Central Asia

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Central Asia
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• Region dominated by high mountains, barren
  deserts, and semiarid grasslands
• Low population density
• Long history of outside domination it is a
  crossroads for east-west travel
• New Countries

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Setting the Boundaries

• Former Soviet Republics - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
  Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
• Azerbaijan? Russia?
• Afghanistan? South or Southwest Asia?
• Mongolia, Tibet Xinjiang? East Asia

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A Common Environment
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Physical Setting

• Only world region that is entirely landlocked
• Home to a harsh climate that is accentuated by
  the landscape high mountains, extensive plains,
  deep basins

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Central Asian Highlands

• Result from the collision of Asian mainland and
  Indian subcontinent
• Himalayas highest mountains in the world

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Mt. Everest 29,035 ft.
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Central Asian Highlands

• Karakoram Range
• Pamir Knot
• Hindu Kush (Khyber Pass)
• Kunlun Shan
• Tien Shan

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Central Asian Highlands

• Tibetan Plateau massive uplifted area 1,200x750
  miles
• Ringed by mountains on N,S, W sides and deep
  gorges and ranges on the east side
• Most of the plateau lies above 15,000 ft.

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• A number of major rivers of South, Southeast and
  East Asia originate from Central Asia
• Huang He
• Yangtze
• Mekong
• Salween
• Brahmaputa
• Ganges
• Indus

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Plains and Basins

• Much of the region consists of plains and low
  elevation basins (its not all mountains)
• Deserts
• West of the Pamir Knot
• Kara Kum (Black Sands)
• Kyzyl Kum (Red Sands)
• East of the Pamir Knot
• Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts
• Grasslands run for approx. 4,000 mi.

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Environmental Issues

• Relatively clean environment (due to low
  population density)
• Desertification
• Stopping the spread of the Gobi Desert
• Kazakhstan desertification blame the Soviets
• Shrinking Lakes
• Region contains some of the worlds largest lakes

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Environmental Issues 2

• Caspian Sea
• water siphoned off led to the exposure of
  15,000 sq. mi. of lakebed
• Increase salinity levels impact ecosystem
  fisheries especially caviar are impacted

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Environmental Issues 2

• Caspian Sea
• water siphoned off led to the exposure of
  15,000 sq. mi. of lakebed
• Increase salinity levels impact ecosystem
  fisheries especially caviar are impacted
• Water level has increased since 1970s but this
  has caused new problems

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Environmental Issues 3

• Aral Sea
• Sources of this lake are used extensively for
  agricultural purposes (cotton Rice)

Uzbekistan Cotton Production
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Environmental Issues 3

• Aral Sea
• Sources of this lake are used extensively for
  agricultural purposes (cotton Rice)
• By the 1970s, the shoreline was rapidly
  retreating
• shoreline towns now lie 40 mi. from the coast

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A stranded boat in the Aral Sea
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Environmental Issues 3

• Aral Sea
• Sources of this lake are used extensively for
  agricultural purposes (cotton Rice)
• By the 1970s, the shoreline was rapidly
  retreating
• shoreline towns now lie 40 mi. from the coast
• Increased salinity
• Death of species in the lake
• Division of the lake in two

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1960
2000
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Current extent of the Aral Sea
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Environmental Issues 3

• Aral Sea
• Sources of this lake are used extensively for
  agricultural purposes (cotton Rice)
• By the 1970s, the shoreline was rapidly
  retreating
• shoreline towns now lie 40 mi. from the coast
• Increased salinity
• Death of species in the lake
• Division of the lake in two
• Impact upon local agriculture (salinization)

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Population

• Essentially a sparsely populated region vast
  regions are uninhabited
• Nomadic Pastoralism is common
• High population densities are found in areas of
  good soil and dependable water

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Control of Afghanistan

• Control of the mountainous terrain and passes of
  Afghanistan has been important throughout history
• Beginning with Alexander the Great in 329 B.C., a
  number of different people have conquered
  Afghanistan, none of them were entirely
  successful in controlling the Afghan people
• The major implement to invaders has been the
  landscape it is dominated by the Hindu Kush
  (ideal for fighting a guerilla war). Matters are
  complicated during the winter months when snow
  closes mountain passes.

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• Domination of Afghanistan intensified in the late
  1700s
• The Great Game British vs. Russian Empires
• British were unable to subdue Afghans
• First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842)
• Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880)
• Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919-1921)
• Independence 1921

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• 1978 - Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan
  (PDPA) takes control
• Communist reform program angered many Muslims
• 1979 USSR sent in supplies and soldiers (over
  120,000) to support PDPA
• Soviet troops unable to control much land outside
  of Kabul
• Afghan freedom fighters (Mujahideen) controlled
  much of the countryside
• 1989 Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan

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Post Soviet Era

• After the Soviet withdrawal, various militia
  groups fought over who would control Afghanistan
• Taliban eventually triumphed
• Taliban imposed harsh religious laws and barbaric
  social practices
• Taliban harbored the source of Al Qaeda

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Opium Production

• Opium production used to arm Afghan rebels
• By 2000, Afghan opium production consisted of ¾
  of world production

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Opium

• 2001 Taliban clamped down on opium production
• 2002 resurgence of opium production after the
  ouster of Taliban

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Lamaist Buddhism

• People of Tibet Mongolia are the only people
  who practice this religion
• Lamaism is hierarchically organized the head of
  the religion is the Dalai Lama

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Lamaist Buddhism

• People of Tibet Mongolia are the only people
  who practice this religion
• Lamaism is hierarchically organized the head of
  the religion is the Dalai Lama
• Lamaism is known for its devotion to monasticism

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The Potala Palace in Lhasa
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Lamaist Buddhism

• People of Tibet Mongolia are the only people
  who practice this religion
• Lamaism is hierarchically organized the head of
  the religion is the Dalai Lama
• Lamaism is known for its devotion to monasticism
• 1959 Chinese invaded Tibet Dalai Lama fled to
  India
• Religion gives people hope of their eventual
  independence

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