Central Asia Part Two

Baku

Azerbaijan

http://www.esflconferences.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/baku-cities-azerbaijan-night-flame-towers-panorama-prodigious-hd-wallpaper-14294581158.jpg

Baku is the capital and largest city in Azerbaijan. The city is located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, and is one of the lowest lying countries. It is home to over two-hundred million people, it is estimated that only one-fourth of the population lives in the urban area. Baku is a popular host city, it has held multiple events over the last ten years including 2016 European Grand Prix. 

http://www.limougepackages.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/baku-1-2.jpg

Baku is in a semi-arid climate, consisting of warm, dry summer and very occasionally a wet winter. Baku is home to strong winds all year round, leading to the nickname "City of Winds". Winds in Baku have reached eighty-nine miles per hour. Summers in Baku average about eighty degrees Fahrenheit. Annually the city receives less than nine inches. Islam is the dominant religion like most countries in the region. The country of Azerbaijan is among the world leader's in petroleum production. My favorite part of Baku, are the Flame Towers, pictured above. We were lucky enough to stay in the hotel portion of one tower, the towers also contain apartments and office space. 

Central Asia

http://eurasia.travel/files/bukhara_1024x475_09t.jpg

Bukhara

Uzbekistan

Bukhara is a city in the country of Uzbekistan. It is home to only two hundred-sixty thousand people. The city is home to one hundred-forty architectural monuments. Bukhara is the fifth larges city in the country, the city lies in the middle of the silk road. It has served as a center for trade, culture and religion. Islam is the dominant religion of the entire region and the country. Uzbek a form of Arabic is the official language of the country and city. Tajik is also a popular dialect in the city. Most sources disagree with the census, most believe that a good majority of the city consist of Tajiks. 

http://www.visituzbekistan.travel/tours/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bukhara-camel-walls.jpg

My favorite monument was the tower Kaylan Minaret, it also known as the tower of death. It was believed that criminals were thrown of the top as their punishment. Minaret is an Arabic word meaning lighthouse. The minaret is pictured below. The tower is almost one hundred-fifty tall, consisting of brick.  

Russia Part Two

Chechnya

North Caucasus, Russia

http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/chechnya_women/bp

http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/chechnya_women/bp2.jpg

Chechnya is located in North Caucasus, Russia. It is located sixty miles from the Caspian Sea, the capital is Grozny. Demographers are not exactly sure of the true population of Chechnya. After the split of the U.S.S.R. Chechnya was split into two halves. The republic of Ingushetia and the Chechen Republic. Chechnya has suffered from two civil wars. Over sixty five percent of the citizens live reside in a rural area, with only five cities with twenty-thousand residents or more.

Russian is the official language of Chechnya. Islam is the predominant religion of the region. The federal republic has suffered from many separatist and revolutions since the 1990's. The Chechen government is currently headed by a once separatist leader.   

Russia

Siberia

Russia

This week we are in Siberia. Siberia is also known as North Asia, extending from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific basin. Siberia extended southward down Kazakhstan and northward to the Artic Ocean. Siberia is over thirteen million square miles of land, home to over forty million residents. Siberia is very  sparsley populated. Siberia accounts for almost eighty percent of Russia's land area.

Siberia is home to many different biomes: coniferous forest, taiga, tundra, and mountainous regions. A majority of Siberia is located in the Aritc circle, leaving long, cold winters and short summers. Siberia has reached eighty nine degrees below zero in the winter of 1933. Siberia is also home to the Siberian tiger, an animal that is close to being extinct.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IQg0i4II8ji6uwyC8vFWuJsXn8kEgzruyY9vOcAFYAwQkXUDlCz9pgUs13jokAIp4u7g5ghhN73WvORuIPOjgj_kx4-0UNnLNLN5c1KHB3lwslG827PFX6syP-4BjbVFtVNmcG4HTcc/s1600/oymyakon44.jpg

https://feel-planet.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/lena-pillars-siberia.jpeg