Why did the Soviets draw the boundaries in the area of the Fergana Valley in a manner that they did?
These borders, designed by Josef Stalin primarily for administrative purposes, were also meant to prevent any future rise of a single political entity in Central Asia with the potential to challenge Moscow’s power in the region.
Who owns Fergana Valley?
Correspondingly, the valley is split among Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. However, each of the three countries in the Fergana Valley contains significant minorities of the other two ethnic groups.
Which country is Fergana?
Uzbekistan
Fergana in eastern Uzbekistan is a fertile valley fed by two rivers, Naryn and Kara Darya, and flanked by Tien Shan in the North and Gissar mountains (part of the Pamir Range) in the South.
What is the Fergana Valley known for?
Historically the Fergana Valley was an important staging-post on the Silk Road for goods and people traveling from China to the Middle East and Europe.
Is Fergana Valley Safe?
Is Fergana Valley safe? Today, yes, it is. The last clash was in 2010 and, actually, it mainly happened on the Kyrgyzstan side.
Was Uzbekistan part of the Soviet Union?
The Soviet government established the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic as a constituent (union) republic of the U.S.S.R. in 1924. Uzbekistan declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 31, 1991. The capital is Tashkent (Toshkent).
Where is Fergana Valley located?
Fergana Valley, Tajik and Uzbek Farghona, enormous depression between the Tien Shan and Gissar and Alay mountain systems, lying mainly in eastern Uzbekistan and partly in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The roughly triangular valley has an area of 8,500 square miles (22,000 square km).
Is Fergana Valley worth a visit?
There are no big tourist attractions in the Fergana valley in Uzbekistan. But, if you truly want to understand Uzbekistan and its relationships with its neighbours, a visit to this region is a must.
Where is Fergana valley located?
What was Uzbekistan before?
Uzbekistan was incorporated into the Russian Empire in the 19th century, and in 1924 became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, known as the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR). It became independent on 31 August 1991 (officially, from the following day).