Section two

REGIONS AND COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD

Topic 11. ASIA

3. CENTRAL ASIA

The collapse of the Soviet Empire radically changed the geopolitical situation not only in Europe, but also in Asia. Therefore, in addition to the traditional macro-regions of South-West, South, Southeast and East Asia, there is a need to highlight another region - Central Asia. It includes the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In addition, Afghanistan should be included in this region, and in terms of natural and socio-economic conditions it is much closer to the countries of Central than to South-West Asia.

As part of these six countries, the area of ​​the region is more than 4.6 million km 2, or 10.5% of the area of ​​Asia. And its population is about 80 million people (2000), which is 2.4% of the population of Asia. Central Asia extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east (over 3000 km) and from the swamps Western Siberia in the north to the Hindu Kush mountain ranges in the south (almost 3000 km). Almost the entire territory is dominated by a sharply continental arid climate and desert landscapes predominate.

The remoteness of Central Asia from the seas and oceans complicates the development of foreign economic relations. The Indian Ocean ports closest to these countries are inaccessible to them because there are no transit roads through the mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush, Kopet Dag and the Iranian Plateau.

Despite the difficult natural conditions, the area has enormous natural resource potential, which can become a good base for the development of a diversified economy. Powerful deposits of coal, oil and gas, iron, copper and polymetallic ores, gold, phosphates, sulfur and dozens of other types of minerals have been explored and exploited here. Newly discovered oil deposits in western Kazakhstan (primarily the Tengizke field) indicate that the countries of Central Asia will remain exporters of oil and gas raw materials for a long time. They can also play a significant role in the global market of non-ferrous metals.

The presence of powerful mountain systems with maximum heights more than 7000 m causes a large amount of precipitation to fall on the mountain slopes compared to the adjacent plains (more than 500 and even 1000 mm). The mountain glaciers that form here give rise to full-flowing rapids rivers: Amu Darya, Syrdarya, Helmand, Gerirud, Ili. Therefore, the high mountainous regions of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Eastern Kazakhstan have great hydroelectric potential. River water flowing from the mountains in all directions serves as the basis for the development of irrigated agriculture. This explains the greatest concentration of farming in river valleys, while large desert areas remain practically uninhabited. With the exception of the far east of Kazakhstan, the region is extremely poor in forest resources. Significant damage to forests is caused by unorganized timber harvesting for domestic needs.

The natural recreational resources of the region, in combination with centers of ancient culture, can serve for the development of international tourism of various profiles. The area around Lake Issyk-Kul is favorable for entertainment tourism, mountain ranges and peaks are covered with glaciers, attracting skiers and climbers, the architectural ensembles of many ancient cities (primarily Bukhara and Samarkand) are interesting objects for educational tourism.

The population of Central Asia, despite its small size, is very heterogeneous in terms of linguistic and anthropological characteristics. After all, the formation of the peoples of this region took place on the border of two races (Caucasoid and Mongoloid) and two large language families (Indo-European and Altai). Turkmens, Tajiks and most peoples of Afghanistan belong to the southern branch Caucasian, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz are Mongoloid, and Uzbeks are a people of mixed origin, which has certain characteristics of both races. Linguistically, most of the peoples of Central Asia (Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Karakalpaks, Turkmens, etc.) belong to the Altai Turkic group language family. And only the Tajiks and the peoples of Afghanistan belong to the Iranian language group of the Indo-European family.

In all the states of Central Asia that were previously part of the USSR, there was a high proportion of migrants of Slavic origin (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians). Hundreds of thousands from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan Eastern Slavs behind last years have already returned to their homeland, and in Kazakhstan they still make up almost half of the population.

The countries of Central Asia are characterized by high rates of natural population growth (2-3% per year). Moreover, they are the highest in the poorest countries of the region - Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and the lowest in Kazakhstan, which has high level urbanization and a significant part of the non-indigenous population.

Only in Kazakhstan the urban population predominates over the rural (58%), in other countries it is 30-45%, and in Afghanistan - 20%. The region does not have the same hypertrophied growth of large cities as other parts of Asia. Tashkent alone has more than 2 million inhabitants and Almaty - 1.5 million. Before the start civil war in Afghanistan, Kabul was a millionaire city, but now its population has been halved.

The low average population density of Central Asia - 18 people/km 2 - provides little evidence of the actual distribution of the population in this territory. Vast areas of deserts and highlands are practically uninhabited, and well-watered river valleys have a population density of 200-400 people/km 2 . Unique in this regard is the Fergana Valley, where the most densely populated regions of three states are located: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The economy of the countries of Central Asia was formed as a raw material appendage of the Soviet Empire. Therefore, the agro-industrial complex and mining industries predominate here. Having lost traditional markets for their products, almost all countries are reducing industrial and agricultural production. Therefore, the volume of GNP in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for 1990-1998. decreased by 1.5-2 times, only in Turkmenistan, which exports through a transcontinental pipeline system natural gas V Western Europe, The residence permit has increased somewhat. Afghanistan, which is in a civil war, remains one of the least developed countries not only in Asia, but also in the world.

Most of the inter-industry complexes formed in the Central Asian states do not have the final stages of raw material processing and manufacturing finished products, and this reduces the efficiency of their functioning. The most fully represented complexes are: fuel and energy, non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy and agro-industrial.

Most of all hard and brown coal is mined in Kazakhstan (Karaganda and Ekibastuz basins), oil - in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, gas - in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The mountainous states of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan) are poor in fuel minerals, but have powerful hydropower potential. In Tajikistan, a cascade of hydroelectric power stations has been created on the river. Vakhsh, and in Kyrgyzstan - in the city of Naryn, which practically meet the electricity needs of these countries and serve as the basis for some energy-intensive industries. Biggest problems Afghanistan, where only a small amount of gas is produced and there are no powerful hydroelectric power plants, has a supply of fuel and energy. Firewood still accounts for a significant share of the country’s fuel balance.

The countries of Central Asia are significant producers of non-ferrous metals. Important areas of non-ferrous metallurgy have formed: in Rudny Altai (polymetals); in Central Kazakhstan - the cities of Balkhash and Zhezkazgan (copper, lead, zinc); in Kyrgyzstan and eastern Uzbekistan (polymetals, gold). Powerful aluminum smelters were built on the basis of cheap hydroelectric power in the cities of Tursun-zade (Tajikistan) and Pavlodar (Kazakhstan). Taking into account the already developed raw material base, new centers of non-ferrous metallurgy may arise in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Only Kazakhstan has a well-developed ferrous metallurgy. The favorable combination of coking coal deposits in the Karaganda basin and Sokolovsko-Sarbaisk iron ores, as well as reserves of manganese ores, nickel, chromium and other alloying metals contribute to the production of high-quality and cheap steel. A full-cycle metallurgical plant operates in Temirtau. In other countries there are only small steel plants or workshops at machine-building enterprises.

