Regions and Countries

	Table of Contents
p. 5 of 22 BACK | NEXT I. Summary II. Background and Rationale A. The Need for Economic Cooperation in Central Asia B. The Soviet Legacy in Infrastructure—A Connecting Thread throughout the Region C. Present Day Borders Cross Economic Zones D. Regional Responses to Regional Needs III. The ADB Initiative Towards Economic Cooperation in Central Asia IV. Sector Priorities and the Proposed Program 2001-2003 V. Addressing Poverty and Governance and other Cross-Cutting Concerns VI. Issues and Challenges

Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation : II. Background and Rationale

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C. Present Day Borders Cross Economic Zones

15. The borders of the CARs were determined by both political and economic considerations. Between 1924 and 1936, authorities in Moscow defined arbitrary political boundaries for what became the five socialist republics in Central Asia. With a few exceptions, these new, internationally recognized borders do not reflect the contours of natural geographic, ethnographic, or economic divisions. Geographically, for example, the Fergana Valley is fed by one major river system, which is shared by the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Also, the Leninabad region of Tajikistan, and the Osh region of the Kyrgyz Republic, are separated from their countries' respective capitals by high, nearly impassable mountains. Highways and railroads created during the Soviet period also defy the national boundaries in the region. For example, the major highway between Tashkent and Samarkand in Uzbekistan passes through Kazakhstan.

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