Over a decade after national independence, it is apparent that the contrasting development strategies adopted by the five new governments of Central Asia have led to significantly different outcomes. This well-written and timely book analyses how the development strategies of these countries have affected their transition from communist governance.
The transition of the countries in Euro-Asia is one of the most important developments affecting the international system since the end of the Cold War. While some countries have progressed well, and may join the EU, others have undergone disintegration.
Approaching Central Asia from the perspective of geopolitics, transition, oil and stability, the authors provide a very broad and diverse analysis of the region, examining domestic and international developments since 1991.
The five central Asian States of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan stand at the crossroads of world civilization. Influenced by South Asia, Iran, China and Russia, this region which has recently burst onto the world stage once again, guards a distinct identity. This collection by established experts on the area covers the dramatic Soviet interventions of the early 20th century, and details the role of ethnicity and the contribution made by Islamic impulses in the process of building the modern nation states.
"An important addition to the literature on the subject & of interest to specialists as well as general readers. Drawing on lifelong study & personal knowledge of the people & the area, Gleason gives a comprehensive, up-to-date, & well-documented treatment of the new states. A sober assessment of the region's legacies & the current nation-building problems faced by Central Asian leaders in a new international environment." Teresa Rakowska-Harmstone Harvard University