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Asia
Dams
Islam
Oceans and seas
Soviet union, history ofSAMARKAND
One of the oldest cities in Central
Asia, Samarkand was situated on the
ancient Silk Road from China to
Europe. Some of its finest buildings
date to the 13th and 14th centuries,
when Samarkand was the center of
an Islamic empire.
The monuments of the Registan
Square (below) are decorated with
mosaics, marble, and gold.
In the east and south the Central
Asian Mountains form a barrier
between Central Asia and China
and Pakistan. To the west lies Iran
and the eastern shores of the
Caspian Sea. To the north lie the
flat steppelands of Kazakhstan.
COTTON HARVEST
Uzbekistan is one of the world’s largest cotton-
cultivators. Cotton is also grown elsewhere in Central Asia, which is
the northernmost of the great cotton regions of
the world. Uzbekistan makes and exports
machinery used to harvest and process the
cotton. The gathering of the white, fluffy
cotton is highly mechanized.KYRGYZ NOMADS
Mainly from Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz
people are a nomadic people, who
traditionally live on the high plateaus
by herding sheep, goats, yaks, horses,
and camels. They lived in yurts—felt-
covered frame tents. During the Soviet
era, many Kyrgyz were forced to settle
on large collective farms.Animal breeding is
important to the Kyrgyz
because they have so little land
to farm. The Kyrgyz are known
for their skilled horsemanship.ARAL SEA
In Uzbekistan cotton farmers are diverting
the flow of the Amu Darya to water their
fields. The inland Aral Sea, also fed
by the river, is drying up. More than
half the sea’s water has been lost since
1960, and its salt content has increased
fourfold. The sea is too salty for fish,
and fishing ports are now surrounded
by grounded ships and barren land.
Fertilizers have poisoned drinking
water, leading to health problems.Samarkand is still
a major trading
center, exporting
silk and cotton,
fruits, vegetables,
and tobacco.CARPETS
Woolen carpets from
Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan have distinctive
geometrical designs. They
are made by hand-knotting
the wool. They are used as
saddle cloths, wall hangings,
and prayer mats.Central Asia 110-
A LANDSCAPE OF HIGH MOUNTAINS, fertile valleys, and extensive
deserts, Central Asia was once peopled by nomads who roamed the land with
their animal herds, searching for new pastures. The Silk Road, a trade route
from China to Europe, once passed through the region, and a number of
towns were founded along it. From 1922 to 1991, most of
the region was part of the Soviet Union. During this
period, traditional ways of life began to disappear,
and new technology made the land more
productive. Today, the independent states of
the region use mountain streams to generate
electricity, and divert water to irrigate the arid
land. A large range of crops—vegetables,
wheat, fruits, and tobacco—are grown.
Cotton is a major crop, and is exported by
Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, to the south, has
been plagued by warfare. Its economy is in a
state of collapse due to the conflict.