World transport and international economic relations

International economic relations are the economic ties between states, international organisations and companies. Their forms are international trade, credit and finance (capital export), tourism, labour migration and scientific-technical cooperation. International trade is the most important: exports are goods and services sold abroad, imports are those bought from abroad. The trade balance is exports minus imports; if positive, the country sells more than it buys. Foreign trade turnover is the sum of exports and imports. By turnover China, the USA and Germany lead. A large part of trade is finished goods (machinery, vehicles, chemicals), and developed countries dominate it, while developing countries sell more raw materials and farm products. The World Trade Organization (WTO, 1995) helps regulate trade rules; most of the world’s states are members. In capital export the USA, China, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom are prominent. Tourism is an important branch of the world economy; Europe receives the most tourists (France, Spain, Italy), and Asia and other regions are growing fast. Alongside natural, historical and religious tourism, eco-tourism, agro-tourism, sport and business tourism are developing. Uzbekistan’s historic cities (Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva) attract visitors.