The region has significant reserves of raw materials for the chemical industry. Nowadays, those types of it that are necessary for the production of mineral fertilizers are mainly used. On the basis of phosphorite mining, the Karatau-Zhambil industrial complex was formed in Kazakhstan, sulfur and mirabilite are mined in Turkmenistan, and nitrogen fertilizer plants are located in the cities of Navoi and Fergana (Uzbekistan). The enormous reserves of mirabilitu in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay are partially used, but its comprehensive processing is not carried out in this region.

Most machine-building enterprises in Central Asia work for the needs Agriculture. Tractors (Pavlodar), harvesting combines (Tashkent) and many other types of agricultural equipment for local consumers are produced here. A more diversified structure of the mechanical engineering complex is found only in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In addition to mining equipment and machine tool manufacturing enterprises (Karaganda, Almaty), aircraft manufacturing (Tashkent), it is planned to build automobile assembly plants here and create new industries, in particular instrument making and radio electronics. New production facilities will primarily focus on low-cost labor V southern regions these states.

And the basis of the economy of the countries of Central Asia for a long time will be agriculture, the specialization of which has been formed over millennia. Natural conditions This territory is favorable for the development of extensive semi-nomadic livestock farming, which is combined with intensive irrigated agriculture in the oases. In the second half of the 20th century. New farming areas were created here (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) on virgin lands. But the productivity of these lands is low, and the yield is unstable - for several lean years there are one or two years with high gross yields.

A certain difference in the moisture content of individual territories and the availability of natural food resources determines the different specializations of livestock farming. In the north of Kazakhstan, meat predominates - dairy and beef cattle breeding in combination with sheep and pig breeding. On the desert lands of southern Kazakhstan and other countries, fine-wool and Karakul sheep, as well as camels, are grazed. In the northern foothills of the Tien Shan, especially in Kyrgyzstan, as well as in Turkmenistan, horse breeding is well developed. In the foothills of the Kopetdag there is the main breeding area for the world famous Akhal-Teke horses. Sericulture, beekeeping, dairy and beef cattle breeding, and poultry farming are also developing, but pig farming is practically absent, which is explained by the Islamic ban on eating pork.

In most Central Asian states, the area of ​​arable land does not exceed 10% of their territory, and in Turkmenistan - only 1%. The geography of agriculture is closely related to the availability water resources(it’s not for nothing that there is a proverb “without water there is no land”). Therefore, the main agricultural areas are confined to river valleys and well-moistened foothills. The shortage of arable land forces the local population to grow the most labor-intensive industrial crops, primarily cotton. A significant proportion of the land is occupied by melons, orchards and vineyards. Central Asia is famous the best varieties melons, watermelons, grapes, apples, pears and other fruits. The warm, dry climate contributes to the mass production of dried fruits: raisins, sultanas, dried apricots, etc.

Grain and feed crops (mainly wheat, rice, alfalfa) are mainly used in crop rotations with industrial crops. Only on the developed virgin lands of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the structure of crops is sharply dominated by grain crops: spring wheat, barley, millet, and in warmer areas - corn.

Significant crops opium poppy, which was previously grown for medical purposes. But the lack of clear control over its processing and sale can lead (as has already happened in Afghanistan) to the production of poppy products for the needs of the drug business.

Having declared independence, the states of the region, with the exception of Afghanistan, at the same time remained supporters of strengthening the CIS, that is, they remain completely under the military-political “tutelage of Russia,” which still considers its southern border to be its southern border former USSR. This explains Russia's significant military presence in the region and its involvement in local conflicts, primarily in Tajikistan. The Russian military-industrial complex still owns a huge number of objects in this territory. The Russian military, whose movements are not at all controlled by local authorities, can freely transport (as the example of Afghanistan showed) tens and hundreds of kilograms of narcotic raw materials, which contributes to the development of the drug business.

Hot spot Afghanistan remains in Central Asia, where, after decades of civil war, a precarious peace was established only in 2002. Meanwhile, the presence here of many peoples and political forces that have their own armed forces could lead to an uncontrollable spread of the conflict to other countries in the region.

The Soviet Empire left a large bouquet for the local peoples environmental problems. Massive hydraulic engineering construction and excessive water consumption during irrigation lead to soil salinization, giving rise to problems in the Aral and Balkhash. The Aral Sea has shrunk by more than half, and winds are blowing thousands of tons of salt from its dry bottom. The unique Lake Balkhash, which was fresh in one part and salty in the other, may soon turn into completely salty. In addition, the previously poor natural vegetation in vast areas was destroyed, which led to active wind erosion and dust storms.

The problem of integrating the states of the region into the world economy cannot be solved without creating a completely new transport network. Existing system railways, highways, gas and oil pipelines were created under the conditions of the empire and are mainly represented by highways that go to Central Russia. The network of internal roads, especially railways, does not meet the modern needs of the economy. Central Asia is virtually cut off from the nearest Indian Ocean ports due to the complete absence of railways in Afghanistan and poor connections with the transport system of Iran. Therefore, in addition to the planned road through Iran, it is advisable for the countries of the region to create access routes to seaports through Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, in addition, may look for additional ways to export their products through China and the ports of the Pacific Ocean.

Japanese firms are showing great interest in this region. South Korea. Of the traditional partners, except Russia, great importance Ukraine may also have one for the region. The Ukrainian economy is in need of energy resources, non-ferrous metals, cotton and other products from Central Asian countries. On the other hand, Ukrainian enterprises can supply ferrous metallurgy and mechanical engineering products (oil and gas production equipment, tractors, machine tools, equipment for agriculture and the food industry) to this region. Projects for the construction of new gas and oil pipelines also require the active participation of Ukraine in them, and some of them can pass directly through the territory of our country. Such cooperation has made it possible for the states of Central Asia to find significantly cheaper ways to sell their products, and for Ukraine to obtain additional reliable sources of raw materials and energy. Closer cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and Ukraine requires a solution. individual social problems.

It is from this region that deported Crimean Tatars return to Ukraine. So far, the Ukrainian side has been forced to bear all the costs of their resettlement, although in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan there remain good-quality houses and entire settlements in which the Tatars lived. The large Ukrainian diaspora also requires significant support from Ukraine and assistance from the governments of Central Asian states in national and cultural development. After all, in Soviet times Even in Kazakhstan, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians live, as a result of the Russification policy, the educational and cultural interests of the Ukrainian settlers were not at all satisfied.

