1. CHPT 19: CENTRAL ASIA

2. WHERE? 2 parts: 1) Western section in the Caucasus; 3 countries—Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan 2) Eastern section: from Caspian Sea to China; includes the “stan” countries “Stan” means “land of”

3. MOUNTAINS Several mt ranges in Central Asia (mostly in the eastern portion) Tian Shan in Kazakhstan Altay Shan Pamirs in Tajikistan Hindu Kush in Afghanistan

4. DESERTS Kara-Kum (black-sand desert): covers most of Turkmenistan Kyzyl-Kum (red-sand desert): covers western half of Uzbekistan Each is about the size of Arizona

5. WATER Caspian Sea: largest inland sea Aral Sea: east of Caspian; used to be one of world’s largest inland seas (why not now?) Lake Balkhash: eastern Kazakhstan; diminishing due to damming of the Ile River Main rivers: Amu Dar’ya and Syr Dar’ya

6. STEPPE Def: wide, grassy plains of Eurasia Border desert regions in eastern Kazakhstan 8-12 inches of rain/yr Fertile soil---good for growing CEREALS : any grain like barley, oats, or wheat that is grown for food

7. RESOURCES Main resources: oil and natural gas Turkmenistan has 4 th largest natural gas reserves in world Kazakhstan: metals (iron ore, copper, etc..) make up 1/5 of exports Uzbekistan: 4 th largest gold reserves Kyrgyzstan: gold (#1 export)

8. SECTION 2: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

9. SILK ROAD 100 A.D.: road established for trade btwn Europe and China Crossed through Central Asia Made Central Asia a crossroads This made the region a target for conquest When you command trade, you have the power 7 th -9 th centuries: Arabs conquer region, bringing Islam

10. MONGOLS A.D. 1200s: Genghis Khan leads Mongols to conquer Central Asia Mongols revived trade and brought prosperity Mongol power weakens and local ethnic groups take control

11. RUSSIA Early 1800s: Russian empire expands into Central Asia British prevent Russia from taking Afghanistan (The Great Game) 1917: Central Asia, except Afghanistan, become part of the USSR Soviets try to restrain native cultures

12. INDEPENDENCE 8 Soviet republics gain independence at virtually the same time (1991) Leaders promised democracy Still waiting

13. MUJAHIDEEN 1979: Soviet Union invades Afghanistan Afghan freedom fighters, the MUJAHIDEEN —Islamic freedom fighters, rise up to fight Soviets 1989: Soviets leave Afghanistan New group takes power

14. TALIBAN TALIBAN : “seeker” or “student”; name for a fundamentalist Sunni Muslim group, active in Afghanistan; controlled government from 1996-2001 Sheltered Al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, those responsible for September 11, 2001 Taliban refused to give bin Laden up U.S. and coalition forces overthrew Taliban

15. ETHNICITY Region is ethnically complex Central Asian countries are arranged where an ethnic majority is established Some groups cut off EXCLAVE : territory that belongs to a particular political unit but is separated from it and surrounded by another political unit (Nagorno-Karabakh) ENCLAVE : a distinct territorial or cultural area that is within a foreign territory (Sokh)

16. SOCIETY AND CULTURE TODAY

17. WOMEN Soviets mandated equality for women Fall of Soviet power led to a shift to traditional Islamic practices In many places, women are prevented from getting an education or working outside the home

18. ECONOMICS Central Asia is not very industrialized Rely on ag and natural resource exports ½ of workforce works on a farm Cotton is a big crop (Uzbek and Turkmen) Kazakhstan is a world leader in wheat

19. ECONOMICS Oil makes up ¾ of export earnings Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan: gold Oil pipelines run through the Caucasus Under Soviets, this region followed a command economy Change to free market is slow

20. SECTION 3: HUMAN IMPACT

21. THE POLYGON The Semipalatinsk nuclear test site of Kazakhstan Nearly 500 nuclear weapons tested here (biological and chemical as well) Local pops were not warned or evacuated 1989: radiation leaks discovered It will be years before it is clear of radiation