This book focuses on the newly independent Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union in Central Asia, especially Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. It examines the recent economic and political developments in these states with reference to the lingering legacy of Tsarist Russian and Soviet rule, the resurgence of an Islamic political identity, the persistence of ethnic allegiances and rivalries, and the nascent democratic aspirations of their peoples.

"By far the most intellectually stimulating book to emerge on this topic in the past year... " -- Foreign Affairs This timely book focuses on the newly independent Muslim Republics of the former Soviet Union in Central Asia, especially Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan.

In recent years, geographies of identities, including those of ethnicity, religion, 'race' and gender, have formed an increasing focus of contemporary human geography. The events of September 11th, 2001 particularly illustrated the ways in which identities can be transformed across time and space by both global and local events of a social, cultural, political and economic nature. Such transformations have also demonstrated the temporal and spatial construction of hate and fear, and of increasing incidences of 'Islamophobia' through the construction of Muslims as 'the Other'. As the social scientific study of religion continues to be marginalized within mainstream scholarship, there remains an important gap in the literature. This timely book addresses this gap by collecting a range of cutting-edge contributions from the social, cultural, political, historical and economic sub-disciplines of geography, together with writings from gender studies, cultural studies and leisure studies where research has revealed a strong spatial dimension to the construction, representation, contestation and reworking of Muslim identities. The contributors illustrate the ways in which such identities are constructed, represented, negotiated and contested in everyday life in a wide variety of international contexts, focusing upon issues connected with diaspora, gender and belonging.

Central Asia is a fascinating region yet remote and unfamiliar to many people. This new study provides and introduction to the politics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Ijikistan, Turkestan, and Uzbekistan.

Central Asia in Focus - Political & Economic Issues

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 twentieth century, and details the role of ethnicity and the contribution made by Islamic impulses in the process of building the modern nation states.

This pathbreaking study brings together international experts to consider security issues and the experience and potential for cooperation in the subregions of the former Soviet Union. Appendices to the volume provide maps, a guide to acronyms, profiles of existing subregional organizations, and a chronology of cooperative agreements signed in the region since 1991.

With the present book, we intend to give an account of Turkish foreign policy written by Turkish scientists and decision-makers. Up to now, countless treatises on the foreign policy of the Republic of Turkey have been published within the Anglo-American language area. The specialized literature is particularly extensive in the domain of Turkish European policy as well as on the Europeans’ foreign policy towards Turkey and on security and defense policy. We are primarily interested in the self-perception of Turkish decision-makers and advisors who, as the scientific and bureaucratic elite, have a significant influence on the conception of Turkish foreign policy. We are interested in the elites’ priorities in shaping the country’s foreign policy. We hope that readers will be able to read the ideas, hopes, and fears between the lines of the contributions in order to form ideas for themselves. We also intend to bring the Turkish perspective to sectors outside the university. Moreover, we intend to draw an outline of scientific literature by means of which readers may immerse themselves in the subject.