Center Of Eurasia Research Articles

Tolypella mongolica (Charophyceae, Characeae): A new dioecious charophyte species from the center of Eurasia and implications for charophyte taxonomy, including the validation of T. porteri and the new combination for T. jwalae

A new dioecious species of Tolypella, T. mongolica sp. nov. from the section Tolypella, was described using an integrative taxonomy. It was found in three distant localities – shallows of a brackish small lake and a channel in the midland steppe in Mongolia and the Altai Mountains, and a small brackish water body in the dry steppe in Southeast Europe. It differs from other species in rbcL and ITS sequences and in distinct complex ornamentation of the oospore surface, varying from sparsely coarsely tuberculate to having the appearance of an aerial view of mountain landscape with acute to mostly sharp edges of elements at probably the ripest stage. Wide intrapopulation variability of expression of this trait, only partly explainable by oospore ripening stage, was found and illustrated for two populations, indicating previous underestimation of this phenomenon in taxonomic research. T. mongolica is richly fertile and appears to be ephemeral as most species of this genus. Only female plants were found in all localities. The absence of male plants could be referred to either their earlier development during the growing season or, less likely, parthenogenesis in this species. The description of the new species suggests taxonomic changes for two dioecious species of charophytes. Tolypella porteri stat. et comb. nov. was validated here. T. jwalae was recognized as a species of Nitella, N. jwalae comb. nov.

The Islamic Republic of Iran as a New Member of BRICS

The article analyzes the political, economic and cultural development of Iran throughout the existence of this unique state and its role in regional and world politics. It is claimed that the Islamic Republic of Iran represents one of the oldest civilizations and a serious geopolitical force in the center of Eurasia. The author explores the history of various state entities, that existed on the territory of modern Iran. The article provides an overview of key events in Russian-Iranian relations from the end of the 18th century to the present day, including the wars between the Russian and Persian Empires, the interaction of Moscow and Tehran during the First and Second World Wars, and the era of the Cold War. Special attention is paid to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which is considered as a symbol of protest against Western domination and an important factor in Reislamization, as well as the Iran-Iraq war of 1980–1988 and its consequences for regional stability. As а part of the study of Iran’s policy in the 21st century, attention is focused on Tehran’s relations with the leading centers of the modern world, including the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, the United States of America. The article describes the impact of Iran’s nuclear program on international relations and the effect of Western sanctions on the socio-economic situation in the Islamic Republic. The author concludes that Iran, which joined the BRICS in 2024, has every chance to become an important player in the global economy and politics. At the same time, the Islamic Republic of Iran is a very valuable asset for the group itself.

National-Territorial Delimitation in Central Asia in the 1920s: the Emergence of Border Disputes

The formation of the administrative borders of the Central Asian republics is connected with the historical events of the 1920s, the Bolshevik policy of division, or national-territorial demarcation of this vast Islamized region in the center of Eurasia. The Central Asian states that existed during the imperial period (Bukhara Emirate, Khiva and Kokand khanates), as well as during the initial period of Sovietization of the region (Turkestan ASSR, Bukhara NSR and Khorezm NSR) were not national entities. After the end of the Civil War, the Bolsheviks, within the framework of the "policy of self-determination of peoples", assumed that each state was to unite the population within a single nation, defined primarily by ethnicity. However, the implementation of these guidelines ran up against the lack of clear ethnic boundaries and the multiculturalism of the region; conflicts over the distribution of water, pasture, and minerals were not uncommon in the delimitation of borders. The territorial delimitation in the Fergana Valley, perceived by the Bolsheviks as a stronghold of the antiSoviet movement in Central Asia under the slogans of Pan-Islamism and Pan-Turkism, was especially difficult. It is no coincidence that the Fergana Valley, which was a single economic, cultural and historical complex, turned out to be divided between three state formations, the border disputes between which have not yet been finally resolved.