INTRODUCTION

There are different types of countries in Central Asia. In general, this huge region of Asia, having rich and varied recreational resources, is characterized by uneven development of tourism across countries.
The following factors favor the dynamic development of tourism:
- diversity of recreational resources in these countries;
- variety of cultural and historical attractions;
- diversity of natural and climatic conditions of the region;
- attention from the state to the development of tourism in these countries;
- political and economic transformations in some countries;
- economic growth rates in some countries and the intensification of business tourism there;
- a unique combination of exoticism and modern technical achievements as the basis for the development of the tourism infrastructure of the countries considered.

1. Mountain tourism in Central Asia
For lovers of active recreation - mountain tourism, the most popular mountains of Central Asia, Fans and Chimgan, are attractive. These mountainous places have always attracted tourists from all over the world with their unique nature and irresistible beauty, excellent stable and sunny weather, the presence of passes and routes to peaks of any category of difficulty from simple non-category to the most difficult rock wall routes (in the Fanov region there are about a dozen five-thousander peaks, and the height of the Big Chimgan peak is 3309 m). You have a wide choice of hiking routes, many mountaineering trails, rock climbing, horse trails, ski slopes...
Educational excursions provide an opportunity to get acquainted with interesting places of the Kyzylkum desert - the Sarmyshsay tract, famous for its monuments of ancient human activity - burial mounds, crypts and rock paintings, the Kyzylkum reserve, which is home to some rare species of animals, the Aydarkul lake system creating an idea of ​​​​the life of nomads - yurt camps, the opportunity ride camels
Mountaineering is one of the most extreme types of tourism, the goal of which is to conquer the tops of mountains, and the peaks of the Tien Shan and Pamirs have always attracted climbers from all over the planet (there are more than 30 peaks in the Tien Shan exceeding a height of 6000 meters above sea level).
The name Tien Shan in Chinese (?? ) means "heavenly mountains". The Turkic name is T??ir (Tengri, Tenir, Tengir, Aspan) - tau. The Tien Shan system includes more than thirty peaks over 6000 meters high. The highest point of the mountain system is Pobeda Peak (Tomur, 7439 m), located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and China; the next highest is Khan Tengri Peak (Kantau, 7010 m) on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Three mountain ranges diverge to the west from the Central Tien Shan, separated by intermountain basins (Issyk-Kul with Lake Issyk-Kul, Naryn, At-Bashyn etc.) and connected in the west by the Fergana Range.
In the Eastern Tien Shan there are two parallel mountain ranges (height 4-5 thousand m), separated by depressions (height 2-3 thousand m). Characterized by highly elevated (3-4 thousand m) leveled surfaces - syrts. The total area of ​​glaciers is 7.3 thousand km2, the largest is Southern Inylchek. Rapids rivers - Naryn, Chu, Ili, etc. Mountain steppes and semi-deserts dominate: on the northern slopes there are meadow-steppes and forests (mainly coniferous), higher up there are subalpine and alpine meadows, on the syrts there are so-called cold deserts.
The length of the Tien Shan from west to east is 2500 km.
The Pamirs are located at the junction of the spurs of other powerful mountain systems of Central Asia - the Hindu Kush, Karakorum, Kunlun and Tien Shan.
The highest point of the Pamirs is Kongur Peak located in China (height 7,719 m).
1.1. Winter holidays in the Chimgan mountains
At a distance of about 90 km from the capital of Uzbekistan - Tashkent, the Chimgan and Beldyrsay ski slopes are located - favorite places for skiing. And of course, Heli-skiing, which appeared in the early 60s, with the advent of helicopters, is becoming increasingly popular as an activity in alpine skiing and snowboarding.
To take vacationers up to the top in Chimgan, there is a chairlift with a length of 800 meters and a nearby rope tow with a length of 570 meters. On the Beldyrsai ski slope, the lift to the top is a chairlift to a station located at an altitude of 2105 meters, and then a ride on a rope tow with a length of 600 meters.
Due to the warm climate, the ski season usually begins in December and ends by mid-March.

1.2. Cultural and eco-tourism in Central Asia and the Himalayas

Tourism begins to reach previously isolated mountain regions
Central Asia. The main task is to make it good
organized and benefiting everyone.
Spectacular mountain regions of Central Asia, Hindu Kush and Himalayas,
inaccessible for many years to foreign visitors, currently
time attract an increasing number of foreign tourists with their
unique culture and natural beauty of these previously isolated
districts.
Although the increasing number of tourists opens up new economic
opportunities and provides employment to the local population, thereby
by promoting the development of these little-known regions of the world, it brings with it
specific challenges: how to ensure that local communities fully
enjoy the benefits of tourism development and ensure that tourism growth
helped in the conservation and sustainable development of natural and cultural resources
these regions, and did not put them in danger?
Project “Development of cultural and ecotourism in the mountainous regions of Central
Asia and the Himalayas" aims to establish connections and provide assistance
development of cooperation between local communities, national and
international non-governmental organizations, as well as
travel agencies to fully involve the local population
into activities that can ensure their employment and participation in income
tourism events.
Interdisciplinary project prepared on the basis of expertise
international non-governmental organizations and professionals
tourism in 7 participating countries, makes a practical and positive contribution to
fight poverty by helping local organizations make the most of
benefit from the region's tourism potential while protecting the environment
environment and cultural heritage of this region.
Mountainous regions of the project include Ladakh in India, Mazulekh in Iran, Northern
Tian Shan Mountains in Kazakhstan, a mountainous region around Lake Issyk-Kul in
Kyrgyzstan, Biosphere Reserve of the UNESCO program “Man and
biosphere" (MAB), Humla in Nepal, Chitral and Kalash Valley in Pakistan, and
also the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan.
Local partners of the project are the Institute of Mountains and the Organization for
Snow Leopard Conservation in Ladakh, India, Aga Khan Program
support of a village in Chitral (Pakistan), as well as the Kazakhstan Mountaineering Foundation
and the Novinomad company for the development of eco-tourism in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
In Tajikistan, UNESCO is collaborating with ACTED, the Agency for
development assistance and technical cooperation, in the Pamir Mountains, and in Nepal,
one of the poorest and most isolated areas of the country, with Nepalese
Trust in Humla.
The project provides for the training of local guides, production
high-quality crafts, providing accommodation in houses (families) and
bed-and-breakfast accommodation, while broadly involving
income-generating activities for the local population. The project also
includes recommendations on positive experience, Web resources, database
data on population characteristics, including maps, scientific data and
regional attractions and resources.
The goal is to introduce these pristine regions of the world to foreign tourists and
researchers while helping local communities benefit from
economic opportunities provided by their natural environment
environment.

