NCA - Northern and Central Asia Module Overview

Northern and Central Asia

Image of Kaindy Lake Kazakhstan

Introduction

In this module, we will study Russia, the largest country in the world, and the independent republics to the south of it. Although the countries in Central Asia (Turkestan) are often included in the realm of North Africa and Southwest Asia because of their Islamic faith and arid type B climates; the "stan" countries of Central Asia from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan are included here as a result of their history of having been under Soviet control and the use of Russian as a lingua franca.

 

Essential Questions

  • How does geography influence human settlement?
  • How has culture influenced the development or formation of countries?  
  • How have resources influenced modern conflicts?

 

Key Terms

  • Acculturation - the process of cultural change that results following a meeting between cultures. The majority's culture replaces the minority's culture over time.
  • Communism - a political system where the government controls the economy and society.
  • Czar - an emperor of Russia. This term has also been spelled tsar.
  • Diaspora - the dispersion of people from their homeland.
  • Eastern Orthodox - the faith, practice, and church order of the Greek Orthodox Church. Adherence to the forms of Christian doctrine and practice which are generally regarded as Eastern or Greek Orthodox rather than Protestant or Catholic.
  • Fossil fuels - a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.
  • Infrastructure - the physical buildings, roads, and utilities of a country.
  • Mineral - a naturally occurring inorganic element such as: salt, gold, silver.
  • Slavs - the people of Eastern Europe who speak Slavic languages.
  • Slavic languages - the languages native to the Slavic peoples from Eastern Europe. Russian, Polish, and Bulgarian are examples of Slavic languages.
  • Soviet Union - (officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) was a socialist state in Eastern Europe and Asia that existed from 1922 to 1991.

 

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.