ANTH 1557 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Lake Baikal, Taklamakan Desert, Kongur Tagh
Document Summary
Achieved current size during early 19th c. Gained control of central asia by the mid 19th c. Revolution in early 20th c. brought fall of empire, and the rise of communism. Center of ussr until its fall in the early 1990s. Significant cultural and economic influence in central eurasia. Significant portion of mongolian people in inner mongolia, china. Most sparsely populated country in the world. Boom in the mining industry (gold, coal, copper) Lines drawn to breakup turkerstan, and to prevent resistance. Gained political independence in 1991 with the fall of the ussr. Heavy interest from russia, shifting to china. But in many areas, it is still home to semi-nomadic herders. Some of the highest peaks in the world are in central asia. Kongur tagh in xinjiang, china: 25,095 ft. Important areas for herding, trade, and raw material extraction (mining) Taklamakan: 1. 5 inches per year in the west to 0. 4 inch annual in the east.
