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Chapter 19 Section 3. Central Asia Physical Geography. The Baikonur Cosmodrome is where all Russian space launches take place. Located in Kazakhstan, the largest and northernmost country in Central Asia. To the South, are Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan.
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Chapter 19 Section 3 Central Asia Physical Geography
The Baikonur Cosmodrome is where all Russian space launches take place. • Located in Kazakhstan, the largest and northernmost country in Central Asia. • To the South, are Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan. • All were once part of the Soviet Union.
Main Physical Features • These include highlands, deserts, and steppes. • Steppes are vast mostly level, treeless plains covered with grass. • Central Asia’s two mountain chains are the Tian Shan + the Pamir.
Deserts • The Kara Kum Desert covers most land in Turkmenistan. • The Kyzyl Kum desert covers most of Uzbekistan. • Climate is dry, semi arid, and arid.
Caspian Sea • Two main bodies of water include the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. • The Caspian Sea is actually the largest salt lake in the world.
Aral Sea, once the world’s 4th largest salt lake - drying up.
Natural Resources • Oil and natural gas • Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan have large oil and gas reserves. • Lesser - coal, gold,copper, iron ore, lead, and uranium.
Land Use in Central Asia • Most land is used for agriculture, livestock, and commercial fishing. • People here have raised sheep, horses, goats, and camels 1,000(s) of years • Cotton is a major crop in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
Central Asian agriculture depends on irrigation. • In the 1960s, the Soviet Union built a huge irrigation project to increase cotton production. • The project damaged the Aral Sea, along with pesticides. • The Aral Sea is one of the world’s worst environmental disasters.