Understanding Central Asia

Post-Soviet Central Asia remains for many either obscure but intriguing, or enigmatic and misunderstood. A landlocked region once called the pivot of the world, endowed with natural resources, its strategic importance was heightened after September 11. Since Soviet collapse the independent republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have faced tremendous political, economic and security challenges. This book analyzes the contending understandings of the politics of the past, present and future transformations of Central Asia.