Transcript Human Geography of Central Asia

Central Asia
By: Mr. Mora
Countries of Central Asia
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Georgia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Afghanistan
4.
1.
2.
3.
5.
7.
6.
8.
9.
Physical Geography of Central Asia
Landforms
• Central Asia is marked by a rugged landscape,
highlands, a dry climate, and vast expanses of
desert.
• All the countries are landlocked, except Georgia,
with no direct access to the sea.
• The fertile plains and basins like the Fergana
Valley are thickly settled, while the desert
regions like the Kara-Kum are sparsely settled.
• Earthquakes frequently strike along plate
boundaries, primarily in the “stans” and the
surrounding area.
Caucasus Mountains
Central Asia Landforms
• Caucasus Mountains
•The Fergana Valley
• The Kara-Kum (black-san desert)
• The Kyzl Kum (red-sand desert)
Note: Tectonic activity built the mountains
of this sub-region.
Fergana Valley
Kara-Kum Desert
Physical Geography of Central Asia
Water Systems
• When the weather is warm and there is little
precipitation, the Caspian Sea, the world’s
largest inland sea, loses more water from
evaporation than it gains from the rivers
emptying into it.
• Sturgeon fishing, caviar, tourism, and, more
recently, oil and natural gas are all important
resources in the Caspian Sea.
• Human activity has harmed bodies of water in
the subregion, such as the Aral Sea and Lake
Balkhash, by diminishing water levels and
increasing salinity.
Waterways
1. Caspian Sea
2. Aral Sea
3. Lake Balkhash
3.
2.
1.
Physical Geography of Central Asia
Climate, Biomes, and Resources
• Far from any oceans, Central Asia has mainly
dry climates with sparse vegetation.
• Steppes form the wide, grassy plains of Eurasia,
providing enough vegetation to support
livestock.
• Major crops of the region are cereals, or grains
grown for food.
• Major resources in the area are oil, natural gas,
and mining.
Central Asian Steppes
Natural Resources
Major resources
in the area are
oil, natural gas,
and mining.
Human Geography of Central Asia
History and Government
• Christianity has been a significant influence in
Armenia and Georgia, while Islam became the
predominant religion of the “stan” countries.
• Established for trade between Europe and China,
the Silk Road became an important asset and
target for various empires.
• The entire region, except Afghanistan, was
under Soviet control until the 1990s.
• Ethnic conflict and political turmoil continue to
plague the region.
The Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route is an ancient network of trade routes
that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian
continent connecting the West and East from China and India to the
Mediterranean Sea.
Human Geography of Central Asia
Population Patterns
• Although several countries are named for one
ethnic group, most have a complex mix of ethnic
groups.
• Populations are shrinking in Armenia and
Georgia due to low birth rates, while the
populations of other nations are increasing.
• The rate of urbanization is low overall, but
growing.
• Ethnic differences have created conflict in some
areas resulting in displaced persons.
Human Geography of Central Asia
Society and Culture Today
• Languages in the Turkic language family are the
most commonly spoken, though Russian is still
widely used.
• Literacy rates are high except in Afghanistan,
and health care spending overall is low, except
in Georgia.
• Family life is a mix of traditional and modern
influences, depending on rural or urban location.
• Under Soviet control, women enjoyed more
equal rights than in many countries, especially
Afghanistan.
Languages in Central Asia
Human Geography of Central Asia
Economic Activities
• Economic growth is dependent on agriculture
and exports of natural resources, such as oil and
natural gas.
• Economic output remains low, as many people
rely on agriculture, but farming methods and
lack of arable land constrain yields.
• Most countries have not yet shifted to market
economies, leaving governments in control of
many facets of manufacturing and farming,
resulting in inefficient business practices that
are also susceptible to corruption.
Economies
People and Their Environment: Central Asia
Managing Resources
• Hydroelectric power is the main source of
energy for most of the subregion.
• Because oil and natural gas are plentiful in this
subregion, most countries use them as a main
source of export income.
• Because most of the countries rely on imports or
exports of oil or gas, their economies struggle
when prices for these products change.
Hydroelectric Power
People and Their Environment: Central Asia
Human Impact
• In the push to give the subregion a better
economy, the Soviets built irrigation systems
that eventually deprived the Aral Sea of water,
hampering farms and poisoning the lands
surrounding the sea.
• The Soviets chose Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
for heavy industry, resulting in pollution and
health problems among those populations.
• Land mines left over from times of war expose
humans to danger, prevent farmers from using
fields, and prevent the delivery of goods and
services.
People and Their Environment: Central Asia
Addressing the Issues
• Outside countries, such as the United States and
some European countries, have organized
groups to manage the water resources of the
subregion.
• Countries around the Caspian Sea have formed
a legally binding Convention for the Protection of
the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, in
efforts to reduce water pollution.
• Afghanistan and NGO’s have started working on
ways to reduce the number of landmines by
training people of local communities to identify
and disarm mines when they are found.