunni), while a minority is non-religious.
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