his study is dedicated to an examination of factors shaping religious and regional politics in Central Asia, and more specifically in the states of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The particular geographic focus is on the Ferghana Valley, the most densely populated area in Central Asia and home to 20 percent of its total population, but the implications of the eventual findings will be much broader,...

the disappearance of bipolar system following the disintegration of the soviet union, has also changed many strategic concepts. central asia, as a part of the soviet empire, has become an arena for regional and global challenges after these transformations. the region, already faced with various political, economic, social and cultural problems, soon became a location for the activities of isla...

Central Asia is a vast geographic region that includes five former Soviet Union republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The region has a unique infectious disease burden, and a history that includes Silk Road trade routes and networks that were part of the anti-plague and biowarfare programs in the former Soviet Union. Post-Soviet Union biosurveillance resea...

A list of species of Phaonia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 of Central Asia is given, and four new species of Phaonia are described from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan (P. babarabica sp. nov., P. juglans sp. nov., P. modesta sp. nov. and P. ninae sp. nov.). The male terminalia of all species and ovipositors of P. ninae sp. nov. and P. modesta sp. nov. are figured. Previous literature on the g...

he financial crises that swept across Asia and Russia in 1998 are reshaping the leadership politics of the former communist countries. In Russia, the financial crisis has marginalized President Boris Yeltsin and brought to the political forefront a previously disenfranchised coalition of traditionalists. Ukraine’s political leadership is leaning in the direction of Europe. The leaders of the co...

We investigated the molecular epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype Asia 1, which caused outbreaks of disease in Asia during 2003-2007. Since 2004, the region affected by outbreaks of this serotype has increased from disease-endemic countries in southern Asia (Afghanistan, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan) northward to encompass Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, several reg...

Tajikistan is a hotspot of plant and animal species diversity and endemism andis important for the conservation of biodiversity on a global scale. The country is located ata biological crossroads. Species from Central and Northern Europe, Central Asia, theMiddle East, and North Africa mingle here with endemics found nowhere else. Therichness of Tajikistan‘s biodiversity shows up at the genetic,...

BACKGROUND In the wake of collapse of the Soviet Union, Central Asia has transformed into a key hub along the Afghan opiates trafficking routes. Around 30 percent of the heroin manufactured in Afghanistan is estimated to be smuggled through Central Asian republics in its way to booming drug markets in Russia and Eastern Europe. METHODS Building upon available evidence and extensive fieldwork ...

tajikistan is a hotspot of plant and animal species diversity and endemism andis important for the conservation of biodiversity on a global scale. the country is located ata biological crossroads. species from central and northern europe, central asia, themiddle east, and north africa mingle here with endemics found nowhere else. therichness of tajikistan‘s biodiversity shows up at the genetic,...

Introduction Despite the significant number of research institutions and rich scientific heritage, published research from Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) is traditionally underrepresented in international scientific literature. The goal of this paper was to analyze publication patterns in Central Asian countries, and to explore the factors that c...