Transcaucasia and Central Asia

Transcaucasia: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan

• Region was known as the “gateway” between Europe and Asia because it served as a migration route• Many different languages, religions, customs, and traditions• Following the breakup of the Soviet Union there has been civil unrest

due to tension among ethnic groups in the region

History of Outside Control

• Started in 1723 when Peter the Great captured the capital of Azerbaijan and remained under Czar control until the Russian Revolution • Taken over by the Red Army in

the 1920’s• Became independent countries

with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Economic Potential

• Due to subtropical lowlands and foothills the area is good for growing crops such as grapes and tea• Efforts by the Soviets to rapidly

industrialized the area had helped to set up industries such as steel, chemicals, and food production• Today’s focus is mainly on oil deposits

(Azerbaijan means “Land of Flames” because the oil and gas causes fires on the nearby Caspian Sea)

Modern Life in Transcaucasia

• Although many still live in poverty, it is a region of skilled workers • Many were educated under the

Soviet regime (99 % literacy rate)• Very important customs such as

the supra (large dinner party in Georgia) are celebrated with large banquets of food, lots of toasts, and respect for traditions• Russian incursion into Georgia

2008

Global Connections

• North of Transcaucasia is the Russian region of Chechnya• Long History of Islamic terrorism• Many Chechnyans are in exile in

Transcaucasia• Helped inspire Boston Marathon

bombers who were born in the region.

Central AsiaKazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

History

• Silk Roads: 4,000 mile trading route between China and the Mediterranean Sea; a channel for diffusing ideas, technology, and goods across Asia to Europe

• Great Game: the struggle between the British who were colonizing in India and the Czar in Russia to control Central Asia; the Russians won the “game” by the end of the 1800’s

• Soviet rule: 1920-1991, under communist control until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991; independent states were created and remain today

Economics

• Nuclear Testing: In the city of Semey (pictured to the right), hundreds of nuclear devices were tested in an area known as the “Polygon” over a 50 year period; many in the area suffered from birth defects, cancers, and mental illness due to radiation exposure

• Petroleum: Huge oil fields lie in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan; nations are competing to profit from these resources; for the resources to benefit the people of the area it will be very important to establish stable governments and economies in the area

Space Exploration

• In Khazakhstan is the home of the Russian space program located at the Cosmodrome• It was from here that the first

human Yuri Gagarin was launched into space in 1961• It was also where Sputnik was

launched• Currently it is the home of the

only facility that launches people into space

Education

• Forming nations: Soviet planners carved the region into five nations that corresponded to the largest ethnic groups but still left numbers of one group as a minority in the neighboring republics for another group; this has led to political instability• Language and Religion: diverse

depending on ethnic groups; many are united by the religion of Islam; dominant languages are Turkish and Russian

Also from Khazakhstan