1. Central Asia, The Caucasus & Siberian Russia – Life Today
Why it Maters: To live in these regions, people must adjust to a harsh and mountainous landscape.

2. Questions you should be able to answer when we’re done:
Who are the peoples of Siberia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus and where do they live?
How are the cultures of Central Asia and the Caucasus alike and different?
What challenges lie ahead for the regions?

3. Vocab:
Oasis
Homogenous
yurt

4. From your text:
Trading in Bukhara.

5. Settlement Patters Siberia and Central Asia Caucasus
A few large cities, sparsely settled remote areas
Caucasus
More urban region, more dense population in urban areas

6. Siberian Russia
Most people live in cities near the trans-Siberian railroad
Novosibirsk (1.5 million) is Siberia’s largest city.
Some small cities and towns along the major rivers – Ob’, Yenisey and Lena
Some cities on Siberia’s eastern coast – like Vladivostok

7. Resettlement Programs
Programs of the Czars and Soviets have made Siberia’s population mostly Russian
There are still populations of Mongol and Turkic groups.

8. Central Asia

9. Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan – only central Asian country with a largely urban population. (60 %)
2/3 ethnic Kazakhs
¼ Russian

10. Turkmenistan Turkmenistan – 50/50 urban and rural ¾ ethnic Turkomans
10% Russians
Most Turkoman’s live in villages, Most Russians live in cities – like the capital Ashkabad.

11. Uzbekistan Most people live in the eastern ½ of the country. 2/3 Rural
Oases are covered with Orchards, Fields and irrigation canals.
Most rural people are Uzbeks, Most city dwellers are Russian and Kazakh

12. Kyrgyzstan
The people are Kirghiz – once nomads who were settled onto collectives during the Soviet Era.
Less than 40 percent urban.
Most city dwellers are Russian and Uzbeks.

13. Tajikistan Mostly rural Mountainous terrain
Irrigation has created densely populated oases.
80% ethnic Tajiks
The rest Uzbeks

14. Tajikistan
Contains the Fedchenko Glacier – it is more than 40 miles long and one of the largest Alpine glaciers in the world.
Language is related to FARSI – the languge of Iran.

15. The Caucasus Armenia – almost ALL ethnic Armenian
Azerbaijan – mostly ethnic Azeri.
Georgia – large group of ethnic Georgians, but significant minority groups – mostly Armenian and Azeri
The Caucasus also has 50 smaller ethnic groups.

16. The Caucasus About 50/50 Urban / Rural Armenia is more Urban.
Rural population is NOT evenly distributed.

17. People and Cultures Russian Influence Strong in Central Asia
Only strong is parts of the Caucasus

18. Siberia Central Asia Caucasus
Russian language, Christianity (Russian Orthodox)
Buddhist and Muslim minorities.
Central Asia
Russian Language in addition to the ethnic majority language. Mix of Muslim and Christians depending on the country.
Caucasus
Armenians and Georgians – Christian
Azerbaijanis - Muslim

19. Ethnic Unrest Armenians vs. Turks and Azeris
Armenians were massacred in the 1890’s and during WWI
Armenian Christians vs Islamic Axeris in the Caucasus and Iran
Modern conflict: Armenians vs. Azeris over a region with an Armenian majority that is part of Azerbaijan.

22. Georgia’s unrest Armenian minority has sought greater self rule.
1992 Abkhaz and Ossentians have revolted for independence.

23. Tajikistan
Civil war after Soviet Rule ended.

24. Daily Life - Stans Urban Rural European Dress Traditional Dress Yurts
Equestrian sports important to the culture of the nomadic people

25. Yurt

27. Relationships and Challenges
Since the Soviet era, most Caucasus and Central Asian Countries have struggled to establish stable, democratic governments and free-enterprise economies. Even though most countries adopted new constitutions with democratic governments, it was hard to get them in place

28. Russians have been leaving Central Asia gradually since the end of Soviet Rule.
At first “Brain Drain”, but now the new graduates are filling the gap.

29. Soviet Legacy

30. Pollution and Environmental disregard – also leading to health issues.

31. Territorial Issues
Border issues with most countries since the Soviet Union did not create borders that paid attention to ethnic boundaries
Territory disputes over land that has resources – ex: seabed of the Caspian Sea
Russia vs Japan regarding the Kuril Islands south of Siberia’s Kamchatka

32. Some Charts to help……

33. Where do people live? Siberia Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Caucasus
Near the Rail
60% Urban 40% Rural
505 urban 50% Rural
66% Rural
60% Rural
Mostly Rural
Up to 70% Urban

34. Ethnicity Turkmenistan Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan
75% Turkoman 10% Russian
66% Kazakh 25% Russian
Uzbeks, Russians, Kazakhs
66 % Kirghiz, the rest Uzbek & Russian
80% Tajik, the rest Uzbek

35. Religion Siberia Kazakhstan Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia
The Rest of Central Asia
Russian Orthodox Christian (Buddhist & Muslim minorities.)
50% Christian 50% Muslim
Mostly Christian
Mostly Muslim
Mostly Christian (sig. Muslim Minority)
75 – 95% Muslim (Christian minority)

36. Question 1
True or False: Turkmenistan is the only Central Asian country that is mostly urban.

37. Question 2
True or False: Two-thirds of Kyrgyzstan's people are ethnic Russians

38. Question 3
True or False: Russian is widely spoken throughout Central Asia

39. Question 4
True or False: The countries of the Caucasus made a smooth transition to democracy.

40. Question 5
True or False: Russia and Japan both claim ownership of parts of the Kuril Islands

41. Question 6
How do settlement patterns in the Caucasus differ from those in Siberia and most of Central Asia?
The Caucasus is a more urban region than Siberia or Central Asia.
Unlike in Siberia and Central Asia, most people in the Caucasus live on farms.
The rural areas of Siberia and Central Asia are more densely populated than those of the Caucasus.
Unlike Siberia and Central Asia, the Caucasus has no large cities.

42. Question 7
Most cities and towns in Siberia are located along or near which feature?
Siberia’s eastern coast
The Yenisey River
The route of the Trans-Siberian Railroad
The Ob’ and Lena rivers.

43. Question 8 Where is Azerbaijan’s most densely populated area?
In the extreme southeast between the Caspian Sea and the Iranian border.
On the Ararat plain, near the Turkish border
Around its capital city, Baku
In the area along the Black Sea Coast.

44. Question 9
Which of the following has been a source of unrest in Georgia?
Christians in Georgia have demanded the right to practice their religion freely.
Ethnic minority groups in Georgia have south independence and self rule.
Income inequality be3tween rural Muslims and Urban Christians has led to rioting
Georgian Communists backed by Russian troops, have fought Islamic groups.

45. Question 10
Which of the following activities is important in most Central Asian cultures?
raising and racing horses
Breakdancing
Growing flowers
Sculpting statues from ice

46. Question 11
Why is there such a mix of ethnicities in Siberian Russia?

47. Question 12
How did Islam come to the countries of the Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan?

48. Question 13
What is a yurt?

49. Question 14
Why were the Caucasus and Central Asia slow to establish democratic governments when the Soviet Union collapsed?

50. Vocab:
Oasis
Homogenous
yurt

51. So…….
Who are the peoples of Siberia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus and where do they live?
How are the cultures of Central Asia and the Caucasus alike and different?
What challenges lie ahead for the regions?

52. The End
…”Borat from Kazakhstan”