2.Tourism in Turkmenistan

Tourism in Turkmenistan is one of the sectors of the economy that has been developing rapidly in recent years. Content
2.1. Visa
Every tourist must obtain a visa before entering Turkmenistan. To obtain a tourist visa, citizens of most countries need visa support from a local travel agency
2.2. Customs regulations
The import and export of local currency is prohibited. Foreign currency must be declared upon arrival in Turkmenistan. You can export an amount not exceeding that specified in the declaration. Duty-free import of items intended for personal use is allowed, as well as up to 200 cigarettes or 200 grams of tobacco (for persons over 16 years of age), up to 2 liters of any alcoholic beverages (for persons over 21 years of age).
The import and export of weapons, ammunition and drugs is prohibited.
The export of carpets, jewelry, musical instruments, artistic and archaeological exhibits is possible only if there are documents confirming the legality of their acquisition. To export Turkmen carpets from Turkmenistan, you must also obtain a certificate from the Carpet Museum in Ashgabat stating that the carpet has no historical value and pay a tax depending on the size of the carpet.
2.3.Transport accessibility of the country
Most trips to Turkmenistan begin by entering the country's capital, Ashgabat, or the seaside town of Turkmenbashi. Ashgabat has a modern Ashgabat International Airport named after the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, where Turkmen Airlines is based. The airport accepts aircraft from Lufthansa, S7 Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Flydubai, Belavia, Uzbekistan Airlines and China Southern Airlines. Two more airports in Turkmenistan (in Mary and Turkmenbashi) have international status.
Due to current restrictions, tickets for domestic flights cannot be reserved or purchased earlier than 14 days before departure.
2.4. Currency and exchange
The current monetary unit in Turkmenistan is the manat; under no circumstances should manats be imported into the country or taken out of Turkmenistan. Foreign currency can be entered in unlimited quantities, but it must be declared. The exchange rate in Turkmenistan is stable, and the difference between the rate of the black market and official exchange offices is insignificant. International payment cards (VISA, MasterCard, etc.) have limited circulation and almost only in Ashgabat, and then only in a few luxury hotels and restaurants.
Popular places: Ashgabat, Avaza, Turkmenbashi, Koneurgench, Khazar, Malakara.
2.5. Attractions
List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Turkmenistan: Monument of Independence of Turkmenistan, Parthian Fortresses of Nisa, Arch of Neutrality, Main Flag of Turkmenistan, Darvaza, Palace Complex "Oguzkhan", Monument of Independence of Turkmenistan, Merv, Mosque, Turkmenbashi Rukhs, etc.
National Institute of Sports and Tourism of Turkmenistan
The National Institute of Sports and Tourism of Turkmenistan was created under the State Committee for Tourism and Sports of Turkmenistan. Rector of the Institute Alladurdy Saryev. Today, the university provides education in the following specialties - “Organization and management of tourism business”, “Special management of hotel and tourism services”, “Study of world experience”.
2.6. Ashgabat
Ashgabat (Turkmen: Asgabat) is the capital of Turkmenistan (Turkmenistan), the largest administrative, political, industrial, scientific and cultural center of the state. Ashgabat is a separate administrative unit - a city with the rights of a velayat (region). Population - 947.2 thousand (2010).
The name of the city comes from the Persian ???" (esh?) - "love" and ???? (abad) - populated, comfortable.
From its foundation in 1881 until 1919, the city was called Ashgabat, in 1919-1927 - Poltoratsk in honor of the revolutionary figure P. G. Poltoratsky, from 1927 - Ashgabat.
After the declaration of independence by Turkmenistan on October 27, 1991, a number of names were renamed settlements. In this regard, in the Russian-language media of Turkmenistan, including electronic ones, the city was called Ashgabat, since it is this form that most closely matches the original Turkmen name.
Currently, in the legislative acts of Turkmenistan (in their texts in Russian), in official means mass media, on official websites the capital of Turkmenistan is called Ashgabat.
The city of Askhabad was founded on the site of a Turkmen settlement in 1881 as a border military fortification and administrative center of the Trans-Caspian region, governed by the military administration. It consisted of many clay houses with orchards located on straight, designed streets. For a long time It was one-story, since after several earthquakes it was forbidden to build higher. The population of the city at the beginning of the century was small, so in 1901 it was 36.5 thousand people, of which 11.2 thousand Persians, 10.7 thousand Russians, 14.6 thousand Armenians, Azerbaijanis and other nationalities. The Turkmens lived outside the city in their nomadic camps.
From 1881 to 1918 the city was the administrative center of the Transcaspian region, from 1918 to 1925. administrative center of the Turkmen region.
In February 1925, Ashgabat (at that time called Poltoratsk in honor of the Bolshevik Poltoratsky) received official status as the capital of the Turkmen SSR.
On October 6, 1948, a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 9-10 at the epicenter occurred in Ashgabat, one of the largest earthquakes of the 20th century. The city was almost completely destroyed. According to various estimates, from 1/2 to 2/3 of the city’s population died that day (that is, from 60 to 110 thousand people, since information about the number of residents is inaccurate).
In 1962, the Karakum Canal was brought to Ashgabat, which made it possible to solve the problem of chronic water shortage in the city.
In 2008, there was an armed uprising of militants in Ashgabat, which went down in history as the Ashgabat rebellion (2008).
2.7. Oguzkent
"Oguzkent" (Turkmen: Oguzkent oteli) is a luxury hotel of the Sofitel hotel group in Ashgabat, along Bitarap Turkmenistan Avenue (Turkmen: Bitarap Turkmenistan - Neutral Turkmenistan, former Podvoisky Street), opposite the "10 Years of Independence" park. 299 rooms, view of the center of Ashgabat.
Construction of the hotel began in 2007, and it opened to visitors in 2010. The luxury hotel is decorated with white marble and glass, the building reflects the idea of ​​​​the revival of the country, the construction and design of which cost 270 million euros, and is decorated in traditional Turkmen style.
Description
White marble building with mirror glass along the entire facade, without being a high-rise building, it is noticeable from afar, as it stands on a hill.
The calling card of the Oguzkent Hotel is a giant carpet, a huge canvas depicting the coat of arms of Turkmenistan measuring 11.72 x 4.30 meters, decorates the hotel lobby. 20 of the most experienced carpet weavers take part in creating the carpet. On a light background of the carpet, an octagonal emerald star is depicted - State Emblem

