1. Today • Central Asia • Physical environment • Population & settlement • Culture • Geopolitical issues

2. Last Time • Historical development of Russia (and neighbors) geo-politically and industrially • Historical development of Russian Empire • USSR (1921 - 1989) • Industrial development & its geography

3. Central Asia: Defined • Once home to the powerful Mongol empire • Now site of emerging - little known states • The “stans” • Kazakhstan • Uzbekistan • Kyrgyzstan • Turkmenistan • Afghanistan • Azerbaijan • Mongolia • Western and Northern provinces of China

6. Central Asia: Physical Environment • Importance of aridity and semi-aridity • Continentality • Tectonic landscape • Mountain zones • Deserts • Basin and plains – steppes

11. Mountain Zones

12. Desert Zones

15. Central Asia: Population, settlement, culture • Vast area more-or-less empty • Strongly circumscribed settlement • Ethnic/cultural/linguistic diversity • Religious diversity

24. Central Asia: Geopolitical issues • History of political domination from Russia/USSR • History of political domination from China • Ethnic tensions • Afghanistan • Current issues

33. Central Asia

35. Central Asia: Contemporary development • All states very poor • Breakup of USSR => economic collapse of ‘Stans • Afghanistan in chaos