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book: The Central Asian Economies in the Twenty-First Century
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The Central Asian Economies in the Twenty-First Century

Paving a New Silk Road
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Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2019

About this book

This book analyzes the Central Asian economies of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, from their buffeting by the commodity boom of the early 2000s to its collapse in 2014. Richard Pomfret examines the countries’ relations with external powers and the possibilities for development offered by infrastructure projects as well as rail links between China and Europe.

The transition of these nations from centrally planned to market-based economic systems was essentially complete by the early 2000s, when the region experienced a massive increase in world prices for energy and mineral exports. This raised incomes in the main oil and gas exporters, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan; brought more benefits to the most populous country, Uzbekistan; and left the poorest countries, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, dependent on remittances from migrant workers in oil-rich Russia and Kazakhstan. Pomfret considers the enhanced role of the Central Asian nations in the global economy and their varied ties to China, the European Union, Russia, and the United States. With improved infrastructure and connectivity between China and Europe (reflected in regular rail freight services since 2011 and China’s announcement of its Belt and Road Initiative in 2013), relaxation of United Nations sanctions against Iran in 2016, and the change in Uzbekistan’s presidency in late 2016, a window of opportunity appears to have opened for Central Asian countries to achieve more sustainable economic futures.

Author / Editor information

Richard Pomfret is professor of economics and the Jean Monnet Chair on the Economics of European Integration at the University of Adelaide, and is adjunct professor of international economics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna. His books include The Economies of Central Asia and The Central Asian Economies since Independence (both Princeton).

Reviews

"The book is a thought-provoking study analysing the complicated relationship between history, politics, and economics. . . . Pomfret provides country-specific analyses with enough detail, which can also serve as a springboard for students who would like to specialise in the Central Asia region to conduct further in-depth academic research."---Özge Söylemez, Rest Journal --- "A succinct elaboration of core ideas and a complex web of insightful underpinnings. It is a valuable and timely research."---Gouranga Gopal Das, Asian-Pacific Economic Literature

Topics

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    Frontmatter

    i
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    CONTENTS

    v
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    List of Images and Tables

    ix
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    Preface

    xiii
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    Abbreviations

    xvii
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  • PART I. THE BACKGROUND
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    1. Introduction: Reconnecting Central Asia as the Crossroads of Eurasia

    3
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    2. Creating Market-Based Economies

    10
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    3. The Role of Natural Resources

    39
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  • PART II. THE NATIONAL ECONOMIES
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    4. Kazakhstan

    69
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    5. Uzbekistan

    95
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    6. Turkmenistan

    125
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    7. The Kyrgyz Republic

    155
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    8. Tajikistan

    181
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  • PART III. THE EXTERNAL CONTEXT
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    9. Regional Problems and Opportunities

    201
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    10. Central Asia in the Wider World

    230
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    11. Central Asia at the Center of Eurasia: Forging a New Silk Road

    265
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    References

    281
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    Index

    301
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    A NOTE ON THE TYPE

    305
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
January 29, 2019
eBook ISBN:
9780691185408
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
View content
https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691185408
eBook ISBN: 9780691185408
Keywords for this book
Uzbekistan; Central Asia; Kazakhstan; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Kyrgyzstan; Economic planning; Oil boom; Economy; World Trade Organization; Remittance; China; Eurasian Economic Union; Economic growth; Foreign direct investment; Supply (economics); World Bank; Agriculture; Privatization; World economy; Economic development; Market economy; International trade; Currency; Corruption; Recession; Tax; Soviet Union; Tashkent; Income; Exchange rate; World Bank Group; Tariff; Natural resource; Household; Hydroelectricity; Export; Transition economy; Afghanistan; Financial crisis; Gazprom; Welfare; Economics; Almaty; Price of oil; Comparative advantage; Joint venture; Natural gas; Employment; Commonwealth of Independent States; Bishkek; Small business; United States dollar; Inflation; Customer; Liberalization; Electricity; Pricing; Payment; Wealth; Commodity; Subsidy; Economy of Russia; Poverty; Investor; Economic power; Vladimir Putin; Customs union; Cotton gin; Consumption (economics)
Audience(s) for this book
For a non-specialist adult audience
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