Survey of overpass foundation in engineering-geological condition of Kazakhstan

The aim of the work is to present the results of the inspection of the foundations of the overpass and to determine the causes of the defects. This is a particularly relevant task for countries with a large and extensive territory, such as Kazakhstan. This area is located in the centre of Eurasia, where many international routes between Europe and Asian countries have crossed since ancient times until the present day. One of the main international highways is Yekaterinburg - Almaty (2336 km), which is one of the main transport routes between Russia and Kazakhstan. This road was intensively reconstructed in 2013. An overpass was built on the 1114-1137 km section of the Yekaterinburg - Almaty Road. Unfortunately, there was downtime in the construction process. It is therefore proposed to inspect the foundations of the structures, the subgrade soil before continuing the construction. The overpass is located in the village of Zhaltyr, Akmola region.

Investigation of Road Systems in Engineeringgeological Condition of Kazakhstan

The purpose of the work is to present the results of the overpass structural survey and to determine the causes of the structural defects. Especially it is urgent task for countries with big and vast territory such as Kazakhstan. The territory is located in center of Eurasia, where are intersected many international ways between Europe and Asian countries from Ancient times to nowadays. One of the main international highway road is Yekaterinburg – Almaty (2336 km) which is one of main transportation road between Russia and Kazakhstan. Reconstruction of this road was done intensively in 2013. There is overpass construction which is constructed on section 1114-1137 km of Yekaterinburg – Almaty road. Unfortunately, deformation of bearing structures of overpass are detected during construction process. Therefore, it is proposed observation of deformed structures, soil ground. Before continuing construction process. The overpass is located in Zhaltyr village of Akmola region

Features, problems and opportunities for the development of transport corridors in the Eurasian Economic Union

International transport corridors are a manifestation of transport links between states with the goal to expand economic contacts and develop transit traffic between them. International transport corridors ensure the coordination of transport systems of the participating states for the implementation of prompt, safe, large-scale and cost-effective supply of goods on a regular long-term basis. International transport corridors within the EAEU countries unite various types of transport routes, transport infrastructure facilities, vehicles and transport authorities. The decisive factor in the development of international transport corridors within the EAEU is the spatial localization of this integration grouping in the center of Eurasia between the European Union and China as the two main economic poles. Such location of the EAEU countries determines their opportunities for the transit of goods through their territory. However, the transport complex of the EAEU faces a number of problems that can be minimized through the implementation of promising projects for the development of transport and logistics infrastructure based on attracting investments and coordinating management decisions in the field of regulation of mutual transportation. This study examines the features of international transport corridors passing through the territory of the EAEU countries, analyzes the potential and problems of their development, and identifies opportunities for the implementation of large transport and logistics projects.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a new impetus for the development of the Central Asian region

The article examines China’s global economic and logistics project “One Belt– One Road”. The long-term project is aimed at promoting the economic integration of the Central Asian region. The concept proposed by the PRC shows that China’s political relations are not aimed at creating an alliance against any countries. The global project provides transparency in terms of economic interaction. China demonstrates its readiness to coordinate this initiative with the development strategies of other parties and the mechanisms of its regional cooperation. The structural basis of the Chinese project is that all participants use a winning format of cooperation. In the economic analysis of the concept, it becomes obvious that the countries located in the belt and road zone have rich resources, their economic bases complement each other and have great potential and space for the development of cooperation. The Central Asian countries have a great transit potential. Due to its geographical location in the center of Eurasia, Kazakhstan can connect Europe and China by land transport. Get the opportunity to become a major logistics center for cargo flows from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran and receive income from the transit of cargo transportation. Beijing may strengthen its influence in Central Asia and block the cargo flow from Southeast Asia to Europe. An additional advantage of the project is significant financial resources to. In the course of the study, the author tried to determine the economic mechanisms and political patterns of the global Belt and Road project ten years after the publication of the mega project.

