Central Asia
From Halbeeg, the open encyclopedia · Af-Soomaali
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Central Asia is a region in the center of the Asian continent. It is conventionally defined to comprise five countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. All five gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The region has varied terrain: deserts and steppes in the west and center, and high mountain ranges such as the Pamir and Tian Shan in the east and southeast. All five countries are landlocked, which affects commerce and transport.
Geography and water
The two largest rivers are the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, which originate in the southern mountains and flow toward the Aral Sea. Water use for irrigation, particularly for cotton, has caused the Aral Sea to shrink dramatically since the mid-twentieth century. Water distribution is a matter of dispute between upstream countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan), which seek hydropower, and downstream countries (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan), which depend on irrigation.
People and languages
Most of the population speaks Turkic languages: Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen, and Kyrgyz. Tajik is an Iranian language related to Persian. Russian remains a language of commerce and administration, particularly in Kazakhstan and major cities. The predominant religion is Sunni Islam, practiced alongside local traditions.
History
The region was an important center of the Silk Roads, connecting China, India, Persia, and Europe. Cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara were hubs of trade and learning. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Russian Empire gradually annexed the region; after 1917, Soviet republics were established with borders that largely remain in place today.
Economy and politics
Kazakhstan relies on oil and minerals; Turkmenistan has large gas reserves. Uzbekistan has the region's largest population and a diversified economy including cotton and gold. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are heavily dependent on remittances from workers abroad, particularly in Russia. Both China and Russia maintain broad economic and security interests in the region.