© T. M. Whitmore Today Central Asia Physical environment Population & settlement Culture ...
-
Upload
bryce-blake -
Category
Documents
-
view
214 -
download
0
Transcript of © T. M. Whitmore Today Central Asia Physical environment Population & settlement Culture ...
© T. M. Whitmore
Today
•Central AsiaPhysical environmentPopulation & settlementCultureGeopolitical issues
© T. M. Whitmore
Last Time
•Historical development of Russia (and neighbors) geo-politically and industriallyHistorical development of Russian Empire
USSR (1921 - 1989) Industrial development & its geography
© T. M. Whitmore
Central Asia: Defined•Once home to the powerful Mongol empire•Now site of emerging - little known states
The “stans”KazakhstanUzbekistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanAfghanistan
AzerbaijanMongoliaWestern and Northern provinces of
China
© T. M. Whitmore
Central Asia: Physical Environment
•Importance of aridity and semi-aridity
•Continentality
•Tectonic landscape
•Mountain zones
•Deserts
•Basin and plains – steppes
© T. M. Whitmore
© T. M. Whitmore
Mountain Zones
© T. M. Whitmore
Desert Zones
© T. M. Whitmore
Central Asia: Population, settlement,
culture•Vast area more-or-less empty
•Strongly circumscribed settlement
•Ethnic/cultural/linguistic diversity
•Religious diversity
GPW Adjusted Population Density 2000 (SEDAC)
© T. M. Whitmore
© T. M. Whitmore
© T. M. Whitmore
Central Asia: Geopolitical issues
•History of political domination from Russia/USSR
•History of political domination from China
•Ethnic tensions
•Afghanistan
•Current issues
© T. M. Whitmore
© T. M. Whitmore
© T. M. Whitmore
Central Asia
© T. M. Whitmore
© T. M. Whitmore
Central Asia: Contemporary development
•All states very poor
•Breakup of USSR => economic collapse of ‘Stans
•Afghanistan in chaos