Central Asia as a geo-strategic region in the modern geopolitical confrontation

The work reveals the geopolitical dynamics in Central Asia, the states of which, since gaining independence, have become a geostrategic factor in international relations. The countries of the region - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are located in the center of Eurasia and are a kind of "buffer zone" between East and West. They have significant energy and raw material potential and play the role of a transport corridor between the countries of East and Southeast Asia and the EU. Central Asia is a region of strategic importance for global international players, each of which seeks to create its own sphere of influence there. The subject of the research is the state of geopolitical rivalry in Central Asia at the present stage. The purpose of the publication is to trace the transformation of the foreign policy strategies of key international players (China, Russia, the USA, the EU and Turkey) in the Central Asian region, to present scenarios for the development of the region in the context of global geopolitical confrontation. Methods of general scientific analysis and international political research were used: geopolitical, historical and comparative, discourse analysis, analytical and prognostic, etc. The work is based on the theory of structural realism, the fundamental principles of the theory of regional security complexes (B. Buzan, O. Wever), in within which the international region acts as a universal category for considering contemporary international relations. It is concluded that the countries of Central Asia have left the monopoly sphere of Moscow's geopolitical influence and have become a vector of China's strategic influence. The Russian military invasion of Ukraine is said to have posed a threat to regional security and raised concerns among the political elites of Central Asia. Blocking the export of Kazakh oil to Europe as part of Russia's energy war against the EU requires new ways of supplying energy resources bypassing the Kremlin. This will create a unique opportunity for the US and EU to strengthen their involvement in the region, which will curb the revisionist aspirations of Moscow and Beijing and help promote democracy in the region.

The Ukraine Crisis: Causes, Conundrum and Consequences

Located at the geopolitical centre of Eurasia, Ukraine has been an important arena for great power game for nearly three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The West, principally the United States and Europe, and the Russian Federation have therefore been heavily involved in Ukraine's internal and external development. Their ideological, economic, and geopolitical interests clashed in a fierce battle that led to multiple political regime changes in Ukraine, and ultimately plunged Europe into an intractable security situation. This paper takes the rivalry between the US, Europe and Russia in Ukraine as a starting point to examine the dilemma facing European security in the context of the great power game, the root causes behind the Ukraine crisis, its far-reaching consequences for geopolitics and global patterns and the implications for regional peace in other parts of the world.

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION AS AN IDEOLOGICAL APPROACH: POLITICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS

The article presents a comparative analysis of the results of the state policy in the field of multicultural education in Canada under the title "Canadian Cultural Mosaic" and "unity of the people of Kazakhstan" in Kazakhstan today. Canada is a constitutional monarchy that occupies the second largest land area in the world in North America, with parallel English and French languages, technologically and industrially developed, multicultural and corresponding multinational parliamentary system. Kazakhstan is a multicultural multinational democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic, developing technologically and industrially, with parallel Kazakh and Russian languages, occupying the ninth place in the world by land area in the center of Eurasia. Canada and Kazakhstan on the world stage today have a similar multi-ethnic appearance, but their political and philosophical structure is divided into two parts. Both States create favorable conditions for the unhindered happy existence of ethnic groups devoted to their historical destiny, the preservation and improvement of the characteristics of their nation. These actions of theirs serve as an ideological approach and serve as an example for other States. It is obvious that in the case when the assimilation of nations does not occur naturally, there is a loss of the culture of ethnic groups that make up the minority, an aggravation of racism and, accordingly, the process of loss of national identity.

THE LEVEL OF TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE TURKESTAN REGION

"Turkestan has been a trade center since ancient times, Ordo yntymak. Therefore, the transformation of Turkestan into a regional center is certainly one of the most mobile solutions of the Elbasy. Since this year, the value of the city on the Great Silk Road has been increasing. Turkestan region has a high tourism potential. A particularly priority area of the tourism cluster is a favorable transport infrastructure. The center of the region is the city of Turkestan – the golden nest of historical tourism. At the very beginning of the city, entertainment centers, modern hotels, cultural and historical centers, a drama theater, restaurants, celebration houses, a water park, spot recreation facilities, markets and supermarkets have been completely built for guests and residents of the city. There are places where tourists can provide a full range of quality services. The novelty of the article is that the city of Turkestan, which has long been considered spiritual Astana, is developing in a tourist cluster and receives millions of tourists a year. Tourism is one of the most dynamic sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy. Each region of Kazakhstan is a hotbed of a tourism cluster. The region located in the center of Eurasia, which became the Darkhan steppe of the Great Silk Road, a city was built from ancient times, cultural centers were built. Majestic rivers-lakes and massifs of rocks, forests and deserts testified to historical epochs. "

