Level 85
1 day < 1 min
LeaderboardGuest · Log in
Regional Geography of the Continents

Geography of Central Asia and the Caucasus

A regional survey of the landlocked steppes, mountain corridors, and post-Soviet states stretched between Europe and Asia, from the Kazakh steppe and the shrinking Aral Sea to the peaks of the Caucasus and the pipelines that bind the region to world energy markets.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. The Central Asian Steppe and Great Silk Road. The vast Eurasian steppe carried nomadic empires and Silk Road trade between China and the West.
  2. The Caspian and Aral Sea Basins. The Caspian is the world's largest lake, while the Aral Sea has collapsed under Soviet irrigation.
  3. The Caucasus Mountains and Its Nations. The Caucasus range divides Europe from Asia and hosts extraordinary ethnic and linguistic diversity.
  4. Post-Soviet Borders and National Identity. Soviet-drawn borders left Central Asia and the Caucasus with enclaves and contested identities.
  5. Energy Resources and Pipeline Geopolitics. Vast oil and gas reserves make Central Asian and Caspian pipeline routes a major geopolitical battleground.
  6. Water Politics in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya. Upstream dams and downstream irrigation put the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins in constant dispute.
  7. Nomadic Heritage and Modern Settlement. Once-nomadic Central Asian societies were forcibly settled under Soviet collectivization.
  8. Central Asia's Strategic Position Between Powers. Landlocked and resource-rich, Central Asia balances Russian, Chinese, and Western influence at once.

This module continues after "Geography of Oceania and the Pacific" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1The Central Asian Steppe and Great Silk Road
2The Caucasus Mountains and Its Nations
3Energy Resources and Pipeline Geopolitics
4Water Politics in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya
5Central Asia's Strategic Position Between Powers

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

Your module mastery

0% (overall measurement)
Approximate breakdown by skill
Understanding of historiographical debate0%

A rough estimate based on the key points reviewed, not an exact measurement of actual mastery.

Final test

You need to review all key points to unlock the final test.

Optional mini-games

Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.

Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Cameron, S. (2018). The Hungry Steppe: Famine, Violence, and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
  • Hopkirk, P. (1990). The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia. London: John Murray.
  • Haugen, A. (2003). The Establishment of National Republics in Soviet Central Asia. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Starr, S.F. (2013). Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia's Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • Micklin, P. (2007). "The Aral Sea Disaster." Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 35, 47-72.
  • de Waal, T. (2013). Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War (10th anniversary ed.). New York: New York University Press.