Samarkand (Uzbek: Samarqand, Самарқанд, Tajik: Самарқанд, Russian: Самарканд, Persian: سمرقند), population 412,300 in 2005, is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Samarqand Province. Despite its status as the second city of Uzbekistan, the majority of the city's inhabitants are Persian-speaking Tajiks. The city is most noted for its central position on the Asian Silk Road between China and the west.
It is located at the altitude of 702 meters. In 2001, UNESCO inscribed the 2700-year-old city on the World Heritage List as Samarkand - Crossroads of Cultures.