Geography of the Location of Chinese Kazakh and problems of Migration between Kazakhstan and China

This paper examines the state and the historical-geographical and socio-political processes of its emergence, citing the earliest states that have existed in human history as examples. Among the factors contributing to the political independence of the state, the factor of economic development is of particular importance. In this context the issue of economic independence of sovereign Kazakhstan is considered on the basis of comparative advantages of the country in relation to other countries in the international geo-economic system after the transition to a market economy. Comparative advantage is based on the country’s geographical position, natural resource potential, development in the economic, transport and social and technical spheres. It is also influenced by the development of economic and political-cultural integration processes. In particular, the location of Kazakhstan in the centre of Eurasia; its large natural territories and natural resource potential, including energy, land, soil, water, forest, biological, mineral, climatic and recreational resources; transit potential, connecting West and East, South and North; the presence of enterprises established during the Soviet Union; mass population literacy, availability of highly qualified citizens; international relations formed during the years of independence; a favourable investment environment; and the fact that the country has a well-developed economy. The article also considers the importance of using these potentials in defining and strengthening Kazakhstan’s position in today’s complex and unstable global geopolitics and geoeconomics.

Assessment of the infrastructure resource of transport component of the AIC of Kazakhstan: criteria and indicators

The goal is to determine the possibilities for development of transport component of the agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan. Methods - monitoring of indicators for assessing the infrastructure potential of the transport network of the agrarian sector of the republic, economic and statistical, comparative analysis, computational and constructive, allowing to assess the state and dynamics of its infrastructure. Results - the criteria for expanding the scale of transport and logistics system of the agro-industrial complex were considered. The geographical position of the Republic of Kazakhstan allows it to become a transport hub in trade between the States of Europe and Asia, including in terms of the movement of agricultural products, while the determining factor is the development of a modern base for increasing traffic volumes. The role of this component for agroindustrial production, an important sphere of the country's economy, which occupies a special place in a single economic mechanism, significantly influencing the efficiency and competitiveness of agricultural sectors, has been determined. Conclusions - in geographic conditions of Kazakhstan: a large territory, location in the center of Eurasia, the presence of various connections between economic regions, allowing a balanced distribution of agricultural products within the republic and exporting it, development of transport communications, namely roads and various types of structures that contribute to the effective movement of food goods. Thus, it is possible to outline a number of indicators for assessing the development potential of transport infrastructure of the AIC, among which the most important are the creation of a road network and provision of facilities necessary for the full functioning of the country's transport logistics. For this, it is advisable to increase the number of labor and material- technical resources aimed at creating economic transport entities.

THE CASPIAN REGION IN MODERN POLITICS: PROBLEMS OF REGIONAL COOPERATION

The Caspian region appears in international political terms with the USSR collapse. It includes five littoral countries - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan, which are building cooperation with each other and with non-regional actors in the new geopolitical conditions. The formation of relations is influenced both by the common and diverse national interests of the Caspian states, and by the constant direct and indirect impact of external players: the United States, the European Union, China and Turkey. Each of them regards the Caspian region as the most important strategic space for political and economic control over Eurasia in accordance with their own interests. The interest of the world powers in strengthening their influence in the Caspian Sea is connected, firstly, with oil and gas reserves, and secondly, with the fact that the region is the center of Eurasia, where a transport transit corridor connecting Europe with various regions of Asia passes. The domestic and foreign political conditions of the Caspian region are not easy. The main problems of regional cooperation are the disunity of the region, the potential for the implementation of "color revolutions" against the background of socio-economic difficulties. The "domino effect" in development of the situation is quite real. There is no reliable mechanism to protect regional interests. The first steps to form multilateral cooperation have been taken on the basis of The Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.

