Central Asia, Afghanistan, and the Soviet Union

Flashcards about Central Asia, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Afghanistan

What are the Transcaucasian Republics?

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia

What are the Central Asian Republics?

Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan

What economic practice hindered the development of a balanced economy in the Central Asian Republics?

Reliance on a single-crop economy.

What resource gives Azerbaijan the best chance to build a solid economy?

Oil fields

What resources are Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan tapping into to build their economies?

Oil and natural gas

What type of conflict has created an obstacle to stability for many of the newly independent countries in Central Asia?

Ethnic and religious strife

__ declared itself an independent nation in 1919 and established a monarchy.

Afghanistan

During the Cold War, Afghanistan chose to remain __.

Neutral

In what year did military leaders overthrow the government of Afghanistan?

1973

In what year did a rival group with strong ties to the Soviet Union seize control of Afghanistan?

1978

What were the opposition forces who fought against the Soviet-supported government in Afghanistan called?

Mujahideen

In what years did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan?

1979 and 1980

What tactics did the Afghan rebels use to their advantage against the Soviet Union?

Guerrilla tactics

Which country provided financial and military assistance to the Afghan rebels?

The United States

Which conservative Islamic group emerged as the victor in Afghanistan after the Soviets withdrew?

Taliban

What type of interpretation of Islamic law did the Taliban follow?

Extreme interpretation of Islamic law

What type of groups did Taliban leaders accused of allowing to train in Afghanistan?

Terrorist groups

Which terrorist leader did the Taliban provide refuge for?

Osama bin Laden

On what date did the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon occur?

September 11, 2001

Who was selected as the leader of the new government in Afghanistan after the Taliban was defeated?

Hamid Karzai

What is the enormous task facing the government of Afghanistan?

Rebuilding a country after decades of warfare

How did the Soviets impact ethnic tensions in Central Asia before the breakup of the Soviet Union?

They kept a lid on ethnic hostilities

What is the name of the region of mainly Armenian Christians within Azerbaijan that declared its independence?

Nagorno-Karabakh

Afghanistan is a mostly __ nation.

Muslim

Which two countries competed for control of Afghanistan during the 1800s?

Russia and Britain