3. Tourism in Kazakhstan

The Republic of Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan Respublikasy) (Kazakhstan) is a state located in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. In terms of territory, it ranks 9th among the largest states in the world (2 million 724.9 thousand km?). Location: from the eastern edge of the Volga delta in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east, from the West Siberian Plain in the north to the Tien Shan mountain system in the south of the country.
It borders in the north and west with the Russian Federation - 7591.0 km, in the east - with China - 1782.8 km, in the south - with Kyrgyzstan - 1241.6 km, Uzbekistan - 2351.4 km and Turkmenistan - 425.8 km. The total length of land borders is 13392.6 km. It is washed by the waters of the inland Caspian and Aral seas. Kazakhstan is the largest country in the world without access to the World Ocean.
Tourism potential of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is Asia and Europe, or rather Central Eurasia. Its territory is huge: Kazakhstan ranks ninth in the world and second in the CIS (after Russia), surpassing all other Commonwealth countries in terms of territory. This is the most “land” country. There is no place on the planet that is more distant from the oceans than the eastern part of the republic. Its inhabitants are the most “land-dwelling” people in the world. Mayoral elections in Samara 2nd round 2006. Choice of package tour. Kazakhstan is remarkable not only for its size, but also for its natural contrasts. The most northern points it lies at the latitude of Kazan and Moscow, and the southern ones - Madrid, Istanbul, Baku. Some of its parts are located tens of meters below sea level, while others rose above the clouds, and their peaks are much higher than Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe. The diverse nature of the mountains of Kazakhstan is reflected in their names: Karatau - “black mountains”, Aktau - “white mountains”, Kokshetau - “blue mountains”, Alatau - “variegated mountains”.
More than half of the country's area is occupied by plains, among which three lowlands stand out: the Caspian, West Siberian and Turan, a quarter is occupied by hilly, low-mountain and mid-mountain regions and one tenth is occupied by the high-mountain ranges of the Tien Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, Saur, Tarbagatai and Altai, bordering the territory of the republic from the south, southeast and east.
The mountainous regions of Southern and Eastern Kazakhstan are a place of recreation for the population. original commercial equipment for stores affordable prices This is facilitated by the opportunity to do business here active species recreation and sports. Ski tourism is increasingly developing; many tourists and vacationers flock here to admire the beauty of glaciers and lakes, alpine meadows and forests. There is an opportunity to create interesting mountain hiking routes of varying difficulty levels.
The rivers of Kazakhstan originate from the tops of mountains and mountain slopes. Like the mountains from which they begin, many rivers have unique names (Aksu - “white water”, Karasu - “black water”). It’s worth visiting the banks of these “colored” rivers at least once, and it immediately becomes clear how true these names are to them. Professionally create a website in Omsk - guaranteed results. The climate of the republic is also very diverse. In Almaty, the average July temperature is the same as in Sri Lanka, Kalimantan and Java. But these islands are located on the equator or not far from it! In winter, it is colder in Eastern Kazakhstan than on the Arctic islands - Novaya Zemlya or Spitsbergen. When spring sowing is already underway in the south of the republic, in the north the fields are covered with snow and the rivers are frozen.
The territory of the republic has a long duration of sunshine, especially in the summer, which increases the comfort of relaxation and creates conditions for sanatorium treatment and tourism.
The forests, steppes, mountains, valleys and waters of Kazakhstan are distinguished by the richness and diversity of the animal world. Many rare species of mammals have been preserved here; a huge number of birds from the forest-steppe zone, taiga and tundra fly here for the winter. The fauna of Kazakhstan includes almost 160 species of mammals, 485 species of birds, and about 150 species of fish. Among them there are many game animals and birds: squirrel - in the northern forests and Altai, bustard - in the steppes of the north, wild boar - in the reeds of countless lakes, fox and hare are found everywhere. In the Altai Mountains, deer and sika deer are artificially bred. Herds of thousands of saiga roam in the vast expanses of Betpak-Dala in Central and Southern Kazakhstan. This small animal is a contemporary of the mammoth. Here, in desert places where you rarely see humans, another species of antelope lives - the swift-footed gazelle. In the Barsakelmes nature reserve (translated from Kazakh as “if you go, you won’t come back”), in the Aral Sea region, kulans live. Seals live in the Caspian Sea, and steep-horned argali and snow leopards live high in the mountains.
Kazakhstan is rich in authentic natural monuments - exotic rocks and caves formed as a result of the activity of water, wind and glaciers, waterfalls, burial places of fossil fauna and flora, habitats of rare species of animals, etc. Old and decoratively unique trees, rare species and groups of trees, individual areas of thickets of endangered plants, groves, sections of river valleys and coasts, individual boulders, geological outcrops, caves, underground water sources, waterfalls and other natural monuments are also striking.
The most important landscape monuments of inanimate nature in Kazakhstan are the exotic rocks Okzhetpes, the Sphinx, the Camel in the Kokshetau mountains, the granite remains Stone Head, Baba Yaga in the Bayanaul Mountains, the famous “Singing Dune” in the Ili River valley, the burials of the tertiary fauna “Goose Flight” on the Irtysh River, fossil flora and fauna in the valley of the Turgai River, drainless depressions of the Caspian lowland, individual karst caves on the Mangyshlak peninsula, areas of the Ustyurt cliffs and many others.
An analysis of the natural conditions of Kazakhstan allows us to conclude that the local landscapes are extremely contrasting. Many of them are of great interest for the development of tourism and the organization of good recreation for the country’s population.

3.1. Formation of the tourist image of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is practically unknown in the world as a tourist destination, although its lands have long provided a connection between China and Europe, having witnessed many historical events along the Great Silk Road over the centuries.
Creating an attractive tourist image of Kazakhstan requires an appropriate large-scale set of measures.
The main image events should be the participation of travel companies and agencies of Kazakhstan in international tourism exhibitions, fairs and conferences, including those held through the WTO, as well as the organization of similar events on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is important to develop congress tourism, which will contribute to the transformation of Kazakhstan into the center of social and cultural events in Eurasia.
International cooperation in tourism is carried out through participation in the development and implementation of UNESCO and WTO projects on the Great Silk Road, concluding bilateral and multilateral agreements with foreign countries.
An important role in the formation of the country’s tourist image is played by the organization of tourist information centers both in the regions of the republic and abroad. Due attention should be paid to the use of the practice of interaction between tourism organizations and diplomatic missions of the Republic of Kazakhstan abroad. National air carriers and other transport enterprises can provide effective assistance in advertising the country’s tourism potential.
It is necessary to publish and actively distribute high-quality printed and audio-visual advertising materials about Kazakhstan abroad. Attracting tourists to Kazakhstan will be facilitated by local history publications, advertising and publishing activities, including travel agencies and hotels. Particular attention should be paid to the use of the latest information technologies, including the creation of WEB sites for travel companies in Kazakhstan on the Internet.
The greatest effectiveness can be achieved by organizing study tours around Kazakhstan for travel agents and media representatives from countries generating tourist flows.
The creation of a favorable tourist image will be facilitated by holding various cultural, sports and tourism events in Kazakhstan at the international level.
Simplification of the procedure for entry, exit and stay on the territory of the republic of foreign citizens, visa and customs procedures with the introduction of a unified computerized accounting system will be of great importance for the formation of the tourist image of Kazakhstan.
The creation of the image of a hospitable republic will also be facilitated by the production and installation in places most frequently visited by tourists of information boards and inscriptions duplicating Russian and Kazakh texts in Latin transcription.
Stimulating the further development of international tourism in the country, strengthening the work on presenting the state’s tourism potential on the world tourism market includes the implementation of the Action Plan for the formation of the tourist image of Kazakhstan for 2000-2003, approved by Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated October 26, 2000 N 1604. It includes multilateral activities to attract tourists to Kazakhstan and the country’s integration into the international tourism market system.
etc.................

