Central Asia

Central Asia comprises five CIS countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. The territory of Central Asia is 3,994,300 square kilometers, it includes some of the most thinly peopled regions of the world. The total population of 51 million people consists of representatives of more than 100 different ethical groups - from Germans and the Austrians, to Tibetans and Koreans. The largest ethnic group is Uzbeks. The populations of Uzbekistan - 27 million people, moreover, besides Uzbekistan, Uzbeks as a national minority live in all other regions of Central Asia.

Four most famous historical cities of Central Asia – Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Kokand are located in the territory of Uzbekistan. They were the capitals of nomads’ empires and the greatest states of the past, as well as the centers of Islamic culture development in this region. For many centuries hundreds of mahdrasahs, Islamic colleges in Bukhara and Samarkand attracted students from distant lands like Morocco and Indonesia. For many Muslims Bukhara  is a place of pilgrimage and an important Islamic city,  after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The central Asia is also an origin place of Sufism- Islamic denomination, quickly spread in Africa and Asia.

Economy. Due to long hot watermelon, melon and gourd cultivation, gardening, cotton growing, and silkworm breeding prevail in the region. Villagers breed sheep, cows, horses and camels on the pastures. The region has large reserves of oil and natural gas. There are also reserves of black and nonferrous metals ores.

Source: http://www.world-asia.info/

Macroeconomic indicators of Central Asian Countries

 20042005200620072008
GDP, USD bn 73.6 90.3 44.2 160.9 176.2
GDP per Capita, USD 6 961.3 8 593.8 11 081.8 13 922.5 15 927.8
Real GDP growth average, % 9.94 6.44 5.2 8.5 8.06
Consumer prices index, % 105.2 107.8 108.1 114.2 116.2
Exports  (FOB), USD bn 898.9 836.7 962.7 145.2 1167.0
Imports  (FOB), USD bn 1063.3 151.6 148.9 154.9 133.9
Trade turnover, USD bn 328.8 296.6 300.8 300.1 311.0
Gross Official Reserves , USD bn 12.1 10.8 24.9 27.6 30.1
Capital Investments 480.0 578.2 545.0 546.8 494.6

Source: International Statistic Committee of Commonwealth of Independent States, Regional Economic Outlook Middle East and Central Asia, October 2008