Geopolitical Approaches to the Term Study of the “Central Asia”

The article is devoted to the methodological approaches that reveal the essence of the term «Central Asia». After the collapse of the USSR, five Post-Soviet States located in the center of Eurasia, adopted the international name of the region «Central Asia» instead of the soviet term «Central Asia and Kazakhstan». However, at the present stage, the accepted Post-Soviet geopolitical term raises many questions and requires a detailed description. The author analyzes the essence of the term «Central Asia» through the prism of historical, geographical and geopolitical approaches. It is concluded that the historical and geographical borders of the region do not coincide with the borders of the political term «Central Asia». Famous Western and Russian geopolitics are trying to present the region within broader geopolitical boundaries which is due to the geographical features of the region and its hydrocarbon potential. As a result the term “Central Asia” is interpreted differently by researchers.

Development of a large-scale remote sensing ecological index in arid areas and its application in the Aral Sea Basin

The Aral Sea Basin in Central Asia is an important geographical environment unit in the center of Eurasia. It is of great significance to the ecological protection and sustainable development of Central Asia to carry out dynamic monitoring and effective evaluation of the eco-environmental quality of the Aral Sea Basin. In this study, the arid remote sensing ecological index (ARSEI) for large-scale arid areas was developed, which coupled the information of the greenness index, the salinity index, the humidity index, the heat index, and the land degradation index of arid areas. The ARSEI was used to monitor and evaluate the eco-environmental quality of the Aral Sea Basin from 2000 to 2019. The results show that the greenness index, the humidity index and the land degradation index had a positive impact on the quality of the ecological environment in the Aral Sea Basin, while the salinity index and the heat index exerted a negative impact on the quality of the ecological environment. The eco-environmental quality of the Aral Sea Basin demonstrated a trend of initial improvement, followed by deterioration, and finally further improvement. The spatial variation of these changes was significant. From 2000 to 2019, grassland and wasteland (saline alkali land and sandy land) in the central and western parts of the basin had the worst ecological environment quality. The areas with poor ecological environment quality are mainly distributed in rivers, wetlands, and cultivated land around lakes. During the period from 2000 to 2019, except for the surrounding areas of the Aral Sea, the ecological environment quality in other areas of the Aral Sea Basin has been improved in general. The correlation coefficients between the change in the eco-environmental quality and the heat index and between the change in the eco-environmental quality and the humidity index were −0.593 and 0.524, respectively. Climate conditions and human activities have led to different combinations of heat and humidity changes in the eco-environmental quality of the Aral Sea Basin. However, human activities had a greater impact. The ARSEI can quantitatively and intuitively reflect the scale and causes of large-scale and long-time period changes of the eco-environmental quality in arid areas; it is very suitable for the study of the eco-environmental quality in arid areas.

Развитие проекта «Новый шелковый путь»: функционирование в период пандемии и рост контейнерных перевозок

The article examines the reasons for the stable functioning of the land transport corridor on the China-Europe-China route through Russia and Kazakhstan, while the rest of the world was experiencing a pandemic-induced recession in many areas. The latest achievements in the development of the New Silk Road project are noted, and its economic significance for China, Russia and other participating countries is emphasized. The main objectives of this project are highlighted, including: creating convenient and fast transit corridors through the centre of Eurasia, strengthening economic cooperation between the inner regions of China and neighbouring countries, and opening new markets for Chinese goods. Attention is paid to the factors that have a positive impact on the growth of container traffic through existing transport corridors.

Global Picture of Genetic Relatedness and the Evolution of Humankind.