The collapse of the Soviet empire radically changed the geopolitical situation not only in Europe, but also in Asia. Therefore, in addition to the traditional macro-regions of South-West, South, Southeast and East Asia, there is a need to highlight another region - Central Asia.

It includes the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In addition, Afghanistan should also be included in this region, which, both in terms of natural and socio-economic conditions, is much closer to the countries of Central than to South-West Asia.

As part of these six countries, the area of ​​the region is more than 4.6 million km2, or 10.5% of the area of ​​Asia. And its population is about 80 million people (2000), which is 2.4% of the population of Asia. Central Asia stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east (3000 km) and from the marshes of Western Siberia in the north to the Hindu Kush mountain ranges in the south (almost 3000 km). Almost the entire territory is dominated by a sharply continental arid climate and desert landscapes predominate.

The remoteness of Central Asia from the seas and oceans complicates the development of foreign economic relations. The Indian Ocean ports closest to these countries are inaccessible to them, since there are no transit roads through the mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush, Kopet Dag and the Iranian Plateau.

Despite the difficult natural conditions, the area has enormous natural resource potential, which can become a good base for the development of a diversified economy. Large deposits of coal, oil and gas, iron, copper and polymetallic ores, gold, phosphates, sulfur and dozens of other types of minerals have been explored and exploited here. Newly discovered oil deposits in Western Kazakhstan (formerly the Tengiz field) indicate that the countries of Central Asia will remain exporters of oil and gas raw materials for a long time. They can also play a significant role in the global market of non-ferrous metals.

The presence of powerful mountain systems with maximum heights of more than 7000 m causes a large amount of precipitation to fall on the mountain slopes compared to the adjacent plains (more than 500 and even 1000 mm). The mountain glaciers that form here give rise to full-flowing rapids rivers: Amu Darya, Syrdarya, Helmand, Gerirud, Ili. Therefore, the high mountainous regions of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Eastern Kazakhstan have great hydroelectric potential. River water flowing from the mountains in all directions serves as the basis for the development of irrigated agriculture. This explains the greatest concentration of farming in river valleys, while vast desert areas remain practically uninhabited. With the exception of the far east of Kazakhstan, the region is extremely poor in forest resources. Significant damage to forests is caused by unorganized timber harvesting for domestic needs.

The natural recreational resources of the region, in combination with centers of ancient culture, can serve for the development of international tourism of various profiles. The area around Lake Issyk-Kul is favorable for recreational tourism, mountain ranges and peaks are covered with glaciers, attracting skiers and climbers, the architectural ensembles of many ancient cities (formerly Bukhara and Samarkand) are interesting objects for educational tourism.

The population of Central Asia, despite its small size, is very heterogeneous in terms of linguistic and anthropological characteristics. After all, the formation of the peoples of this region took place on the border of two races (Caucasoid and Mongoloid) and two large language families (Indo-European and Altai). Turkmens, Tajiks and most of the peoples of Afghanistan belong to the southern branch of the Caucasian race, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz belong to the Mongoloid race, and Uzbeks are a people of mixed origin, with certain characteristics of both races. Linguistically, the majority of the peoples of Central Asia (Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kirghiz Karakalpaks, Turkmens, etc.). They belong to the Turkic group of the Altaic language family. And only the Tajiks and the peoples of Afghanistan belong to the Iranian language group of the Indo-European family.

In all the states of Central Asia that were previously part of the USSR, there was a high proportion of migrants of Slavic origin (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians). Hundreds of thousands of Eastern Slavs have already returned to their homeland from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan in recent years, and in Kazakhstan they now make up almost half of the population.

The countries of Central Asia are characterized by high rates of natural population growth (2-3% per year). Moreover, they are high in the poor countries of the region - Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and the lowest in Kazakhstan, which has a high level of urbanization and a significant proportion of the non-indigenous population.

Only in Kazakhstan the urban population predominates over the rural (58%), otherwise it is 30-45%, and in Afghanistan - 20%. The region does not have the same hypertrophied growth of large cities as other parts of Asia. Tashkent alone has more than 2 million inhabitants and Almaty - 1.5 million. By the beginning of the civil war in Afghanistan, Kabul was a millionaire city, but now its population has halved.

The low average population density of Central Asia - 18 people/km2 - says little about the real distribution of the population in this territory. Vast areas of deserts and highlands are practically uninhabited, and well-watered river valleys have a population density of 200-400 people/km2. Unique in this regard is the Fergana Valley, where the most densely populated regions of three states are located: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The economy of the countries of Central Asia was formed as a raw material appendage of the Soviet empire. Therefore, the agro-industrial complex and mining industries predominate here. Having lost traditional markets for their products, almost all countries are reducing industrial and agricultural production. Therefore, the volume of GNP in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for 1990-1998 decreased by 1.5-2 times; only in Turkmenistan, which exports natural gas to Western Europe through a transcontinental pipeline system, GNP increased slightly. Afghanistan, which is in a civil war, remains one of the least developed countries not only in Asia but also in the world.

Most inter-industry complexes formed in the Central Asian states do not have the final stages of processing raw materials and manufacturing finished products, and this reduces the efficiency of their functioning. Complexes are fully represented here: fuel and energy, non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy and agro-industrial.

More hard and brown coal is mined in Kazakhstan (Karaganda and Ekibastuz basins), oil - in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, gas - in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The mountainous states of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan) are poor in fuel minerals, but have powerful hydropower potential. In Tajikistan, a cascade of hydroelectric power stations has been created on Vakhsh, and in Kyrgyzstan - on the city of Naryn, which practically meet the electricity needs of these countries and serve as the basis for some energy-intensive industries. Afghanistan has the greatest problems with the provision of fuel and energy, where only a small amount of gas is produced and there are no powerful hydroelectric power plants. Firewood accounts for a significant share of the country's fuel balance.

