The national stage of the international photo contest Wiki Loves Earth 2026 has concluded in Uzbekistan. The jury selected 12 best shots that will now represent the country's natural wealth on a global level.
Contest participants visited various regions of Uzbekistan to capture its nature. The frames included mountain landscapes, bodies of water, forest areas, rare animal species, and specially protected natural zones.
Approximately 1,200 photographs were submitted for the national stage, which allowed Uzbekistan to rank twenty-fifth among all participating countries.
Among the selected best works are images of the Tashkent Botanical Garden, Zaamin National Nature Park, landscapes of the Ugam-Chatkal Reserve, the Urungach natural site, and the Sudochye Reserve located in Karakalpakstan.
The contest is important because it forms an open visual archive of the country's nature. All submitted photos are placed on the Wikimedia Commons platform and can be used for educational, informational, and encyclopedic purposes.
These 12 selected photographs will now participate in competitions with works from other countries, serving as visual representatives of Uzbekistan's nature. Furthermore, the Uzbek Gift Contest, which previously launched in the country, aims to encourage designers and artisans to create new souvenirs by combining traditional crafts with modern concepts.
