Chapter 18: The Caucasus and Central Asia

Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan lie between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. They are dominated by the Caucasus Mountains. Until 1991 these small republics were part of the Soviet Union. Armenia and Georgia both have a Christian heritage, while Azerbaijan is a Muslim country. Agriculture is important in all three countries. Azerbaijan has made agreements with foreign companies to develop deposits of oil and natural gas that lie under the Caspian Sea.

The five nations of Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan—were all part of the former Soviet Union. Kazakhstan has rich deposits of oil and other mineral resources. The country, however, must find solutions for environmental problems caused by rapid industrialization. Most of the countries are poor, and most people are farmers.