Central Asian countries are major manufacturers non-ferrous metals. Important areas of non-ferrous metallurgy have formed: in Rudny Altai (polymetals), in Central Kazakhstan - the cities of Balkhash and Zhezkazgan (copper, lead, zinc) in Kyrgyzstan and eastern Uzbekistan (polymetals, gold). Powerful aluminum smelters were built on the basis of cheap hydroelectric power in the cities of Tursun-zade (Tajikistan) and Pavlodar (Kazakhstan). Taking into account the already explored raw material base, new centers of non-ferrous metallurgy may arise in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Only Kazakhstan has a well-developed ferrous metallurgy. The favorable combination of coking coal deposits in the Karaganda basin and Sokolovsko-Sarbai iron ore, as well as reserves of manganese ores, nickel, chromium and other alloying metals contribute to the production of high-quality and cheap steel. A full-cycle metallurgical plant operates in Temirtau. In other countries there are only small steel plants or workshops at machine-building enterprises.

The region has significant reserves of raw materials for the chemical industry. Nowadays, those types of it that are necessary for the production of mineral fertilizers are mainly used. Based on the mining of phosphorites, the Karatau-Zhambyl industrial complex was formed in Kazakhstan, sulfur and mirabilite are mined in Turkmenistan, and there is a nitrogen fertilizer plant in the cities of Navoi and Fergana (Uzbekistan). The enormous reserves of mirabilite in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay are partially used, but its comprehensive processing is not carried out in this region.

Most machine-building enterprises in Central Asia work for agricultural needs. Tractors (Pavlodar), cotton harvesters (Tashkent) and many other types of agricultural equipment for local consumers are produced here. A more diversified structure of the mechanical engineering complex is found only in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In addition to mining equipment and machine tool manufacturing enterprises (Karaganda, Almaty), aircraft manufacturing (Tashkent), it is planned to build automobile assembly plants here and create new industries, in particular instrument making and radio electronics. New production facilities will primarily focus on cheap labor in the southern regions of these states.

But the basis of the economy of the countries of Central Asia will for a long time be agriculture, the specialization of which has been formed over millennia. The natural conditions of this territory are favorable for the development of extensive semi-nomadic livestock farming, which is combined with intensive irrigated agriculture in the oases. In the second half of the 20th century. New farming areas were created here (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) on virgin lands. But the productivity of these lands is low, and the yield is unstable - for several lean years there are one or two years with high gross yields.

A certain difference in the moisture content of individual territories and the availability of natural food resources determines the different specializations of livestock farming. In the north of Kazakhstan, meat predominates - dairy and beef cattle breeding in combination with sheep and pig breeding. On the desert lands of southern Kazakhstan and other countries, fine-wool and Karakul sheep, as well as camels, are grazed. In the northern foothills of the Tien Shan, especially in Kyrgyzstan, as well as in Turkmenistan, horse breeding is well developed. In the foothills of the Kopetdag there is the main breeding area for the world's Akhal-Teke horses. Sericulture, beekeeping, dairy and beef cattle breeding, and poultry farming are also developing, but pig farming is practically absent, which is explained by the Islamic ban on eating pork.

In most Central Asian states, the area of ​​arable land does not exceed 10% of their territory, and in Turkmenistan - only 1%. The geography of agriculture is closely related to the availability of water resources (it is not for nothing that there is a proverb “without water there is no land”). Therefore, the main agricultural areas are confined to river valleys and well-moistened foothills. The shortage of arable land forces the local population to grow the most labor-intensive industrial crops, primarily cotton. A significant proportion of the land is occupied by melons, orchards and vineyards. Central Asia is famous for the best varieties of melons, watermelons, grapes, apples, pears and other fruits. The warm, dry climate contributes to the mass production of dried fruits: raisins, sultanas, dried apricots, etc.

Grain and feed crops (mainly wheat, rice, alfalfa) are mainly used in crop rotation with industrial crops. Only on the developed virgin lands of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the structure of crops is sharply dominated by grain crops: spring wheat, barley, millet, and in warmer areas - corn.

Opium poppy crops are significant; previously they were grown for medical purposes. But the lack of clear control over its processing and sale can lead (as has already happened in Afghanistan) to the production of poppy products for the needs of the drug business.

Having declared independence, the states of the region, with the exception of Afghanistan, at the same time remained committed to strengthening the CIS, that is, they remain completely under the military-political “guardianship of Russia,” which continues to consider the southern border of the former USSR as its southern border. This explains Russia's significant military presence in the region and its involvement in local conflicts, primarily in Tajikistan. The Russian military-industrial complex still owns a huge number of objects in this territory. The Russian military, whose movements are not at all controlled by local authorities, can freely transport (as the example of Afghanistan showed) tens and hundreds of kilograms of narcotic raw materials, which contributes to the development of the drug business.

The hot spot in Central Asia remains Afghanistan, where, after decades of civil war, a precarious peace was established only in 2002. Meanwhile, the presence here of many peoples and political forces that have their own armed forces can lead to an uncontrollable spread of the conflict to other countries in the region.

The Soviet empire left local peoples with a large “bouquet” of environmental problems. Massive hydraulic engineering construction and excessive water consumption during irrigation lead to soil salinization and have given rise to the problems of the Aral and Balkhash. The Aral Sea has shrunk by more than half, and thousands of tons of salt have been blown from its dry bottom. The unique Lake Balkhash, which was fresh in one part and salty in the other, may soon turn into completely salty. In addition, the previously poor natural vegetation was destroyed over vast areas, which led to active wind erosion and dust storms.

The problem of integrating the states of the region into the world economy cannot be solved without creating a completely new transport network. The existing system of railways, highways, gas and oil pipelines was created under the conditions of the empire and is mainly represented by highways going to Central Russia. The network of internal routes, especially railways, does not meet the modern needs of the economy. Central Asia is virtually cut off from the nearest Indian Ocean ports due to the complete absence of railways in Afghanistan and weak connections with the transport system of Iran. Therefore, in addition to the planned road through Iran, it would be advisable for the countries of the region to create routes to seaports through Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, in addition, may look for additional ways to export products through China and Pacific ports.

Firms from Japan and South Korea are showing great interest in this region. Of the traditional partners, besides Russia, Ukraine can also be of great importance for the region. The Ukrainian economy is in need of energy resources, non-ferrous metals, cotton and other products from Central Asian countries. On the other hand, Ukrainian enterprises can supply products from ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering (oil and gas production equipment, tractors, machine tools, agricultural equipment) and food industry to this region. Projects for the construction of new gas and oil pipelines also provide for the active participation of Ukraine in them, and some of them may pass directly through the territory of our country. Such cooperation allowed the Central Asian states to find much cheaper ways to sell their products, and Ukraine received additional reliable sources of raw materials and energy. Closer cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and Ukraine requires solving certain social problems.

It is from this region that deported Crimean Tatars return to Ukraine. For now, the Ukrainian side is forced to bear all the costs of their resettlement, although in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan there remain good-quality houses and entire settlements in which the Tatars lived. The large Ukrainian diaspora requires significant support from Ukraine and assistance from the governments of Central Asian states in national and cultural development. Indeed, in Soviet times, even in Kazakhstan, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians live, as a result of the Russification policy, the educational and cultural interests of Ukrainian settlers were not satisfied at all.