Simple SummaryThe intricacies of human ancestry are buried deep within our DNA. For years, scientists have been working to piece together a vast picture of our genetic lineage. The purpose of this study was to further reveal this global picture of human genetic relatedness using identical-by-descent (IBD) genomic fragments. We processed over 65 million very rare single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) alleles and detected over 17 million shared IBD fragments, including very short IBD fragments that allowed us to trace common ancestors back to 200,000 years ago. We also determined nine geographical regions representing nine unique genetic components for mankind: East and West Africa, Northern Europe, Arctica, East Asia, Oceania, South Asia, Middle East, and South America. The levels of admixture in every studied population could be assigned to one of these regions and long-term neighboring populations are strikingly similar, despite any political, religious, and cultural differences. Additionally, we observed the topmost admixture to be in central Eurasia. The entire picture of relatedness of all the studied populations presents itself in the form of shared number/size of IBDs, providing novel insights into geographical admixtures and genetic contributions that shaped human ancestry into what it is today.We performed an exhaustive pairwise comparison of whole-genome sequences of 3120 individuals, representing 232 populations from all continents and seven prehistoric people including archaic and modern humans. In order to reveal an intricate picture of worldwide human genetic relatedness, 65 million very rare single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) alleles have been bioinformatically processed. The number and size of shared identical-by-descent (IBD) genomic fragments for every pair of 3127 individuals have been revealed. Over 17 million shared IBD fragments have been described. Our approach allowed detection of very short IBD fragments (<20 kb) that trace common ancestors who lived up to 200,000 years ago. We detected nine distinct geographical regions within which individuals had strong genetic relatedness, but with negligible relatedness between the populations of these regions. The regions, comprising nine unique genetic components for mankind, are the following: East and West Africa, Northern Europe, Arctica, East Asia, Oceania, South Asia, Middle East, and South America. The level of admixture in every studied population has been apportioned among these nine genetic components. Genetically, long-term neighboring populations are strikingly similar to each other in spite of any political, religious, and cultural differences. The topmost admixture has been observed at the center of Eurasia. These admixed populations (including Uyghurs, Azerbaijanis, Uzbeks, and Iranians) have roughly equal genetic contributions from the Middle East, Europe, China, and India, with additional significant traces from Africa and Arctic. The entire picture of relatedness of all the studied populations unfolds and presents itself in the form of shared number/size of IBDs.

Geographical analysis of river flood hazard in Siberia

ABSTRACTSiberia is a huge and relatively sparsely populated territory in the centre of Eurasia with a harsh climate and diverse flow formation conditions. Nevertheless, it is characterized by a high flood hazard, as most of the settlements and industrial centres are located along river banks. The flood hazard can vary across space and time against a background of climatic and anthropogenic changes, as well as socio-economic factors. We carried out a geographical analysis of floods as a tool to identify the present status of flood hazard in Siberia. The analysis included: analysis of flood hazard during a period of climatic change (1985–2016); analysis of ice jams and ice dams as a specific natural factor causing floods; and identification of areas with different flood hazards using multi-scale mapping. Rainfall floods, mixed floods (due to rainfall and snowmelt) and floods resulting from ice dams are the most dangerous in Siberia. They have the highest rate of recurrence, strength of impact, and number of fatalities and displaced people. The locations of areas with different flood hazards were identified by multi-scale mapping. The highest flood hazard in Siberia is in the most populated and economically developed southern regions along the Ob, Lena, Yenisei rivers and in the Lake Baikal basin. In areas with a high flood hazard, complex measures are needed, taking into account regional peculiarities.

Opportunities of short-term weather forecasts data in the environmental monitoring of the Kazakhstan

This paper considers the possibilities of assimilation of FEWS NET (Famine early Warning System Network) products in natural resource monitoring of the territory of Kazakhstan in the cold period. With an area of 2.7 million km2, Kazakhstan is located in the center of Eurasia in the arid zone, and snow is one of the most important water sources in the first half of the vegetation season. The products “Snow Depth”, “Temperature” and “Precipitation” developed for Central Asia are based on model meteorological data, including short-term weather forecasts. This information, presented in the form of regular matrices, has several advantages in efficiency and spatial detailing over direct ground (remote) measurements of meteorological parameters. The use of FEWS NET products for the environmental monitoring of the entire territory of Kazakhstan or its separate parts is of benefit for assessing the current situation on snow reserves, weather regimes and prospects for spring snowmelt.