landlocked
Which word best describes Central Asia's physical geography?
rugged mountains
What physical features have contributed to the isolation of the Central Asia region?
irrigation
What is the reason the Aral Sea is shrinking?
It needs to build pipelines through rugged mountains.
What is preventing Central Asia from exporting oil?
Kazakhstan
Which country shares a large border with Russia?
water, oil and gas, other minerals
What are some key natural resources in Central Asia?
Soviets
Who was the last major group to rule Central Asia?
Islam is the main religion.
Which situation in Central Asia shows Arab influence?
moveable home used by nomads
What is a yurt?
Each ethnic group speaks its own language.
Why do people speak different languages in Central Asia?
Latin
What alphabet do most countries in Central Asia use today?
cotton
On what crop does Central Asia's economy rely?
overuse of chemicals for crop production
Which of these is an environmental problem in Central Asia today?
The land decreases in elevation.
In general, how does land change as one moves from east to west?
rivers that fertilize the Fergana Valley.
The Syr Darya and the Amu Darya are __________________
Afghanistan
Which country does NOT have huge reserves of oil and natural gas?
Turkic-speaking nomads
Who were the first people to establish a lasting influence on the region?
They destroyed many cities in their violent attacks.
What actions did the Mongols take in Central Asia?
made Russian the official language of business and government, tested nuclear weapons in the area, and built railroads and irrigation projects.
When the Soviets controlled the region, they ______________
raising horses, cattle, sheep, and goats.
For centuries, most Central Asians made their living by ________________________
Turkic
What is the larger ethnic group, of which most Central Asian ethnic groups are a part?
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan and Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan and Afghanistan
Where in Central Asia do ethnic Russians live?
to close or destroy places of worship
What was the Soviet policy toward religion?
Afghanistan.
In the 1980s the Soviet Union fought a long war with _____________________
the al Qaeda network was based there.
The United States attacked Afghanistan because _____________
It is a stable republic with an elected president and parliament.
Which of the following best describes the government of Kazakhstan>
a pilgrimage site and a beautiful lake
What are possible attractions in Kyrgyzstan?
an elected president with total control
What type of government exists in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan?
health problems in the region.
Leftover radiation from Soviet nuclear tests has led to ______________________
the yurt.
The nomadic lifestyle is made possible with the portability of ___________________________
political groups within Central Asia.
The most serious terror threats to Central Asian countries come from _______________
irrigation of cotton crops
Which of the following is the most important use for water in the region?
The country has a new constitution.
What has been a recent change in Afghanistan?
They do not want Islam to turn into a political movement.
Why do leaders in countries such as Turkmenistan view Islam with caution?
the largest cities in the region.
Uzbekistan has _______________________
1991.
The Soviet Union collapsed in _________________