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Chapter 22. The Caucasus and Central Asia. Section 1 - Caucasus Nations. Nations between the Black and Caspian Sea - Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan Ethnically diverse Former Soviet Republics Many of the problems they have today are directly linked to past Soviet actions.
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Chapter 22 The Caucasus and Central Asia
Section 1 - Caucasus Nations • Nations between the Black and Caspian Sea - Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan • Ethnically diverse • Former Soviet Republics • Many of the problems they have today are directly linked to past Soviet actions
Georgia (Tbilisi) • Caucasus mountains to the N and S • Eastern shore of the black sea • Climate - subtropical - warm winter, heavy rainfall at times • Crops - grapes, fruit, tobacco, and tea • Wine and cognac production • Eastern climate - more continental • Grains and vegetables
Georgia • Problems in economic development after the fall of USSR GDP dropped 3/4 • Rely on ag., some machine manufacturing, coal, petroleum and nat. gas • 5 million people - 70% ethnic Georgian • Northern Georgia - small groups pushing for autonomy - independence • Currency - Lari - replaced the Ruble in 1993
Armenia (Yerevan) • Landlocked size of Maryland • Mt. and rocky • Crops in the valleys • Culture Indo-European people - 2,000 yrs. WWI conflict with Turks (Turks tried to cleanse the country of Armenians) • Christianity in conflict with Islam people • Mount Ararat - peak Noah’s Ark (in Turkey seen from Armenia)
Azerbaijan (Baku) • Petroleum - main source of wealth • Rural areas and Mt. - herding goats, sheep and cattle • Rivers flow into the Caspian crops in the valleys - fruit, cotton, tea and silk • 90% Azeri • Many conflicts with Armenia: Nagorno - Karabakh region - became a part of Armenia after a war in 1994, the region is rich in oil • Many conflicts with Russia on oil control and shipping through the Med. And Black Sea • Pollution is a problem • Muslim Religion
Section 2 - Central Asian Nations • The Stans - first part of the name is the ethnic group and the “Stan” means Land Of • Physical characteristics - Tien Shan and Pamir - Alai Mt. Ranges in the SE • Tajikistan Fedchenko Alpine Glacier 40 miles • Climate - mostly arid and semi-arid • 2 Deserts Kara Kum and Kyzyl Kum - less than 3 inches of precipitation a year
Section 2 continued • N. Kazakhstan - steppes with top soil - Chernozem (very fertile soil) • Some oil and natural gas • Different ethnic groups - 4 languages related to Turkish • Islamic faith but not as fundamental as Iran • Fundamentalism - strict interpretation of the Koran
End of section 2 • Nomadic herders -- lived in yurts (large portable tents) • Irrigation from 2 main rivers to farm • Some industry - more urban today • Silk road - traders moved fine silks to China, big tourist area • Aral Sea has lost volume because of irrigation • Desertification - extension of the desert landscape because of peoples activities