Chapter 22—The Caucasus and Central Asia

• Autonomy: independence
• Genocide: the systematic killing or intentional destruction of a people
• Nationalism: Pride on one’s nation; the desire of a cultural group to rule themselves as a separate
nation
• Fundamentalism: A set of religious beliefs based on a strict interpretation of a sacred text.
• Yurt: a round tent made of a wooden framework and covered with felt or skins.
• Desertification: The transformation of arable land into desert either naturally or through human
intervention.

1. What are the climates found in Georgia and what economic activities are found within each climate zone?
• Near Black Sea (west coast)—subtropical, with warm winters + heavy rainfallproduction of grapes,
citrus fruits, tobacco, tea, peaches, silk, wines, cognacs and tourism from Russian and other E.
European nations
• East side—continental, w/hot summers, cold winters, + less moisturefarm production of grains and
vegetables
2. What economic setbacks did Georgia suffer as a result of the fall of the Soviet Union?
• GDP dropped by ¾
• Inflation reached nearly 1,500% in 1 year
3. How has Georgia’s economy fared since the mid-1990s?
• Agriculture + machinery manufacturing—key factors in progression
• Major supplier of manganese, a metallic chemical element
• Development of energy industries by increasing extraction of coal, petroleum, and natural gas—
construction of oil pipeline from Caspian Sea through country’s interior promised greater foreign
investment
4. What is the cultural makeup of Georgia, and what cultural challenges does it face?
• 70% of 5 mil. people are descendants of ethnic Georgians who have lived there for 2,500+ years
• Ethnic Georgians have maintained a distinctive language and culture despite invasions
• Armenians, Azeris, Russians8% of pop.
• Abkhars + Ossentians—pressed for autonomy in N. Georgia
• Country has difficult road to political and economic recovery
5. What is a traditional craft in both Armenia and Azerbaijan?
• rug making
6. List four important parts of Armenia’s past that is important to their identity as a people.
• Ancient Indo-European people
• Occupied lands of S. Caucasus for 2,000+ years
• Adopted Christianity in about A.D. 300
• Majority of Armenians continue to support the Orthodox church
• Outbreak of WW1—Turks attempted to deport entire Armenian population—about 1/3 died in genocide
7. Why have Armenians fought with Azerbaijan?
• Religion—Azeris= Islamic
• Nationalism strong in both groups—intensified by former Soviet Union tensions
• Soviets placed areas primarily settled by Armenians under the control of Azerbaijan
• After independence, Armenians invaded W. Azerbaijan—and taken control of disputed regions
8. What was the social impact of Armenia’s conflict with Azerbaijan?
• Caused 350,000 Armenians to leave Azerbaijan and return to Armenia
• 190,00 Azeris fled Armenia to return to their homeland
9. How does Azerbaijan hope to improve its economy? What obstacles stand in the way of this plan?
• Development of oil reserves near the Caspian Sea
• Foreign investors are hesitant—area prone to earthquakes
• Landlocked—attempts to build an oil pipeline have been met with political resistance
 • Russia doesn’t like competition—makes Azerbaijan use an existing oil pipeline that runs through Russia
ports
10. What environmental problems exist in Azerbaijan, and why?
• Petroleum and chemical industries—created severe environmental problems
• Caspian Sea badly polluted by sewage and petroleum wastes for decades
• Dams along major rivers—reduced influx of fresh waterfewer fish reviving in the sea’s waters
• Apsheron Peninsula, along Baku is considered 1 of most ecologically damaged regions in the world
• Air pollution and overuse of pesticides + fertilizers in agricultural areas
11. What are the physical characteristics of Central Asian nations?
• Stretching from Caspian Sea E. to towering mountain ranges
• 5 nations—Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan-half size of USA
• Terrain varies—Tien Shan + Pamir-Alai mountains in S.E.—peaks rise 24,000 ft in E. Kyrgyzstan
• Tajikistan—Fedchencko Glacier extrends more than 40 miles1 of largest alpine glaciers in the world
• W.—elevation drops + land flattens considerably—2 large rivers, Syr Darya + Amu Darya spill out of
mounts + flow through lowland to Aral Sea
• Climate
o Arid/semiarid—nearest oceans are 500 miles away
o N. Kazakhstan + near highest S> mountains, precipitation totals 10+ inches per year
o E. of Caspian Sea—2 of Asia’s largest deserts: Kara Kum in Turkmenistan + Kyzyl Kum in
Uzbekistan
o Kara Kum—less than 3 in. of rain each year—S. Kazakhstan also tends to be dry
• Natural Resources
o N. Kazakhstan—steppes that create chernozem, which provides a sound base for agriculture
o Large reserves of oil _ natural gas, as well as valuable minerals
12. How does Islam affect the peoples of Central Asia?
• Most people practice Islamic faith, although links between them and Arabian core of Islam have been
traditionally weak, further intensified after Soviet Union cultural divergence—during which many people
native to the area practiced Islam in the privacy of their homes
• Some leaders called for more open adoption of Islamic rules as the basis for new governments—
popular support for Islamic fundamentalism is not widespread
13. How did the economic activities of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan change under the control of the former
Soviet Union, and how did this also change patterns of settlement?
• Changes
o Nomadic herding, farmingforced nomads to settle in villages + work on massive gov. farms—
grew wheat + dry land crops in Kzakhstan
o Massive irrigation systems diverted waters from Syr Darya + Amu Darya to grow cotton in
warmer S. region
o Encouraged industrial dev. of cities in C. Asia
o Increased tourism in cities of E. Uzbekistan along Silk Road
• Patterns of settlement
o Industrial dev. spurred growth of cities—60% of Kazakhstan’s live in cities
o Larger portion of pop. Live in rural areas where agriculture + herding predominate
o Tourism along Silk Road
14. What environmental problems did the development of Central Asia cause?
• Salty Aral Sea between Kazakhstan + Uzbekistan
• Although freshwater diverted to irrigate nearby cotton fields made the region a leading cotton producer,
less freshwater flowing into the sea = shrink + saltier, losing 2/3 of volume
• Town of Muynak, a major fishing port on S. shore, now more than 20 miles from shoreline
• Local fishing industry died out, + fishing boats now stand isolated on desert lands
• Clouds of sand + chemicals blew from dry exposed seabed, further contributing desertification
• Some experts predict the entire Aral Sea will disappear by 2030
• Excessive used of pesticides + fertilizerssoil, running water, + ground water highly contaminated
• Heavy doses of chemical fertilizers + pesticidesserious health risks for works
• Drive to develop oil, natural gas, + mineral resources may increase stress on sensitive ecosystems