Central Asia is a vast region with no access to the ocean. All sources include the following countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Many include Mongolia, part of China, Punjab, Kashmir and the north here. A specific feature of the Central Asia region is its inland location with mountains along the outskirts protecting its perimeter.

Central Asia includes desert and semi-desert plains, highlands and plateaus. Limited:

• in the East by the southern part of the Greater Khingan and the Taihangshan ridge,
• in the South - the longitudinal tectonic basin of the upper Indus and Brahmaputra (Tsangpo),
• in the West and North, the border of Central Asia corresponds to the mountain ranges of Eastern Kazakhstan, Altai, Western and Eastern Sayan.

The area of ​​Central Asia, according to various estimates, ranges from 5 to 6 million sq. km. The population of Central Asia consists of Mongolian peoples, Chinese, Uighurs, Tibetans, etc. The relief of Central Asia is distinguished by significant elevations, and two main tiers are distinguished. On the lower tier (500-1500 m relative to sea level ) the Gobi Desert, Alashan, Ordos, Dzungarian and Tarim Plains are located . The upper tier is the Tibetan Plateau, the average heights of which increase to 4-4.5 thousand m . And the highest points of the Tien Shan, Karakorum, and Kunlun mountains reach 6-7 thousand meters.

Central Asia is unevenly populated. People have developed mainly river valleys and intermountain gorges where there is water. In the north, areas with a favorable climate have a larger area, and there the area of ​​inhabited land is larger (Kazakh virgin lands). But in general, within the region, large areas have no permanent population at all. The reason for this is the lack of water.

Scientists believe that the first nomadic state in this region was created by the Scythians. Although who these Scythians were is still being debated. According to scientists, the Scythian tribes lived in a state of fragmentation. They created a power called the Xiongnu (209 BC - 93 AD), which was the first empire of the world's nomadic peoples.

Central Asia. Climate

In winter, anticyclones predominate in Central Asia, and in summer - low Atmosphere pressure with a predominance of dry air masses that came from the ocean, but lost moisture along such a long path. The climate is sharply continental, dry, temperature fluctuations are significant both during the season and during the day. Average temperatures in January on the plains are -10 to -25 °C, in July - from 20 to 25 °C). The annual amount of precipitation on the plains in some places is sometimes less than evaporation. The greatest amount of precipitation falls in summer. There is more precipitation in mountain ranges than in plains. Central Asia is characterized by strong winds and sunny days (240-270 per year).

Vegetation

In most of the plains of Central Asia, the vegetation cover is sparse, the vegetation is desert and semi-desert, and its species composition is poor. Shrubs predominate. Significant areas of takyrs, salt marshes, and loose sands are completely or almost devoid of vegetation cover.

On the Tibetan Plateau, vegetation is often represented by creeping teresken shrubs, and in the hollows, which are sheltered from cold winds, by sedges, kobresias, reamuria, bluegrass, and fescue.

In the North, semi-deserts and deserts turn into steppes. On the northern slopes of the mountains, areas of coniferous forests of spruce, fir, and larch appear. Along the valleys of many transit rivers (Tarim, Khotan, Aksu, Konchedarya), in deserts and in foothill oases there are strips of tugai forests with a predominance of variegated poplar, oleaster and sea buckthorn. Along the banks of reservoirs there are reed and reed thickets.

The Central Asian tourist mesoregion covers two states located in the foothills of the Himalayas (Nepal and Bhutan), the western regions of China, incl. Tibet, northern regions of China (Inner Mongolia) and the state of Mongolia. This tourist mesoregion is characterized by the exoticism of its nature and culture. Tibet is now the world center of the Buddhist religion, which determines the cultural uniqueness of Central Asia as a whole. In addition to Buddhism (in the form of Lamaism) in the tourist mesoregion […]

Noticeably different from other parts, it has many features of Eastern Siberia. The main mountain systems are the Mongolian and Gobi Altai, the Khangai and Khentei ranges. In the northern part is the Great Lakes Basin. The Altai mountain region stands out in the west, and the Khangai-Khzntei region in the east. In the Altai mountain region, the main system is the Mongolian Altai, tapering to the southeast. High areas alternate with [...]

A vast plateau between the Beishan and Greater Khingan mountains, in Mongolian - a pasture. Ridge-and-ridge topography with average heights of 900-1200 m. In some places, rocky, destroyed mountains with clear features of desert denudation, some up to 3000 m (Khurkhu, Khara-Naryn). On the slopes there are deep erosion hollows (traces of the wet period - a hydrographic network), and in the relief there are ancient river beds (saury). Rocky and […]

According to tectonics, they belong to the Blue Shield of the Chinese Platform. The sedimentary cover is thin; ancient metamorphic rocks come to the surface over large areas. The Ordos Plateau, elevated by 1000 m, is located in the northern bend of the Yellow River. A thin cloak of eluvium and aeolian sands, the latter distributed over a large area, forming dunes and ridged hilly uplifts. The largest accumulations of dune sands in […]

Dzungaria is located between the Tien Shan and Altai and represents a round intermountain depression, at the base of which is an ancient massif. It is covered by Paleozoic and Meso-Cenozoic sediments. The basin has low altitudes (compared to other plains of Central Asia) - 600-800 m, the relief is varied: low mountains, gravel-pebble plains, saline basins, hilly sands with dunes. There is oil in the loose sediments of the basin. In the center […]

One of the greatest drainless depressions, somewhat reminiscent of Dzungaria in structure, but is distinguished by greater geographic isolation. A significant part is the sandy Taklamakan desert, in the topography of which there are ancient buried valleys. Absolute heights are 800-1400 m with a slope to the northeast. Quaternary alluvial deposits with different lithological composition. Most of the territory is covered with shifting sands (aeolian landforms). In central and northeastern […]

A vast mountainous country between the desert plains of Beishan, the Gobi and the Kunlun Mountains. Nanshan is a group of folded ridges and ridges separated by intermontane tectonic depressions. The average height is 4000-5000 m. The highest chain of Nanshan - Ulan-Daban reaches 6346 m. ​​In the west there is a system of parallel ridges, high and weakly dissected. Intermountain depressions are highly elevated plateau-like surfaces. In the east the ridges are lower, [...]

Karakorum (black scree - from Turkic). One of the highest systems. The average altitude is 6000 m (Chogori city, 8611 m). Passes at an altitude of 4600-5700 m, accessible for 1-2 months, passed ancient routes to India. The structure contains Precambrian crystalline rocks, gneisses, schists, and marbles. In the Mesozoic, the Yanshan folding and Cenozoic movements rejuvenated the relief and raised the mountains to their present heights. Quaternary […]