More than 30 years after independence, the five Central Asian countries have transformed into a complex region where three elements—abundant resources, diverse ethnic groups, and geopolitical importance—intertwine. Understanding contemporary Central Asia requires three perspectives: resources, ethnicity, and geopolitics.
Energy Resources and the Economy
- Kazakhstan: One of the world's leading producers of oil, natural gas, and uranium. It possesses the giant Kashagan oil field along the Caspian Sea coast.
- Turkmenistan: Fourth in the world in natural-gas reserves. It exports almost exclusively to China and pursues “energy diplomacy.”
- Uzbekistan: Cotton, natural gas, and gold. In recent years, it has diversified its industries into manufacturing and tourism.
- Pipeline politics: The question of whose pipelines to use—those leading toward Russia, China, or Europe and the United States—is at the heart of geopolitics.
Ethnic Issues and Border Conflicts
- The arbitrary borders drawn during the Soviet era sowed the seeds of conflict in ethnically mixed areas such as the Fergana Valley.
- Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border conflict: Small-scale border clashes intensified in 2021, causing deaths as well. The boundary had remained undetermined since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
- The issue between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan concerning Uzbek territory around Samarkand and Bukhara, where many Tajiks live.
“China's Rise” and Central Asia: A core route of the “Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)”, proposed by Xi Jinping in 2013, passes through Central Asia. China has expanded its influence through large-scale infrastructure investments—railways, roads, and pipelines—and loans. Replacing the Great Game once contested by Russia and Britain, a “New Great Game” is now unfolding as Russia, China, the United States, and the European Union compete for influence in Central Asia.
Revival of Identity
After independence, the countries promoted the revival of Islam, the adoption of ethnic languages as official languages, and the reinterpretation of history. Historical figures such as Timur, Genghis Khan, and leaders of the Turkic peoples, who had been labeled “feudal rulers” during the Soviet era, were reevaluated as “national heroes.” At the same time, the rise of Islamic extremism remains a challenge, and the governments continue to waver between controlling religion and maintaining secularization.
Practice
- Explain what “pipeline politics” means in Central Asia.
- Explain the fundamental cause of the Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border conflict in connection with Soviet-era policies.
- Explain the impact of China's “Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” on Central Asia.