south-central
asia: issues that bind |
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country
profiles |
Source:
Central Asia Map
This
page also offers links to other web resources on the CARs and includes
government websites, which are useful to understand how these states
represent themselves to their people and the international community.
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Kazakhstan
demographic:
In 2005, the population was 15.2 million. In area it is the
largest of the CARs.
ethnic
composition : Kazakhs form more than 50% and Russians about
25% of the country's population. Other ethnicities include Azeris,
Ukrainians, Kurds, Chechens and even a small German community.
languages:
Kazakh and Russian (main languages)
political
system: Kazakhstan acquired independence from the Soviet
Union in 1991, and adopted a new constitution in 1995 after holding
a nation-wide referendum. The president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev,
has been re-elected three times in elections in the last 15 years.
Although there is a council of ministers elected by the president,
Nazarbayev holds all the reins of government. In recent months, reports
of regular arrests of opposition members have abounded.
Nazarbayev
has also paved the way for his eventual exit by getting immunity from
prosecution from his obliging parliament and by providing full support
and patronage to his daughter Dariga Nazarbayeva who formed a pro-presidential
party, Asar in 2003. She also runs Khabar, the main television and
radio company in Kazakhstan and holds other important posts.
economy
: Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of that interdependent
economy, much of Kazakhstan's growth has been limited to the mineral
extraction and processing industries, and the oil sector. The boom
in these sectors is largely due to foreign investment, but other sectors
have suffered or been largely ignored. Agricultural sector is the
largest employer but its output is a mere 8% of the country's GDP.
The service industry is growing at a rapid pace.
other
resources:
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Kyrgyzstan
demographic:
the population was estimated in 2005 to be around 5 million.
ethnic
composition: Kyrgyz make up 67%, Uzbeks 14% and Russians
10% of the population. Ukrainians, Germans and Tatars are some of
the other groups here.
languages:
the main languages are Kyrgyz and Russian.
political
system: Kyrgyzstan began as a democracy and did fairly well
until corruption became the order of the day in the political system
and the electoral process fell prey to government interference. In
2005, protests against the president Askar Akayev were so powerful
(they came to be called the Tulip revolution) he was forced to resign.
Since July 2005, president Kurmanbek Bakiev has run the country and
unrest continues; opposition members have become victims of political
violence and relations between the president and parliament are tense.
There have been some positive signs such as a more free press, yet
legal actions against the media hamper its style and impose on it
a huge financial burden. Bakiev's authority continues to supersede
that of the Kyrgyz parliament, but he has also promised more powers
to the parliament. A referendum will be held this year to gauge popular
views on whether Kyrgyzstan should have a presidential or parliamentary
system or a system where both bodies share power.
economy:
Investment in the hitherto neglected southern region of the Ferghana
valley has increased under Bakiev although the market continues to
be dominated by less than legitimate business dealings. In fact, organized
crime is alleged to have acquired a political upper hand since Bakiev
came to power in July 2005. Tourism is a potentially strong industry
given Kyrgyzstan's mountainous landscape, but political instability
has retarded growth in this area.
other
resources:
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Tajikistan
demographic:
The population was estimated in 2005 to be 6.3 million.
ethnic
composition: The country's largest ethnic group is Tajik
followed by a considerable Uzbek population.
languages:
Tajik, Uzbek and Russian constitute the main languages here.
political
system: Immediately after independence from the Soviet Union,
a five year civil war ensued between pro-Moscow government and Islamist
rebels. Eventually it ended in a UN brokered peace. Emomali Rakhmonov
has been in charge as president since 1994. He is yet another Central
Asian leader who has grown attached to his position of authority and
has been re-elected for an additional 6 years after his current term
ends in 2006. This 're-election' happened in the 2003 referendum where
93% was reported to be the turnout, but 96% of the population is said
to have voted for him. The press has limited freedom and most newspapers
and broadcasting stations are state-owned; Tajikistan has no daily
newspaper.
The
country's location on the border with Afghanistan makes it susceptible
to those traversing the drug route from Afghanistan to Russia. Tajikistan
has also been accused of allowing training camps for Islamist rebels
to flourish, although it has repeatedly denied the charge.
economy:
The civil war severely crippled industrial and agricultural economy.
Currently, there is steady economic growth at about 10% per annum.
However, the country is beset with rampant unemployment and corruption.
Mineral resources are few. Cotton remains the most important crop;
the agricultural economy has yet to diversify, and remains unproductive.
About 60% of the population lives in abject poverty, although the
percentage of people under the poverty-line has dropped in the last
ten years.
other
resources:
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Turkmenistan
demographic:
the population in 2006 is estimated at around 6 million.
ethnic
composition: Of all the Central Asian republics, this is
a relatively homogeneous country. Turkmen make up 85% of the population,
followed by Uzbeks (5%), Russians (4%) and other small groups.
languages:
Turkmen and Russian are the main languages.
political
system: Saparmyrat Atayevich Niyazov has ruled Turkmenistan
since 1991. This is the most repressive regime in central Asia. The
personality cult surrounding Niyazov is comparable to that of Kim
Jung Il in North Korea. He has made it compulsory for people to refer
to him as Turkmenbashi or Father of the Turkmen. He has written his
thoughts on Turkmen culture and history in a book called the Ruhnama,
which Turkmen people are supposed to look to for spiritual guidance.
Opposition is non-existent as leaders have been regularly imprisoned
without trial; there is an opposition in exile. Last year practically
all libraries were closed down and the media's role is limited to
echoing Niyazov's pronouncements. The Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe has called the control of the press here 'unprecedented.'
economy:
The extreme repressiveness of the state means the economy has little
room to breathe; everything is under state control. Niyazov spends
huge sums of money on grand schemes, but nothing on social welfare.
Last year he closed all rural hospitals at the same time that he had
a huge gold statue of himself built.
The
country has the fifth largest reserves of natural gas and huge oil
deposits which shape its foreign policy. A pipeline running between
Turkmenistan and Iran is controversial for some major powers and has
yet to bear much revenue for Turkmenistan. In 2003, Russia agreed
to buy 60 billion cubic meters per annum. Government claims that the
Turkmen economy grew at the rate of 20% in 2005 make it clear that
data coming out of the country is circumspect; foreign observers are
not allowed in to conduct research and/or record independent data.
other
resources:
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Uzbekistan
demographic:
the most populous of the CARs, Uzbekistan has a population
of 27 million people.
ethnic
composition: The population is a mix of Uzbeks (65%), Russians,
Tajiks, Kazakhs and Qoraqalpoghs and Turkmen.
languages:
Uzbek, Russian and Tajik are the main languages used here.
political
system: Islam Karimov has been president since 1989. At regular
intervals 'referenda' and elections (where he was unopposed) have
extended his term. The next elections are slated for 2007. The opposition
is non-existent or underground. All protests and uprisings are labelled
as 'islamic insurgencies' and used as a pretext for more repressive
measures. The government has sustained a policy of jailing imams and
persecuting all those who publicly espouse Islam. The news media is
tightly controlled and most journalists practice self-censorship.
Last April, the government cracked down violently on protestors in
Andijon leaving hundreds of civilians dead. Journalists were expelled
and since then foreign media personnel have been consistently harassed
and/0r forced to leave the country.
economy:
Among the poorest of the CARs, Uzbekistan has a high unemployment
rate of about 20%, even though official figures put it at around 2%.
other
resources:
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Other
resources for Central Asia
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Chaitanya
Guide 7: Part Three:
South Asia-Central Asia: Areas of Interest
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